YuGiOh Junior The Mandate of Heaven
by Cyber Commander
Summary: Back by popular demand, one of my oldest fics is revised and reposted. Enjoy.
1. Prologue

_Well, it took weeks and weeks of work, but here is episode three, reposted. Keep in mind, I was still learning the game at this point. It has many ruling errors, and follows the rules of the anime more often than not._

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**Yu-Gi-Oh Junior**

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**Episode Three**

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**The Mandate of Heaven**

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**A fanfic by Cyber Commander**

_Powered by Duel Disks you wear on your sleeve,_

_There happened a tale you must see to believe!_

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**Prologue**

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They have survived Anastasia Pegasus's Duelist Labyrinth…

They have defeated Remi and his City of Souls…

Now, the Legacy continues…

One of the greatest, nearly irrevocable axioms of the universe is than mankind is mortal. With few exceptions, no one can live forever. Almost all men must eventually die. While some might dream of immortality, few would truly enjoy it if they actually got it. Living eternally while all your companions died, again and again, would lead one to madness. And if all men lived forever, such a gift would soon beget boredom and eventual despair. Thus it is somewhat of a blessing that death claims all of us eventually.

But still, no one wants to be forgotten when they are gone either.

So it is a good thing that there is another great axiom of the universe – the one that drives mankind to find mates, and to reproduce. In this manner, they beget children, and thus their family lines continue, and their _legacies_ survive.

Case in point – Yugi Mouto.

Several decades ago, when he was but a boy, destiny chose him for a vital task. Endowing him with the powerful Millennium Puzzle, one of several items meant to prevent the return of the dangerous Shadow Games, he was charged with defending the world from evil forces that threatened its destruction. With his friends by his side, including the enigmatic Spirit that resided in the Puzzle, and armed with his powerful deck of Duel Monsters cards, Yugi eventually conquered all his foes… men like Pegasus, Bakura, Marik, Noah, Dartz, and others, creatures who preyed on souls and life, villains who sought goals too horrid to mention.

With all his foes gone, Yugi eventually grew into a man, putting away his cards… but eventually, he married, and he was blessed with a child: Yugi Mouto Junior. When his son reached a considerable age, Yugi Senior entrusted him with the Puzzle and his lucky deck, hoping that if ever the dangers came back, his son could combat them as he had.

And come they did.

With his companions, including the daughter of his father's closest friend, Joey Wheeler, Yugi has faced challenges that have threatened to destroy him. Two years ago, Anastasia Pegasus, the daughter of his father's old foe Maximillion, lured him to her trapped tournament, and Yugi had to defeat her to save himself and free his friends from her clutches. No sooner had he succeeded, he had to duel the embodiment of Death itself to save his foe's soul from oblivion.

But a far greater threat reared its ugly head one year ago. A soulless, undying madman who had taken on the self-appointed title of the Heir of Marik used a powerful ritual to imprison New York City, turning it into the City of Souls. Even worse, he planned to release the ancient demon-god Set from a dimensional prison, using the life forces of Yugi and his friends to fuel the blasphemous ritual. Yugi and his allies fought their way through the deadly City of Souls, overcoming every obstacle, and eventually defeated the Heir, but it was not enough to keep him from freeing the dark god. Yugi challenged and defeated Set, and with some help from the mysterious Shadi, managed to imprison both him and the Heir, freeing New York from the evil spell. Though he and his friends must forfeit the fame they deserve for their heroics to keep the world oblivious to the horror that was almost unleashed, the world was saved from a terrible fate. The satisfaction is enough for them.

Yugi and his friends have now lived seventeen years on this planet. They have just completed their senior year in high school, and college applications have been accepted. Soon, the teenage years will be behind, and adulthood will rear its head.

But one more challenge is in the wings, one that will prove if Yugi Mouto Jr. is truly worthy of carrying on the Legacy…

**Characters You Know**

**Yugi Mouto Junior:** Having looked what seemed to be ultimate evil in the face and defeated it, dueling now is little more than a pastime for young Yugi. But still, he feels in his bones that he still has a greater purpose that has yet to reveal itself. If anything, one aspect of his life has matured: the strange Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle has grown closer to him than ever before. He no longer has to retreat into his mind to speak to his strange partner – at times, the Spirit often just appears before him whenever he needs to speak to him. Yugi plans to enter college soon, to major in social sciences. History, ancient history in particular, is a major interest for him. But still, his nagging doubts about the future remain.

**Mary Wheeler:** With almost a perfect record in high school, Mary has been accepted into the pre-med program at a prestigious university, with a healthy scholarship, much to the delight of her parents. She has grown much closer to Yugi over the past year, and her feelings for him have grown in leaps and bounds. But she too has doubts about the future and what it holds… lately, her dreams have come to involve Duel Monsters more than ever. She naturally continues to improve her deck, making it more formidable and tougher.

**Clive Marris:** Having defeated duelists of much greater experience in the City of Souls, even the evil member of the Dark Four known as Des Fist, Clive has become more inspired than ever to become as great a duelist as Yugi. But he also has other, less tangible goals. His guidance counselors say he might have a future as a teacher, but he has not yet decided on that as a possible career path. In the meantime, Clive has found a girlfriend whom he has become slightly intimate with: the pretty, strawberry blonde, intelligent, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Thomas. Phoebe knows very little about the mechanics of Duel Monsters, but she does like to watch Clive duel. She compares the activity to watching a short action movie. She has in fact compiled several theories about the intentions of the creators of Duel Monsters, her favorite one being that the intention was for the players to pretend to be wizards who use magic to summon beasts and warriors to battle each other with. Little does she know, this theory comes very close to the true way the actual Shadow Games were played.

**Peter Ramset:** Like his lifelong friend Clive, Peter has gained much experience from the City of Souls, after defeating powerful duelists like the sinister magician Mantra. He continues to improve his skills, even though such things might not be necessary eventually. Always an artist, Peter has gone beyond photography of late; he now paints as well, and has taken up the piano. His paintings and music are just as beautiful as his photographs ever were, even according to critics. Like Clive, Peter has found teenage love as well. A young seventeen-year-old from France named Josephine Bizet ("Jo") has fallen for him since his trip to New York, and the two have been going out since. An artist herself, Jo understands the rules of Duel Monsters, but doesn't duel herself; still, she loves watching the sport, and often stands behind Peter when he plays, supporting him with her cheers.

**Jade Valentine:** One of the few remaining Samurai in the country, Yugi's ally has retreated to her dojo and resumed her constant training. Yugi and his friends have seen little of her, but she still keeps in touch with her friends via the mail. According to the letters, she is growing stronger, her skills growing to amazing levels. One letter worried them when it mentioned a "crisis" at her dojo, but it also reassured them that it had been taken care of. As of now, Yugi is considering paying his friend a visit, and is pondering writing a letter asking if such things are allowed. As far as male companionship goes, Jade has not mentioned if she has had any luck finding love, but of all the strict tenants of _bushido_, celibacy is not one of them, and companionship may one day loom in Jade's future.

**Siegfried Kaiba:** The nephew of Seto Kaiba has been somewhat of a mystery to Yugi and his friends over the past year. Soon after returning from New York, Siegfried vanished, his last words to Yugi being that he had "something big" to work on. Yugi has several times visited Siegfried's house, Kaibaland, and the Kaiba Corp. offices, only to be told that Siegfried was "away on business." He was, however, told that Siegfried's position in his uncle's former company had grown considerably, which has led Yugi to wonder whether or not Siegfried is running the show now. As of now, the last word from his friendly rival was a letter five months ago with no return address, telling Yugi that he hoped he was keeping his skills intact, because something big was indeed coming.

Now it is late June. School is out, and summer is upon Domino City. And finally, Siegfried's big surprise is about to bear down on the lives of his friends in a big way…


	2. Fairy Box

_I seem to remember telling my friends after surviving Anastasia's tournament, that if I were ever again to accept another invitation to a tournament, they were to shoot me. But I reason, if I can't trust an invitation from a friend who stood beside me in the City of Souls, who can I trust? Besides, this might be my last hurrah before such opportunities become out of reach…_

_I just hope I know what I'm getting myself into…_

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**Chapter One**

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**Fairy Box**

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It was high noon. The sun beat down hard over Domino City.

In his room in his house over his family's game store, Yugi Mouto Jr. brooded, sitting on his bed.

He was waiting for Mary to come over for lunch, but a lot was on his mind.

A small shine came over the Puzzle on the chain around his neck, and before he knew it, the vision of the Puzzle's Spirit was in front of him. Yugi barely looked up. He was getting used to it by now.

"Something troubling you, old friend?" mentioned the Spirit.

"I dunno," sighed Yugi. "Over these whole last few months, I've been feeling down…"

He got up and started to pace.

"I know I should feel happy," he muttered. "We defeated Remi and Set… pretty much saved the world… so how come instead of feeling happy I get a feeling of dread in the air? Like something is waiting to strike?"

"I don't want to worry you," sighed the Spirit. "But ancient axioms of the universe state that things often happen in threes. Trilogies play major parts in all aspects of life. Wishes come in threes, laws come in threes, saviors come in threes, movie sagas come in threes…"

Yugi smiled.

"And often, dangers come in threes," he continued. "You've defeated two dangers, Yugi. Anastasia was the first, Remi was the second; perhaps a third awaits, somewhere out there…

"But who it might be, I have no idea."

Yugi lifted up his deck.

"Well, if one exists," he responded, "we'll handle it whatever way we can. By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time…"

"Yes?" responded the Spirit.

"What the heck is your name?" asked Yugi.

The Spirit chuckled. That was the first time the topic had come up.

"Well, I've been called a lot of things over the years," he responded. "Pharaoh, King of Games, Yu-Gi-Oh, but most simply call me, 'Yami'."

"Well then," smiled Yugi, offering his hand, "I guess then we can…"

A sweet voice called from the hallway.

"Yugi! Mary's here!"

"Okay, Mom!" called Yugi.

"Talk to you later," he said to the Spirit, as Yami vanished.

Three minutes later, Mary entered his room, carrying a magazine, a copy of _Dueling Today._

"Yugi, you have to look at this," she exclaimed, opening it. "It has an article on the new Toon Monsters from the last booster pack!"

"Oh, yeah," said Yugi. "I've been meaning to bone up on that…"

Mary opened and read.

"'Created in honor of the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus, who was known for his Toon deck, and created exclusively for 'Mach 3' rules, the Toon Monsters can make a potent force for an exclusive deck if used by a skilled player.'

"Listen to this…

"'To summon a Toon Monster, one must first play the Toon World Spell Card, which requires a payment of 1,000 Life Points. When Toon World is on the field, Toons may be summoned. Toons have several handicaps – they cannot attack on the round in which they are summoned, and attacking with many of them requires a further payment of 500 Life Points. In addition, they can only exist so long as Toon World remains unharmed.

"'However, the trade-off is even, because a Toon Monster is able to bypass the defense your opponent's Monsters provide, and hit him with a Direct Attack at any time, unless your opponent also has Toons on his side.'

"We should watch out if we ever upgrade to Mach 3," she mentioned.

"True," answered Yugi, "but from what that says, Toons are as much a liability as they are an asset. I don't see how…"

"Yugi!" called his mother from the hallway.

She entered, carrying a large box.

"The mailman just delivered this," she said, putting it down.

As she left to see to lunch, Yugi looked at the label. It was from KaibaCorp.

Excitement welled in Yugi and Mary's hearts.

Quickly, Yugi opened the box, and found inside, amid packing chips, one small box, and one larger box. The smaller box had a label on it stating to open it first.

Yugi opened it. A videotape was inside, with a note instructing him to play it. Hardly knowing what else to do, he slipped it into his VCR and hit "Play."

A familiar face flashed upon the television.

"Siegfried?" exclaimed Yugi and Mary together.

It was indeed Siegfried, wearing a fancy Italian suit.

"Greetings, Yugi," started Siegfried. "It has been awhile. And it is my great pleasure to extend to you my invitation. You are cordially invited to the greatest Duel Monsters tournament in the free world… I present to you… Duelatopia!"

The background around him vanished, and was replaced by a large, resort-city with buildings and palm trees, surrounded by glittering ocean.

"Situated among the Bikini Atoll Islands of the West Pacific," continued Siegfried, "Duelatopia is a wonderful place where the weather is perfect, the food and entertainment is plentiful, and the duels will rage like never before! You and other duelists whom I have judged good enough to participate are hereby invited to come and compete for fame, glory, and prizes unlike any you can imagine. All of it will be under supervision by the man I have selected as your host, the Master of Games."

An image appeared next to him of a bizarre figure. He was knight-like, wearing fancy golden armor and a full helmet, as well as a long, red cape.

"Should you decide not to come," continued Siegfried, "simply put the return label I have enclosed on the larger box and send it back, and we will leave it at that. But I implore you not to take this option, as you would be throwing away your ticket to a paradise of dueling for a couple of weeks.

"Should you accept, open the large box. Its most vital content is the Dueling Disk X-5500, your most important piece of equipment. This wondrous device is better than any holographic dueling system to date, and will make your duels more realistic than ever.

"You'll also find in the large box your boat tickets, your hotel assignment voucher, and an instruction manual. I advise you to read up on it, as Duelatopia will be using 'Mach-3' rules.

"One final note, Yugi," he continued. "Be sure to bring some extra cash and/or any major credit card, because while KaibaCorp will be paying for your hotel and basic amenities, Duelatopia has lots more to offer.

"I will be in Domino City the week of July 14th to see everyone off. Do try to RSVP me before then.

"For now, I wish you good luck. The gates of Duelatopia and its ruler, the Master of Games, await!"

Siegfried and the odd Master of Games raised their hands in greeting, and a view of Duelatopia finished the invitation.

When Yugi turned off the tape, he was full of wonder.

"Well," he said in wonder, "now we know what 'big thing' Siegfried was talking about."

"Are you going?" asked Mary.

Yugi lifted the large box out of the package. "I don't see how it could hurt," he said. "A free vacation on a tropical island, and a major Duel Monsters tournament… it seems like a dream come true!"

"Say," pondered Mary, "if these packages are being delivered via mail…"

At that point her cell phone rang. She answered it.

"Oh, hi Daddy," she said. "What? Okay, be right there…"

"Yugi!" she exclaimed. "I just got a package like this one!"

"Then you'd best get home," said Yugi. "We'll have lunch some other time."

Mary gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and rushed out of the room. Feeling a bit self-conscious, Yugi turned back to the box.

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Seven o'clock that night.

Phone calls to Clive and Peter had confirmed his suspicions… they had been invited as well. Yugi had, of course, asked his parents for permission, and he had gotten it, but he was still a bit nervous.

He looked at the Dueling Disk X-5500. It had a strange feature on it – a large orange gemstone right next to where the Life Point counter was.

Yami appeared before him again.

"I know," he said. "You're thinking about our discussion earlier."

"Yeah," muttered Yugi. "It seems that Duel Monsters tournaments never led to anything pleasant for me… or my dad…

"But Siegfried wouldn't lie to me… He'd be the last person to want to lead me into a trap! Wouldn't you agree?"

"I do," answered Yami. "Still, if we are moving up to Mach-3 rules, we'd best upgrade our deck."

"You read my mind," said Yugi. He opened up a small box that was beside his bed – the very box that, ages ago, held the component pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. He now used it to store rare cards that he didn't need… until now.

"Hmm," he pondered, taking one out. "The Cost Down Spell Card will make summoning tribute Monsters easier…"

He took out a Monster Card.

"And Skilled Dark Magician will make bringing out the Dark Magician easier as well," he said. "His Attack points aren't bad for a Level 4 Monster either."

Yami pointed to two other Spell Cards.

"Curtain of the Dark One and Sage's Stone will also be invaluable," he continued.

"Thanks," answered Yugi, picking them up. "good idea."

After about an hour of work, Yugi slid the deck into the case.

"This is indeed a powerful deck," approved Yami. "And it will be tough to defeat it…"

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At that moment, Mary was at home, and was also working on her deck.

_I'll have to compose a deck that will give me an edge,_ she thought, _even with Mach-3 rules._

She picked up a small pine box from beneath her bed. She opened it, revealing some cards.

She picked out one: Goblin Attack Force.

_Daddy used this card often,_ she thought. _A 2,300 point attack with no Tribute is a great way to spoil an opponent's strategy._

She chose another card.

_Zombyra the Dark,_ she thought. _Another good non-Tribute, even if he does lose 200 Attack points with each attack. With an Equip or two, he can turn the tide of battle._

She continued looking through her cards. Eventually, she fitted them into her special case, and yawned.

_Duelatopia,_ she thought, _here I come._

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At Clive's house, Clive was telling the news to Phoebe.

"A tropical island?" she moaned. "In the Bikini Atoll? Aw, and my parents are taking me to boring old Hawaii that week!"

"You don't need to come," sighed Clive. "Seeing me dueling the other contestants would probably just bore you. By the way, speaking of bikinis, I've seen you in one… make sure the boys in Hawaii keep their hands to themselves."

Phoebe smiled, but both of them were rather disappointed. Phoebe would have loved to go, and Clive would have loved her there, but her parents had been planning their vacation for six months.

"Do you think your… Dark Scorpions… have enough juice to take on the competition?" asked Phoebe.

"I don't know," muttered Clive, opening his own box. "Even so, it wouldn't hurt to add a few things to my deck…"

He leafed through some of the cards he had.

"I have so many Warriors, these two Fusion Sword Murasame Blade Equips will do nicely," he mentioned.

He leafed through some more.

"And The Warrior Returning Alive and Reinforcements of the Army might do well."

He picked up a Monster card.

"Mad Dog of Darkness," he said. "He'd be a perfect companion for my Dark Scorpions…"

He picked up another Monster.

"And Marauding Captain," he continued. "This one will give them something to think about…"

He chose one more.

"The key to Mach-3 rules is having your weaker Monsters survive until you can Tribute them for something deadly," he mused. "Mary has Double Pinaska, who can survive against any Monster for one round at least, due to his negating ability. And he's a Dark Warrior, just like the Scorpions."

He looked at the card.

"Won't Mary be surprised when she finds I have a Double Pinaska of my own!"

He picked up one more card.

"Oh look," he said, perking up. "Siegfried mailed this one to me last Christmas! A Giant Spitting Cobra! This one can…"

"NO!" gasped Phoebe, covering it with her hand. She started to shake.

"What's wrong?" said Clive.

"Snakes…" stammered Phoebe. "I'm scared of snakes… they frighten me! Don't put it in your deck, please!"

"But Phoebe, it's a powerful card…" protested Clive. "And it isn't like you'll be there when I use it…"

Tears flowed down Phoebe's cheeks. "I hate snakes…" she cried.

"There, there," comforted Clive. He put down the card and hugged her. "I won't put it in my deck if it scares you that much…"

"No Clive," assured Phoebe. "I want you to win. Put the card in your deck if you think it will help…

"But please… I just don't want to see it…"

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At Peter's house, he and Josephine were talking over pizza and diet cola.

"_Je t'aime, mon amore_," she said sweetly. "_Je t'aime_."

"You speak so sweet, Jo," commented Peter. "I only wish I could have someone as lovely as you with me for the tournament."

"I would love to accompany you Peter," sighed Jo. "But I must go with my parents to France for the summer. I am certain you will do fine. Your Archfiend deck has never failed you."

"That's the whole problem," muttered Peter, talking out his deck.

He looked at his principle seven cards, Vilepawn Archfiend, Desrook Archfiend, Shadowknight Archfiend, Darkbishop Archfiend, Infernalqueen Archfiend, Terrorking Archfiend, and Skull Archfiend of Lightning.

"With Mach-2 rules, I had nothing to worry about, but in Mach-3, using these guys requires a Life Point payment…"

He got out a box and took out two Spell Cards.

"… which means that these two Pandemonium Field Spell Cards are no longer a luxury, they're a necessity."

He leafed through the box.

"More Tribute Monsters wouldn't hurt either. Lesser Fiend is a good one. He's considered an Archfiend, and a Monster that he destroys can't be resurrected…"

"May I make a suggestion?" asked Jo.

She took a card out of the box.

"La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp has a very high Attack for a non-Tribute," she mentioned.

"Excellent idea," approved Peter taking it.

She picked out another one. "Opticlops is pretty good too," she said. "That is, if you still aren't too sore from… you know…"

Peter smiled, nervously. Jo was one of the few people he confided in about the City of Souls (even though he didn't even confide in Yugi that he had confided in her). She was strong enough to keep the secret. And she knew well that the Evil Spirit of the Ring had at one point attacked him with an Opticlops.

Still, she had a point, and this Fiend, as well as La Jinn would make powerful additions. He added both Monsters to his deck.

"Hmm," pondered Peter, looking at a Level Five Fiend. "Mefist the Infernal General. This guy might be good. He can do Life Point damage even when he attacks a Monster in Defense Mode…"

He took out another card. He chuckled as he looked at it.

"And _this_ one," he laughed, "will be my ultimate trump card!"

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The night wore on, and the young duelists slept, dreaming of the images of Duelatopia they had seen, that of the strange, armored man called the Master of Games, and what would occur in the weeks ahead…

And hundreds of miles to the east, on a large island taken up by a beautiful city, Siegfried Kaiba stood amid a room full of technicians. An assistant was standing right next to him.

"Is the energy generator up and running?" he asked.

"Like a kitten," answered the assistant. "The nuclear generator is online. It could power Duelatopia for ten-thousand years if it needed to."

"The holographic imaging tower?" asked Siegfried.

"Tested and retested," assured the man. "Ten times. Strong enough to supply images for eight hundred duels at once, if ever that was needed, from a thousand miles away, if necessary."

"Are the final adjustments made to the Centurions' equipment?" he asked.

"All are in place," said the assistant. "And they are already through with the last part of training. Duelatopia will be more secure than Fort Knox."

"It better be," warned Siegfried. "Have all the special operations I suggested been put into place?"

"Yes, although I must admit some of them were a little… strange," the man replied. "I must presume that…"

"Don't presume," snapped Siegfried. "Anything yet that hasn't been completed?"

"Only the stadium," said the assistant. "But we have men working on it around the clock, and it will be operational by Day Seven of the tournament at the latest."

"That is cutting it rather close," sneered Siegfried.

"Well, just you wait, sir," smiled the assistant. "This is going to be a coliseum that will put Yankee Stadium to shame."

"It had better," said Siegfried. "I've put my blood, sweat, and tears into this resort, and I can't afford the slightest screw up."

"Sir, it's nearly midnight," urged the man. "You haven't slept in days. Don't you think…"

Siegfried yawned. His assistant had a point.

"I'm going to my manor house," he said. "Maybe some sleep [I]will[/I] do me good."

As he left the room, a worried look came over his face.

_Of course,_ he thought, _what point is there to sleep, when all my dreams are unimaginable nightmares?_

_Hopefully, with some help from my old friend, this tournament can help me sleep soundly again, and bring the burden placed upon my whole family to a close…_


	3. United We Stand

_An old song once said, "Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?" So now I'm on a sea cruise, a lot like the one that took my dad to Maximillion Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom so many years ago. Only this time, the host who sent me on it is a lot less nasty._

_I figured this little trip would be a chance to meet up with at least some of my competition, although I never imagined the scope of the strange characters I'd meet…_

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**Chapter Two**

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**United We Stand**

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The weeks went by, and preparations were made. Every aspect was checked and rechecked a hundred times.

Yugi and his three friends practiced a few times with tabletop games using the Mach-3 rules. After about a week, they had it about down pat. It was different than what they were used to, but it wasn't all too hard to learn.

The week of July 14th was eventful to say the least for Yugi and his friends. A strange thing or two happened when Siegfried actually came into town.

But at last, the big day came… July 20th. Early in the morning, Yugi and his three friends woke up at the crack of dawn.

Yugi woke up to see Yami before him.

"How long have you been waiting?" asked Yugi.

"A while," smiled his partner. "It's the big day, old friend. This is going to be the tournament to end all tournaments. And we can take it together."

"Then we will," exclaimed Yugi. "There's no backing out now!"

He showered, and then opened his wardrobe. He donned his black t-shirt and leather pants, and then his stylized vest. He strapped on his black belt, and slipped his deck into the built-in holder. Finally, he fitted the Millennium Puzzle around his neck.

He looked in the mirror. Images of photographs that his father had taken of himself back during Seto Kaiba's Battle City tournament came to his mind. He sensed that Yami could tell what he was thinking.

"You'll make your father proud," approved Yami.

"I hope so," said Yugi.

"Watch out Duelatopia," they said. "We're coming!"

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At seven-thirty AM, he and his three friends exited a cab at Domino City pier.

"Come on people," he urged, as a redcap gathered their luggage. "We have to be on the boat at Dock 24."

They found the boat, which was named the _Queen of Autumn Leaves_. A large line of people were waiting to enter. They saw that Siegfried himself was at the forefront, welcoming the guests as they climbed aboard, a bodyguard on either side.

"Hello," he smiled. "Welcome. Glad you could make it. Enjoy your trip."

Yugi and his friends came up.

"Well, Yugi, Mary, Clive, and Peter!" he exclaimed. "So glad you chose to come! I know you'll enjoy your trip – this will be first class all the way."

"So Sieg," asked Peter. "Any chance of telling us any big secrets about this game of yours?"

"The Master of Games will explain everything tomorrow afternoon after you arrive," answered Siegfried.

"Who's the Master of Games?" asked Mary.

"Someone you don't want to cross," said Siegfried. "Now chop-chop! Don't hold up the line!"

One of the bodyguards got a call on his cell phone.

"Right," he said. "Mr. Kaiba, your private jet is refueled."

"Tell them I'll be there in an hour," answered Siegfried.

"You won't be coming with us?" asked Mary, disappointed.

"Sorry," responded Siegfried, "but it's imperative that I get there before the guests do. Now move along…"

The four of them boarded the boat.

"Just remember everyone," announced Mary. "From this point on, we're the Team Supreme! Nothing will tear us apart!"

"Agreed!" shouted Yugi, Clive and Peter together.

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After they had checked into their cabins, they met outside the rooms.

"Well," mentioned Yugi. "I guess we should…"

"Attention," announced a voice. "This is your captain speaking. We will be departing for Duelatopia in approximately fifteen minutes. Out exact time of arrival will be 2PM tomorrow afternoon. Until then, everyone enjoy the free hospitality aboard the _Queen of Autumn Leaves._"

Soon, the boat pulled out of the harbor, and they were on their way.

"Let's go to the buffet, people," suggested Mary. "Maybe we can get a decent breakfast."

They were all very hungry, having skipped that important meal, so that sounded like a good idea.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the buffet lounge, they piled up plates full of fruit and muffins, and took their trays to a table.

"Well," exclaimed Yugi, looking around. "Siegfried certainly spared no expense."

"I wonder if Terone is here," wondered Mary.

"I think he said he was going on the other ship," said Yugi. "We might meet up with him later."

"Yugi, Mary," stated a voice. "Mind if I join you?"

The voice belonged to a nearly five-foot-ten youth with black hair, held back with a bandana. He was slightly muscular, and wearing a blue vest and slacks, each of which had wave-like designs on them.

"Um, sure," said Yugi. "Do I know you?"

"Not really," stated the youth. "But I think my father knew both of your fathers – my name is Orin Tsunami."

"Tsunami…" said Mary, searching her mind. "As in Mako Tsunami?"

"That's my father," answered Orin. "He taught me how to duel ever since I was knee high to him…"

"Judging from what Daddy told me about him," laughed Mary, "that would have been pretty high…"

Orin chuckled.

"So how's old Mako doing?" asked Yugi.

"He's retired to the Key West," answered Orin. "Living a life fishing and sailing, doing what he's always loved doing… and my deck is based on his, filled with dangerous underwater denizens…"

"Uh, do you have Fortress Whale in there?" asked Mary, somewhat worried.

She remembered her father tell of his duel with Mako, and how he had taken a direct attack from Fortress Whale's powerful artillery – she certainly didn't want to suffer the same fate…

"Well, I can't reveal all my secrets," answered Orin. "But I've got a few new surprises…

"By the way, a little bit of a warning; stay away from the observation deck… there's a ninja up there, and she scared the hell out of me!"

"Ninja?" asked Clive, surprised.

"She?" asked Peter.

"Does this 'ninja' wear green armor and have long blonde hair?" asked Yugi.

"Why yes," said Orin. "How did you…"

"Jade!" they all exclaimed at once.

They quickly scarfed down the rest of their breakfast and got up.

"It was nice to meet you Orin," said Yugi. "We'll see you in Duelatopia."

"I'm counting on it," answered Orin.

The four of them rushed to the observation deck.

"I'm glad Jade's here," said Clive. "I didn't see her in line… I thought for a minute she might be on the other ship!"

"Glad she didn't miss the boat," said Yugi.

As they reached the observation deck, they saw Jade easily. She was leaning over the side of the ship, looking out in front of the ship. Her helmet was resting at her feet, and her sword was by her side. She wasn't the only one there – her sister Amber was standing beside her.

"Jade!" shouted Yugi.

"Yugi?" she said, turning her head.

"I'd hug you Jade," smiled Yugi, "but you'd likely crush me to death."

"Well," said Jade. "This has certainly been a big turnout. I cannot imagine what sort of trials Duelatopia has in store."

"Are you competing too, Amber?" asked Peter.

"No," sighed Amber. "I don't even have a Disk. I just came to cheer my little sister on. It was the least I could do after all that has happened…"

"All that has happened?" asked Yugi.

"Well…" said Amber.

Jade cast a glance at her.

"Well, I did try to shove her into a lamp and make her my slave, you know," she said quietly. "I owe her something…"

"I think you were punished enough for that," sighed Clive.

"I still… feel responsible," mumbled Amber.

"Look, Yugi," said Jade. "We need some time alone. Maybe we can discuss this later."

"Okay," said Yugi. He shrugged.

The four of them turned and left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Later at the lounge, Yugi and his friends were discussing things over sodas.

"There seems to be duelists up the yin-yang here Yugi," mentioned Clive. "And there must be more on the other ship. Duelatopia must be a big place to hold so many competitors."

"Yeah, and only one will be able to win the tournament eventually…" said Yugi.

"And that's gonna be me!" yelled a gruff voice above them.

They looked up, and saw a muscular youth, about eighteen years old, dressed in a leather jacket which showed off a great deal of his chest hair, and leather pants held up by a chain. He had dirty blonde hair that was unkempt, and a ragged beard. On his right wrist was a strange metal wristband, and he wore a bandana.

"Didn't we see this guy on _Mad Max_?" asked Clive.

"Mad Max is a wimp!" snarled the punk. "I'm Kanasta…"

He double-tapped a pad on his right palm, and three sharp blades sprung out of his metal wristband.

"…_Nasty_ Kanasta!" he continued.

"Wasn't he a villain in an old 'Loony Tunes' cartoon?" frowned Yugi.

Kanasta drew back.

"Look, when you're born with a name like mine," he sneered, "you make

due!"

"I don't believe we've met," said Yugi, softly. "Nor did I want to."

"You've been spending too much time in Domino City," he proclaimed. "Everyone in America knows that Nasty Kanasta is the best duelist in Chicago!"

"You ever duel on Valentine's Day?" asked Yugi. "Bet it was a real massacre."

"Actually I did duel last Valentine's Day," started Kanasta. "It was a great duel where I used… Hey wait a minute… oh, I get it…"

"Like a dinosaur," chuckled Yugi. "Took a while to reach his brain."

"So you were the champion of the Duelist Labyrinth," grinned Kanasta. "I didn't expect someone so short!"

"Well if size were equal to brain power, pal," frowned Yugi, "you'd be no bigger than a Kuriboh. Say, you look in a reflective surface lately?"

"Reflective surface?" said Kanasta, puzzled.

"I meant a mirror, ugly," answered Yugi. "Geeze you're thick."

Kanasta slammed his fist down on the table and raised his claw. "That's it!" he shouted. "I'm going to jam this thing up your…"

"Boys, put away the toys," said a sultry feminine voice.

They turned to look towards the door, and _she_ entered.

She was about seventeen years old or so, and stood out in a bizarre way. She was tall and lithe, with short, platinum-blonde hair in bangs. Her skin was slightly pale. She wore a sleeveless black bodysuit, boots, gloves, and a cape. The bodysuit was low cut, and open at the navel. Even her lipstick was black.

"Uh, I think I'll go check out the dance club downstairs!" cried Kanasta, running for the door.

The creepy girl walked up to Yugi's table and stared him in the eye.

"So, Yugi Mouto Junior," she purred in a husky voice. "For a duelist of such fame, I didn't expect someone so puny…"

She twirled his hair with her finger.

She turned away. "Watch yourself, little boy," she purred. "This tournament is going to be an all out war that I intend to win!"

She slowly walked towards the other door.

"Who was THAT?" exclaimed Yugi.

A boy came up to their table.

"That was Persephone Amore," he muttered. "The national champion of Italy. Some people call her the Dark Fairy Queen."

"She plays a Fairy deck?" gasped Yugi, in shock.

"Uh huh," continued the boy. "I've seen her duel... never has there been a more ruthless duelist... one who enjoys laughing so much at the defeat of an opponent. Some say that Fairy decks are for wimps... but she can boast an undefeated record, as far as I know..."

As the boy left, Yugi's head bowed, as if he had been slapped in the face...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The afternoon wore on, and Yugi remained in the lounge. His friends, who had since gone up for fresh air, rejoined him.

"Seventeen colas," muttered Peter, looking at the empty glasses on his table. "Not a good sign."

"Have you been sitting here all afternoon drinking soda?" asked Mary, in surprise.

"No," mumbled Yugi. "A few times I had to hit the bathroom... speaking of which..."

He got up and headed for the men's room.

"What is with him?" muttered Clive. "It isn't like Yugi to let some punk's insults get him down."

"Let's find out," said Peter.

As Yugi left the men's room, his three friends were waiting outside.

"Yugi," said Clive. "What do you care what that jerk Kanasta said?"

"It wasn't Kanasta, Clive," muttered Yugi, sitting down. "It was Persephone."

"Huh?" said Mary. "You aren't scared of that walking freakshow, are you?"

"No," sighed Yugi. "More like insulted. A person like that playing a Fairy deck... it's a lot to swallow...

"My mother used to play a Fairy deck..."

Everyone looked surprised.

"Your mom used to duel?" asked Mary.

Yugi took out his deck. "Not very often," he responded. "But she wasn't too bad."

He leafed through his deck until he found the card he was looking for.

"Why do you think I keep _this_ guy in my deck?" he responded.

He showed them the card. It was Shining Friendship.

"Mom gave me this card," he continued. "It was, in fact, this very card that helped her save my dad from one of the most early crises of his life..."

His friends gathered round.

"It all involved my dad and Jade's mom, the ever illustrious Mai Valentine, during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. I guess it all started with that creep Panik, a man whom I believe you dueled at one point, Mary."

"I still have nightmares about it," shuddered Mary.

"Well, back then," continued Yugi, "Panik was very much alive, and worked as one of Maximillion Pegasus's Eliminators, special 'hit men' whose job was to rid the island of the better duelists, a profile whom Mai – and my father, by the way – fit to the letter. Panik captured Mai and forced her to duel... she lost, and had to give up all eight of her Star Chips for it.

"But my father wouldn't let such an injustice happen. He challenged Panik himself, wagering all of _his_ chips to win back Mai's. He defeated the fiend, and blew him away. Anyway, Mai swore to my dad that she would pay him back, saying that she always paid her debts.

"Eventually, dad earned all the Star Chips required for the finals, but he didn't count on Seto Kaiba getting in his way. Seto wasn't nearly as nice as his nephew is, and egged my dad on until he agreed to duel him. Dad only learned later that Pegasus was forcing Seto to do it, having captured the soul of Seto's brother Mokuba.

"Dad almost won the duel, but Seto eventually cheated, threatening suicide if his opponent struck him down. Dad practically had to struggle to contain the emotions inside him, and that struggle gave Seto the opening he needed to win.

"Having lost half of his Star Chips and at the point of despair, dad sank into a deep state of depression from which no one could barely even make him move. He had decided at that point that he couldn't control himself, and that he could never duel again. His friends – your father, Mary, my mother, and their friend Tristan, tried everything to snap him out of it, but to no avail.

"And that was when Mai showed up.

"She had worked extra hard to earn a total of eighteen Star Chips, eight more than she needed, having every intention of paying my dad back. But when she tried to give them to him, he wouldn't take them, hardly even responding. Mai got angry, and said that if he wanted to wallow in self pity, it was no skin off her nose...

"And then mom stepped in. She said she would win the Chips from Mai, dueling her herself. Perhaps she felt that seeing some action would bring dad around. Mai laughed at the prospect at first, but mom was insistent.

"So it started, and at first it went badly for mom. Her Petite Angel and Fairy's Gift were quickly torn apart by Mai's Harpie Lady, which she naturally pumped up with Equip cards. But at that point, mom drew Shining Friendship.

"There was just something about the name on this card, 'Shining Friendship'... mom figured that if Friendship was truly the key to its power, it could have Tristan's spirit, Joey's courage, and my father's Heart. And she developed a plan to use it with...

"She Equipped this Monster with both Elf's Light _and_ the Silver Bow and Arrow; Mai's Harpie was still too powerful, but Mom surprised her by destroying her Cyber Bondage with a De-Spell card. And when Shining Friendship slew the Harpie, the plan worked... dad finally did recover."

"Wow," muttered Clive. "That little butterball beat a juiced up Harpie Lady..."

"Yeah," continued Yugi. "And after that, Mai surrendered, saying she couldn't defeat mom with what she had. My dad was able to enter the finals, and the rest is history…

"But there was one funny thing about that duel that my dad wonders about to this day..."

"Yeah?" asked Mary.

"When Shining Friendship destroyed that Harpie," said Yugi. "Mai had a facedown card, one that she never played. Although she later said it was just a throwaway, dad couldn't help but think that it was actually her Harpie's Feather Duster..."

There was silence.

"If Mai had used that," said Mary. "Shining Friendship would have been reduced to its original strength..."

"And would have been easy prey for whatever Mai had summoned next," continued Clive.

"So your dad thinks Mai took a dive?" asked Peter.

"It sure looked that way," stated Yugi. "She threw the duel in order to help my dad – possibly because she was so impressed by my mom's resolve."

Silence again.

"Well," exclaimed Mary. "Maybe it was that little amount of generosity that begot Jade!"

"Perhaps," sighed Yugi, putting the card back in his deck. "But the point remains... the thought of someone like Persephone using a deck full of Fairies makes me sick! She's like an evil clone of my mother!

"And I'd bet my Dark Magician that we won't be able to stay away from her forever..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the sun went down, Mary went to do a little exploring, and found Jade, alone now, where she was before, watching the sunset on the observation deck.

Yugi's story had gotten her thinking.

"Beautiful evening, huh?" asked Mary.

"Yes," agreed Jade.

"So where's Amber?"

"Down in the nightclub dancing," answered Jade. "I suggested she try to have a good time."

Mary pulled up beside her. "You know Jade, I've been thinking," she started. "My dad always had a lot to say about your mom..."

"Yes," responded Jade. "My mother always had kind words about your father, Mary."

"I think there must have been a time," said Mary, "when they were in love... when things might have turned out differently..."

Jade sighed.

"It wasn't meant to be, apparently," said Jade. "Perhaps they were from two different worlds, Mary."

"I know," started Mary. "But have you ever stopped to wonder what might have been... what might have happened if your mom had married my dad? We might have been sisters, Jade! Heck, we might even have been..."

"The world is full of 'what if' conundrums Mary," said Jade. "We cannot dwell on what may have been, because such dreams do not exist. We can only concentrate on what truly _did_ happen.

"And what did happen is, my mother found a husband, and your father found a wife, and we were their offsprings. And I do believe that the unions were successful in that regard. Do you not think?"

"I guess so," sighed Mary. "My dad always has said he's proud of me..."

"Are you satisfied with who you have for parents?" asked Jade. "Do you love them?"

"Huh?" said Mary. "Of course!"

"Then there is no trouble," said Jade. "No matter who your parents are, so long as they provide the love, support, and acceptance that they should, as yours have towards you, and mine have towards me, then 'what if' conundrums should not bother you."

Mary changed the subject.

"So, you have a boyfriend yet?"

Jade blushed and chuckled.

"Well…" she responded. "I do not like to kiss and tell, as the saying goes. But there is someone I've been rather close to for a few weeks now…"

"Really?" asked Mary. "Someone I know?"

"There are some secrets about myself I must keep, Mary," said Jade.

"Oh," said Mary.

She thought for a minute. She wondered what sort of man could ever fall for a woman who could likely snap him in two. Jade would really have to be careful when they got "close"!

A bunch of strange scenarios crossed her mind, and then she changed the subject again.

"Well," she said, "good luck in Duelatopia!"

"You too, Mary," said Jade. "And should we ever meet as opponents, I hope that our duel will be as honorable as it was last time."

Mary paused. She remembered back to Duelist Labyrinth. She had dueled Jade twice during that tournament. The first time, she had beaten Jade… but the next time, during the finals, Jade had gotten better, and though the match had been close, Jade had won.

At this point, both of them were much better then they were back then – so what would happen should they ever duel again?

Mary shuddered. She had witnessed Jade twice now summoning her most powerful creature, the Ritual Monster Shen Lung the Celestial Herald. Jade had never used it against her, but frankly, she was scared of it. Who wouldn't be afraid of a Dragon that was a hundred feet long? The thought of going up against that behemoth would scare anyone.

"Well, we can only see," sighed Mary, nervously.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On into the night, Mary and Yugi sat at a table in the large restaurant in the main deck. A band played on a stage in the foreground. Mary went through her cards.

"Monster Egg?" asked Yugi. "And Insect Imitation?"

"Yeah," responded Mary. "I haven't used this combo since the Labyrinth, but in a contest where you have to make Tributes to summon powerful Monsters, these two cards can help you get a good one out instantly if your luck is right. If I'm lucky, I can have a level-five, -six, or even -seven Beast-Warrior out in a second!"

"Good idea," approved Yugi.

He took out his box.

"Here," he said, taking out a card. "Consider this an early birthday present. It may be of some use."

Mary took it. "Gaia the Fierce Knight?" she said.

"Not Gaia the Fierce Knight," said Yugi. "This is his darker twin, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight. In most cases, he's identical to the original Gaia, except that he's a Dark Monster... but if he's the only card in your hand, you can summon him without a Tribute!"

"Gee thanks..." smiled Mary. "And I don't have anything to give to you... wait a minute... I do!"

She took something out of her bag. "Here," she said. "Put this guy in your deck."

"Mary, I can't take your Alligator's Sword!" protested Yugi.

"It's my _spare_ Alligator's Sword," smiled Mary. "I have two now. I know this isn't worth a Swift Gaia _and_ a Flame Swordmistress, but at least it's something."

"Thanks, Mary," answered Yugi, taking it. "I guess now we have a little of each other in our decks now."

At that point, the band at the end of the bar stopped playing, and the spotlight fell on the pianist.

He began to sing...

_**It's nine o'clock on a Saturday...**_

_**The regular crowd shuffles in;**_

_**There's an old man sitting next to me**_

_**Makin' love to his tonic and gin.**_

_**He says, "Son, can you play me a melody?**_

_**I'm not really sure how it goes,**_

_**But it's sad, and it's sweet, and I knew it complete**_

_**When I wore a younger man's clothes."**_

_**Oh, la la la, de de da...**_

_**La la, de de da, da da...**_

_**Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man,**_

_**Sing us a song tonight,**_

_**'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody,**_

_**And you've got us feelin' all right.**_

_**Now John at the bar is a friend of mine.**_

_**He gets me my drinks for free.**_

_**And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke,**_

_**But there's someplace that he'd rather be...**_

_**He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."**_

_**As the smile ran away from his face.**_

_**"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star**_

_**If I could get out of this place."**_

_**Oh, la la la, de de da...**_

_**La la, de de da, da da...**_

_**Now Paul is a real estate novelist**_

_**Who never had time for a wife.**_

_**And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the navy,**_

_**And probably will be for life.**_

_**And the waitress is practicing politics,**_

_**As the businessmen slowly get stoned,**_

_**Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness,**_

_**But it's better than drinking alone.**_

_**Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man,**_

_**Sing us a song tonight,**_

_**'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody,**_

_**And you've got us feelin' all right.**_

_**It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday,**_

_**And the manager gives me a smile,**_

_**'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see,**_

_**To forget about life for awhile.**_

_**And the piano, it sounds like a carnival,**_

_**And the microphone smells like a beer,**_

_**And they come to the bar, and put bread in my jar,**_

_**And say, "Man, what are you doing here?"**_

_**Oh, la la la, de de da...**_

_**La la, de de da, da da...**_

_**Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man,**_

_**Sing us a song tonight,**_

_**'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody,**_

_**And you've got us feelin' all right.**_

Yugi sighed. That song always got him right there.

But he had to wonder as the musicians finished and got up... was there a reason that song was saved for last?

The ship pressed on, into the night, as the sliver of a crescent moon shone faintly amid a thousand stars.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi slept soundly that night on his bunk in his cabin. The rolling of the sea may have made others sick, but it was pleasant for him. It wasn't until noon that Clive's voice brought him to awareness.

"YUGI!" shouted Clive. "Wake up! We'll be at Duelatopia in only two hours! You don't want to stay behind on the boat!"

"Oh, yeah," moaned Yugi, getting up.

"Meet the rest of us downstairs for lunch," said Clive. "The instructions say that when we land, everyone has to gather by some sort of tower by the front gates for a debriefing."

Yugi got up and got dressed.

"There's no turning back now," stated Yami, who appeared in front of him.

"I never intended to turn back," answered Yugi, lifting up the Puzzle. "Now let's get ready... they always say the first day is always the most important."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour and a half later, the four of them were on the observation deck, looking ahead, when finally it came into view.

There it was, in all its splendid glory... Duelatopia! Buildings of incredible design populated the city-island, shining like mirrors in the sunlight. They caught sight of several small monuments and green areas, and at the corners of the island which they could see were two statues at least a hundred feet high - the Dark Magician and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Yugi wondered if there were different statues on the corners which he could not see. The tallest structure on the island was a strange tower, the architecture of which was similar to a radio tower, but much bigger and fancier.

Eventually, the ship and the ship next to them drew closer, and the city loomed over them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said an announcement. "This is your captain speaking. We will be preparing to disembark in about fifteen minutes. Take this time to gather all of your personal belongings.

"The Master of Games requests that all of you attend his debriefing before entering the gates of Duelatopia. Simply follow the main road from the docks towards the tower that you will see in front of you. After this short speech, you will be allowed to enter at your leisure.

"Good luck, and Godspeed to you all in the tournament ahead."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The tournament guests hurried off the ships in a haphazard manner. They were all anxious to see the mysterious Master of Games. Yugi and his three friends were a little bit calmer, doing their best to keep together.

"Just remember folks," noted Mary. "The Team Supreme will be there to support each other no matter what the odds! And if it ever comes down to the wire, and we're ever forced to face each other in the arena..."

They all looked at her.

"Let's all make a promise that it will be done with honor and dignity," she continued.

"Agreed!" they all exclaimed. They all put their hands together.

Within five minutes, they were all within sight of the tower that the captain must have been talking about. It was a large tower made of pure white marble, with a balcony about halfway up. A huge metal door was behind the railing of the balcony. Behind the tower, the gates of city awaited, but were closed.

A sizeable crowd had gathered on the promenade, and everyone was wearing the special Dueling Disks that the team had. Yugi and his friends thought that this was the best idea, so they picked their own Disks out of their luggage and fitted them onto their left arms.

"So what now?" asked Peter.

"I guess we wait," answered Yugi.

"Great turnout!" said a voice behind them.

"Aw, nuts," moaned Yugi.

They turned around, and "Nasty" Kanasta was right behind them.

"I thought I smelled something," growled Yugi.

"Don't think I'm gonna let all your insults slide, Yugi!" sneered Kanasta. "There are a lot of butts around here to kick, but the instant this tournament starts, I'm gonna make sure your ass is the one I kick first!"

"You just try it!" dared Mary. "Yugi's the best there is!"

"We'll see," warned Kanasta. "But I've yet to meet a duelist I couldn't make squirm!"

Yugi sighed. "Come on guys," he said.

They started to walk towards the other end of the promenade.

"Hey wait!" shouted Kanasta. "I'm not done demeaning you!"

"Aw, your sister smokes corn silk!" shouted Clive behind him.

Kanasta paused.

"My sister doesn't smoke corn silk," he said, scratching his head. "She works in a butcher's shop and smokes hams..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, the sound of several horns sounded, and the large metal doors opened. An imposing figure stepped out.

It was him; the Master of Games, as they had seen in Siegfried's tape. Looking like a medieval knight with a sci-fi style helmet, he was dressed in splendid golden armor, and wearing a long, red cape. He also had a Dueling Disk X-5500 on his left arm. The crowd cheered as he approached the balcony.

"Welcome duelists from around the world!" he exclaimed, in a strong voice that was clearly amplified. "I am the Master of Games, and you are about to enter the paradise which I call home... the city-realm of Duelatopia! This tournament will be a trying and fierce couple of weeks, in which only the strongest out of all of you will make it to the final rounds.

"Before I begin speaking of the more vital aspects of this tournament, I must point out to you the three cardinal rules of Duelatopia itself. One, there will be no stealing from your fellow contestants. Two, there will be no physical fighting or assaulting among contestants. Three, during duels themselves, cheating will not be tolerated.

"Should these three rules be broken..."

He gestured, and two figures walked into view behind him. They wore armor like his, only it was gray, less fancy, and had no capes.

"These are two members of the police force of this island," explained the Master, "the Duelatopian Centurions. There are over a hundred of them on duty at any one time, and I warn you, only roughly half of them will be in uniform. Many will be undercover. Anyone who threatens the peace or breaks the rules can deal with them."

The two Centurions nodded, and retreated back into the tower.

"Now onto more pleasant things," continued the Master, taking out a deck of cards. He plugged it into his Disk. "You have each been issued a Dueling Disk X-5500, the most advanced dueling system known to man. These devices will make your beasts look more real than ever before... I will demonstrate... Activate Dueling Disk!"

The two sides of the Disk combined, and slid to the side of his forearm. The lights on it started to flash.

He drew a card from his deck.

"Blue Winged Crown, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed, placing a card down.

A huge, violet bird, surrounded by blue fames with red fire on its forehead appeared in the sky in front of him. At the same time, a set of numbers appeared right next to it. (1,600/1,200)

It was indeed quite real. The heat from the downdraft was felt by the whole crowd.

"Hmm," mentioned the Master. "Not a bad start, but I think my Blue Winged Crown looks a little lonely... so..."

He drew another card.

"Whiptail Crow, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed, placing it down.

Another Monster appeared, this one a fiendish vulture-like creature with a long tail. (1,650/1,600).

"Of course," said the Master, drawing a third card, "the key to winning under these rules is bringing out your stronger Monsters so..."

He put down a third card.

"I Tribute the Blue Winged Crown and the Whiptail Crow to bring forth Hyozanryu!" he shouted.

The first two Monsters vanished, and a huge dragon made of crystal with huge wings and a horn on its snout appeared! It breathed a blast of blazing light at the crowd! (2,100/2,800)

"Of course," said the Master, "this is only a simulation."

He pressed a button on his Disk, and Hyozanryu vanished. His Disk shut down.

"When your actual duels start, the fighting will be more intense than ever before. I give fair warning to do everything you can to shield yourself from direct attacks from your opponents, because the rumble packs in the Disks have added a little special sauce with extra spice to make that aspect more interesting. More than that, I cannot say. You'll soon find out.

"You may have noticed the orange gemstones placed right near your Life Point counters. These will determine how you advance in the tournament. Every time you win a duel, the color of the gemstone will be upgraded. From your current Orange Status, you can be upgraded to Yellow, then to Green, then Blue, then Violet, then Silver, and finally, Gold. Gold Status is what is needed to compete in the finals, and you must achieve Gold Status by four PM on Day 10 of the tournament in order to compete in the finals.

"Just as you can be upgraded, you can also be downgraded. When you lose a duel, you will be downgraded one color. From Orange Status, you can be downgraded to Red Status, and if you lose after that, the gem will turn black, and you will be disqualified. But to all unfortunates to whom that happens, your days in Duelatopia are not done... everyone who does not make it are free to stay and watch the finals commence, with the opening ceremonies starting on Day 11 in our grand Stadium.

"There is faster way to advance, but this is a way I do not recommend. You might find clues in Duelatopia that will lead you to the lairs of the Eliminators, skilled Duelists who I have discovered at exotic locales from the farthest reaches of the planet. If you find one of these lairs, you may challenge the Eliminator, but if you lose, you will be disqualified at once, and that may not be _all_ that you lose..."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"But," said the Master, "should you defeat an Eliminator, he or she will upgrade your Status by _two_ levels, and you will also receive a very special gift for your troubles.

"But even if you defeat one of them, you must abide by certain rules. Every contestant is only allowed _one_ Eliminator match for this tournament. Should you locate another, you cannot duel him. Also, should you choose to travel in groups, and I know some of you are, I will tell you that Eliminators will duel no one who knows their strategy. Should you help your friend by cheering him on, that particular Eliminator will never duel you. You will have to find another if you want to take such a challenge.

"Once again, I will warn you that this option is _very_ risky, and I do not recommend it.

"As far as Duelatopia itself goes, you have each been issued a hotel voucher for one of the city's fine lodgings. Food and amenities will be provided there for free, but if you want more of what Duelatopia has to offer, I hope you've brought your credit card! The city is full of restaurants and entertainment centers, where you can relax and have fun between duels. It also has a plethora of stores and shops, and in almost all of them, you can buy booster packs of Duel Monster Cards, some of which have not seen print for years.

"One building which I cannot say enough about is the Trading Lounge. This neutral ground is a place where duelists can discuss and chat in a stress-free environment, and offers a great place to make trades.

"So then, if you are lucky and play your cards right, you may yet make it to the finals. Everyone with Gold Status on Day 10 is required to go to the VIP entrance to the Stadium in the center of Duelatopia by four PM. The winner of the tournament will win a grand award of twenty million U.S. dollars..."

Everyone started to sound excited.

"And in addition, he or she will have the option of an exhibition match with yours truly, the Master of Games. Should I be defeated, the winner can make any request he desires that the vast resources of KaibaCorp can fulfill. But I warn any dreamers out there..."

He paused.

"I have dueled for much longer than any of you, young duelists, and while it would be a lie to say that I am undefeated, only one person has ever defeated me. Now, you are probably wondering, who might that person be? My lips are completely sealed to his or her identity, but I will say this: that person is standing among you right now, a competitor in this very tournament!"

Looks of shock went through the crowd, as they looked around, Yugi and his friends among them.

"I call that person 'The Mole'," explained the Master. "And seeing as The Mole himself (or herself) doesn't even know who he or she is, and you don't know who I am, that is going to make identification awfully hard. So beware, young duelists... you never know when the duelist you are facing will be The Mole!

"Now, the time for talk is at an end. You may enter the gates, where my Centurions will register your Disks. Find your hotels and rest, for Day 1 starts tomorrow, and at 7 AM sharp, the duels will commence!"

He turned, and walked back into his tower, where the iron door closed.

The gates opened, and a squad of armored Centurions appeared, one of which stepped forward with a bullhorn.

"Form ten single-file lines, please!" he announced. "Let's do this in an orderly manner! The more you push, the longer this will take!"

With some confusion, everyone lined up. The lines slowly went through the gates, where the Centurions scanned their Disks with strange devices.

When Yugi came up, leading his team, the Centurion looked at him hard. His eyes went to the Puzzle hanging around his neck, then to Yugi's face. He looked at him for about a minute.

Finally, the Centurion scanned his Disk and let him pass. "Good luck," he said, as he did the same with Mary, Clive, and Peter.

"Come on guys," said Yugi, looking at his voucher. "Looks like Siegfried booked us at... Cosmo Queen's Castle?"

It was easy enough to find Cosmo Queen's Castle. It was the largest hotel on the hotel strip (which when all was said, wasn't very large when compared to hotels in major cities) and looked like a four-star hotel! The entrance was flanked by two smiling statues of Cosmo Queen, and as they entered the lobby, it looked like a palace!

"I'll take those people," said a bellhop, reaching for their luggage. "If I can just see your vouchers..."

They showed them to him.

"Ah yes, the suite level," he smiled, loading the luggage onto a trolley. "You people must know someone!"

"Well, we are friends with Sieg... Mr. Kaiba," said Mary.

"How fortunate," said the bellhop.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The bellhop led Yugi to his room last.

"Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Mouto?" he asked.

"No, that will be all," answered Yugi, taking a five-dollar bill from his pocket.

"Thank you," said the bellhop as Yugi gave it to him.

As he left, Yugi surveyed the room. The bed was king size, the TV was widescreen, there was a mini-bar, and even a videophone. He didn't have anyone to call who had a videophone, but it was a nice touch.

He told his friends to meet him here so they could go down for dinner in an hour. He couldn't believe that this splendid hotel room was all-expenses-paid. As he lay on the bed, he couldn't help but wonder what the next few days would bring...

And all the things that the Master had said echoed in his mind.

"_Piano Man" is a registered trademark of Billy Joel._


	4. Cyber Commander

_I knew I would have to start somewhere in this tournament... but who knew it would be in the first hour of the first day? And who knew it would be against some big jerk who likely is only doing this to prove how tough he is?_

_One thing's for sure, I'm going to enjoy mopping the floor with this guy..._

_... if I can._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Three**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Cyber Commander**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The four of them met in Yugi's room before going down to the dining room.

"Should we wear out Disks down there?" asked Clive.

"We don't really need them yet," answered Yugi. "And I wouldn't want to get pasta sauce all over them."

"Good point," added Peter.

"So, who do you think is The Mole?" asked Mary.

"Before we figure that out, we have to figure out who the Master is," responded Yugi. "And frankly, he could be anybody. Siegfried has lots of connections in the dueling world... in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if..."

Suddenly the videophone on Yugi's desk rang.

"Now who could that be?" Yugi mused.

"Maybe it's your dad," said Mary. "Think he's using the videophone in Domino Library?"

"One way to find out," shrugged Yugi. He went over to the phone and turned it on.

The screen came on, and the four friends were surprised. The figure on the screen was the helmeted face of the Master himself!

"Ah, Yugi, Mary, Clive, and Peter," he said. "So glad I caught you all at the same time."

"Uh, yes," said Yugi, nervously. "To what do we owe this call... sir?"

"I just wanted to touch base, old friend," stated the Master.

"Old friend?" asked Yugi. "I beg your pardon, but we've never met..."

"Really?" asked the Master.

He reached for his helmet, and slowly removed it. The four friends gasped.

"SIEGFRIED!" they shouted.

"In the flesh, so to speak," smiled Siegfried. "Now you know my secret, and I'm telling you right now that you four are the _only_ contestants who I am sharing it with."

"Wait a second!" gasped Mary. "If you're the Master, Siegfried, then that means that The Mole... is Yugi!"

"Uh huh," responded Siegfried. "But people, I must have your solemn promise. You must not reveal either secret to any other guest. I'm putting a great deal of trust in you because of all that has happened between us. I trust that you will not betray my secrets. You must not even tell Jade."

"You can trust us, Siegfried," agreed Yugi.

"Sure!" responded Mary.

"We promise!" said Clive.

"May we live a thousand years and never duel again," promised Peter.

"Uh, I don't think that was necessary, Peter," sighed Yugi. "But I have some questions, Siegfried. The Eliminators..."

"I recall saying that I advised everyone against challenging them," muttered Siegfried, "although I have no doubt many will try. You are welcome to challenge them if you find them, but you are still bound by the rules. More about them I can't tell you. There are many secrets about Duelatopia that I cannot reveal.

"And you are all bound by the other rules too – no stealing, cheating, or physical fighting. If you do, my Centurions will have no choice but to place you under arrest, and the prison here is not pleasant. That means none of your curses, Yugi. Keep the Puzzle's magic under control. I mean that."

"Uh, sure," muttered Yugi. He was starting to get nervous again.

"And speaking of which," continued Siegfried, "let me put any of your fears to rest, Yugi. My Centurions have all been trained to identify all seven of the Millennium Items. Only you and one other person are allowed to have one in Duelatopia..."

"One other person?" said Yugi, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't tell you who he is or what Item he has," continued Siegfried, "but rest assured it isn't the Rod or the Ring. Anyway, anyone unauthorized seen carrying one of them will be shot on sight, and that goes for anyone except you who has your Puzzle. You have nothing to fear from Millennium magic here.

"Anyway, go have dinner and get some sleep. I'm sure you want to hit the dueling circuit first thing tomorrow."

He lowered his helmet back onto his head.

"This is Sieg... um, the Master of Games, signing off!"

He hung up.

"Another Millennium Item?" pondered Mary.

"Maybe Siegfried has an employee of his wearing the Millennium Necklace," said Yugi. "Such an item would come in handy in an event this large. Well, let's eat, huh?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That night, Yugi had a strange dream. He dreamt he was soaring over the clouds.

At his side was the powerful form of Black Luster Soldier. The mighty Warrior turned to him and nodded.

Then Yugi noticed what they were riding on. They were atop a huge, silver-colored, winged dragon with three heads. He and the Soldier were riding the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

Yugi shivered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He woke up as the phone rang. He reached for it.

"Mr. Mouto," said a voice. "This is your wakeup call."

"Thanks," he groaned.

The clock next to his bed said 5:30. His head never felt clearer. He said he would meet his friends for their continental breakfast at six.

He got up and headed for the shower.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was 6:45 when the Team Supreme walked out of the hotel. They started to walk towards the center of Duelatopia. The buildings were just opening. Places that sold donuts, fruit, and other breakfast foods already had their wares out.

"Well guys," mentioned Mary. "Fifteen more minutes, and Day One officially begins!"

"All I can say," exclaimed Clive, "is bring it on!"

Already, the streets were starting to become full of people, some wearing Dueling Disks, others who were apparently there just for some excitement. At 6:50, however, the atmosphere turned sour.

"YUGI MOUTO!" shouted a gruff voice behind them.

"Aw no," groaned Yugi.

He turned around, and the large form of "Nasty" Kanasta was there, brandishing his Dueling Disk.

"I've been waitin' for you Yugi," sneered Kanasta. "I told you I was gonna kick your ass first! And now you're gonna have to face my blades!"

He tapped the palm of his right hand, and the blades from his wristband sprang out.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" frowned Yugi. "I'll duel you if that's what it will take to teach you a lesson, Kanasta, but I warn you, I won't go down easily."

A crowd was starting to gather.

"We'll see about that," dared Kanasta, pointing at the clock. "Eight minutes from now, my road to victory in this tournament begins, and your road to ruin starts in earnest!"

"Aw, your mother wears combat boots!" mocked Clive.

Kanasta paused.

_I wonder how he knows so much about my family..._ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Two blocks away, Persephone Amore was wandering the street, decked out in her fancy but dark costume.

"Let's see," she pondered. "Who should my first victim be?"

Then two boys ran ahead in front of her.

"Quick!" shouted one of them. "Yugi Mouto is dueling this punk guy!"

"This I gotta see!" cried the other.

Persephone thought for a minute.

"This could be interesting," she said to herself. She followed them.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

By now a large crowd had gathered around the two duelists. Yugi Mouto Jr. and "Nasty" Kanasta looked each other in the eyes, as the clock slowly ticked towards seven o'clock. Yugi and Kanasta shuffled their decks.

Finally, the minute-hand hit the twelve o'clock position, and the clock let out seven chimes.

"Well," smiled Kanasta, _"let's get ready to rumble!"_

Yugi's Puzzle glowed with golden fire, and for the first time in a long time, the change overtook him. He and Yami merged, and their minds became one.

"Activating holo-imagers!" shouted Yugi. Two small devices shot out of his Disk and set themselves up on either side of him, twenty feet away. Kanasta's Disk did the same.

Yugi hit a switch, and his Dueling Disk X-5500 came together and swung into position. Kanasta did the same. The scores set to 8,000.

The two of them plugged their decks into their Disks.

"Ready and…" said Yugi.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The computer in the large tower in the center of Duelatopia came to life.

**"Detecting activation of Dueling Disk X-5500 battle system,"** said a computerized voice. **"Competitors: Yugi Mouto Junior and Thomas Kanasta. Transferring information to Duelatopia Central Command mainframe."**

In a large command center, where several technicians were viewing computer screens, Siegfried Kaiba – or the Master of Games, as he might as well be known now – was watching the main screen, where Yugi and Kanasta were shown dueling. Flanking him were two Centurions.

"How ironic," mentioned Siegfried, "that Yugi would be competing in the first duel in the first hour of the first day of this tournament?"

"You know this Yugi kid, sir?" asked the Centurion to the left of him, one who was obviously female.

"You might say we go back a little ways," responded Siegfried.

"Hey Leslie," smiled the other Centurion. "I'll bet Yugi mops the floor with that Kanasta guy."

"I dunno, Ted," pondered Leslie. "That Kanasta looks pretty tough..."

"Bet you a dollar," he dared.

"Deal!" she snapped.

_Heh, heh,_ thought Siegfried. _Sorry Leslie, that's one dollar you just lost. Tough as Kanasta is, he's small potatoes compared to the guy who brought down Set!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the duel, the two competitors made their draws. Kanasta smiled to himself.

"You go first, Yugi," he dared. "That will make this more of a challenge!"

"Fine!" exclaimed Yugi. He drew and looked at his cards.

_Well, this guy's pretty powerful,_ he thought, selecting one.

He put the card down on his Disk.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!" he shouted. The gray-clad warrior appeared, holding his longsword out menacingly. (1,700/1,600)

"Not bad," smiled Kanasta, making his draw. "But now it's my turn! I summon the mighty Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a spherical, green Machine with a skull-like head, wings, a sword-like tail, and many spindly limbs appeared. It was armed with a long, sparking prod. (1,850/800)

"A Machine?" exclaimed Yugi.

"Yeah!" responded Kanasta. "I like machines! I like fixing machines, restoring machines, tinkering with machines, and when it comes to Duel Monsters, Machine Monsters are my favorites! Mechanicalchaser, electric prod attack!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, and rammed Warrior Dai Grepher with his staff. Sparks flew, and Grepher screamed before he burst. Yugi's Life points fell to 7,850.

"Your move," smiled Kanasta.

Yugi drew.

_Now what?_ thought Yugi. _Without making a Tribute, I've got nothing in my hand that can stand up to that thing! Better defend..._

"I'll lay a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said. He put the card down, and a card appeared facedown in front of him.

Kanasta drew and chuckled. "Playing defensively will keep you safe from _one _Monster Yugi," he laughed. "But not against _two_! I summon Robotic Knight, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a golden android wearing a cavalier outfit, armed with a sword appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Mechanicalchaser," ordered Kanasta, "attack what he has in Defense!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, and Beaver Warrior appeared where the card was. He screamed and was electrocuted.

"Now, it's your turn, Robotic Knight!" shouted Kanasta. "Attack Yugi directly with energy sword slash!"

Robotic Knight raised his sword and charged. Yugi's friends screamed as the Knight smote Yugi with it, and he fell over. His Life Points fell further, to 6,250.

"Get up, you wimp!" gloated Kanasta.

Yugi slowly got up.

"YUGI!" screamed Mary. "You're wounded!"

Yugi looked down, and there was indeed a large, bloody sword-wound on his chest. But it didn't hurt as much as it appeared it should have.

Yugi touched it. His skin didn't seem to be truly cut.

"A hologram," he noted. "A very realistic one."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his command center, Siegfried smiled.

_It appears Yugi is the first to discover the brand of "special sauce" I packed into these Disks,_ he thought. _The ancient participants of the Shadow Games always played these games to the death, after all. If you get nailed by a direct attack in any way, your own Disk will "wound" you in an appropriate manner, giving any spectators QUITE a show._

_Come on Yugi, you won't let those rustbuckets make a fool out of you, will you?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_And to think I was worried about this wimp,_ though Persephone. _He's barely putting up a fight!_

Yugi got up, and while he seemed to be bleeding, he was still as determined as ever. He drew.

"I play the Pot of Greed," he announced, placing a card down. The smiling, colored jar appeared and vanished.

Yugi made two more draws.

_Finally,_ he thought.

"Now I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he said.

A puff of smoke came onto the field, and a sorcerer in a bulky robe with a flat-topped cowl, holding a long staff, came into view. (1,900/1,700)

"What?" sputtered Kanasta. "This isn't supposed to happen! What are..."

"Skilled Dark Magician," ordered Yugi. "Attack Mechanicalchaser! Dark magic attack!"

The sorcerer aimed his staff and fired, blowing away the Mechanicalchaser in a huge explosion! Kanasta's Life Points slipped slightly, to 7,950.

"All right!" shouted Mary.

"Junk those Machines!" yelled Clive.

"And I'll end by laying one card facedown," said Yugi, fitting a card into a slot. A card appeared facedown in front of him.

"Okay, so I lost fifty Life Points," growled Kanasta, drawing. "But I can destroy your Magician! I play the Spell Card 7 Completed to raise my Robotic Knight's Attack score!"

He put the card in the slot; a "7" appeared on Robotic Knight's chest, and his Attack went up to 2,300.

"Attack Skilled Dark Magician!" shouted Kanasta.

Robotic Knight charged.

"Hold it, Kanasta," cried Yugi. "I activate my Trap Card!"

"Trap Card?" gasped Kanasta.

The facedown card lifted up. It was the Spellbinding Circle! Robotic Knight was caught in the Circle, and his Attack went back down to 1,600.

"What your 7 Completed can give, my Trap can take away," smiled Yugi. "And by the way, since you just used a Spell Card, i.e. 7 Completed, the tip of my Skilled Dark Magician's staff now glows copper!"

A copper glow emitted from Skilled Dark Magician's staff.

"What does that mean?" gasped Kanasta.

"You'll see soon," grinned Yugi. "Is that your turn?"

"Actually," said Kanasta. "I'll lay one card facedown."

He fitted the card in the slot, and it appeared behind his Knight.

Yugi drew.

"In that case," he said. "I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!"

He lay the card down, and the green-garbed elf appeared holding his sword. (1,400/,1200)

Kanasta gasped.

"Skilled Dark Magician," said Yugi. "Destroy Robotic Knight!"

The Magician fired, and Robotic Knight exploded.

"Now that you have nothing to defend yourself with," said Yugi, "let's see how you like it! Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack him directly with silver blade slash!"

Kanasta screamed as the Guardian closed in on him, slashing at him with his sword. When Kanasta got up, he had a wound on his chest very similar to Yugi's.

Kanasta's Life Points fell to 6,250.

"The score is tied…" said Yugi.

_Well,_ thought Persephone. _Maybe I was wrong. This Yugi kid is kind of good! Well, I've always loved a challenge..._

"Okay tough guy," sneered Kanasta, getting up, "you're really making my oil boil!"

He drew.

"First, I'll use a Pot of Greed of my own," he said, putting down a card.

He set his card down, and the laughing jar appeared.

"I'll just draw two more cards..." he continued.

"Before you continue," smiled Yugi. "Take a look at my Skilled Dark Magician!"

The Magician's staff now glowed with silver light.

"Huh?" said Kanasta.

"You just used another Spell Card," said Yugi. "But don't let that distract you."

"Fine," said Kanasta.

He hit a button on his Dueling Disk, and his facedown card lifted.

"Next, I'm gonna use my Ultimate Offering Trap Card," he said. "All I gotta do is pay 500 Life Points, and I can make as many summons as I want during my turn!"

"First I'll summon Acrobat Monkey, in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

A large, silver, robotic monkey appeared, and sat down. (1,000/1,800).

"And now," he said. "I'll summon Battle Footballer, also in Defense Mode."

His score went down, and a bulky android in a football uniform appeared, and knelt in a defensive position, as if ready to repel an opposing player. (1,000/2,100) Kanasta's Life Points went down to 5,750.

"I've always loved football, don't you?" asked Kanasta. "And I can do that any time I want, because Ultimate Offering is a Continuous Trap!"

He took one more card from his hand.

"Now I'll..."

He paused.

_Every time I use a Spell Card,_ he thought, _that Skilled Dark Magician's staff changes color... what happens if I use another one? _

_Still, I'm not about to lose._

He took another card to go with the first one.

"I'll finish by playing Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

The card appeared on the ground behind his Monsters, and the shining deity appeared, holding his crystal ball. Kanasta's Life Points went up to 6,750.

And sure enough, Skilled Dark Magician's staff turned bright gold.

"You made a mistake, Kanasta," said Yugi. "When Skilled Dark Magician is on the field, then after I and my opponent has played a total of three Spell Cards, I can Tribute him, and instantly bring out my favorite Monster..."

Skilled Dark Magician vanished, and then in a flash of light, the Dark Magician appeared! The crowd gasped, and then applauded. (2,500/2,100)

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi. "Attack the Acrobat Monkey with dark magic attack!"

The Dark Magician aimed his scepter and blasted the Acrobat Monkey into scrap.

"I'll end my turn there, Kanasta," he said, "but I doubt you have anything that can stand up to my Dark Magician."

Kanasta drew.

"I play one card facedown," he said.

Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"And since my hand is getting thin," he continued, "I'll play this Spell Card – Card of Sanctity!"

He put the card down.

"Hey, I have that card!" said Peter.

"Now we must both draw until we each have a full hand of six cards!" said Kanasta, starting to draw.

Yugi made several draws as well.

"And it's your turn," he said.

Yugi drew. He looked at his foe.

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "attack Battle Footballer!"

Dark Magician aimed.

"You fell right into my Trap," said Kanasta, tapping a button on his Disk. "Shadow Spell!"

The facedown card lifted, and a mass of chains bound the Dark Magician! His Attack score went down to 1,800.

Yugi cringed. "I end my turn," he said.

"And now," cried Kanasta, "I summon Giga-Tech Wolf in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a large, cyborg wolf appeared, sitting in Defense. (1,200/1,400)

"That's my turn," said Kanasta, as the Dark Magician struggled. "What are you gonna do now?"

Yugi drew and looked at his cards.

"Nothing," he said, drawing. "I'm going to pass this turn."

"Your funeral," said Kanasta, drawing. "Now you're gonna learn why I'm so nasty! I Tribute both my Monsters..."

Battle Footballer and the Giga-Tech Wolf vanished...

"And I summon Launcher Spider!" shouted Kanasta. He put the card down, and a huge robotic spider with missile launchers on its back appeared. (2,200/2,500)

"Launcher Spider," yelled Kanasta, "attack the Dark Magician with shock rocket attack! FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

The Machine fired its missiles and blew the Dark Magician away.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,850.

"Unreal!" gasped Peter.

"That punk beat his Dark Magician!" cried Clive.

"Come on, Yugi!" shouted Mary. "You can beat this guy!"

"So, it's your move," chuckled Kanasta.

Yugi drew.

"I'm going to shift Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Yugi.

The elven Warrior knelt in Defense.

"WHAT?" shouted Mary.

"Yugi!" cried Clive.

"Well then," smiled Kanasta, making a draw. "Say bye-bye to your Celtic Guardian! Launcher Spider, shock rocket attack!"

The Spider fired its missiles, as the Guardian raised his sword... a deafening explosion sounded...

And when the smoke cleared, the Guardian was still there.

"What?" gasped Kanasta.

"Perhaps you should have read the instruction manual more carefully," said Yugi. "This is not the ordinary Celtic Guardian. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian is immune to the attacks of Monsters with an Attack power of more than 1,900, making your Launcher Spider no more than an annoyance to him. So, any other moves you'd like to make?"

"Now that you mention it," said Kanasta. "I'll summon Guardian of the Throne Room, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a golden robot on tank threads with rockets on its back appeared. (1,650/1,600)

"Then it's my turn," said Yugi, drawing. "I lay two cards facedown."

He slid them into the disk, and they appeared in front of him.

"And now I'll summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the orange garbed, female Warrior appeared with her burning saber. (1,600/1,500)

"And with her on the field," explained Yugi, "All other Warriors on the field, i.e. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, have their Attack power increased by 300 points. So his Attack goes up to 1,700!

"Now, I'll shift him back into Attack Mode!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian rose up and bore his sword.

"Now, Celtic Guardian, attack the Guardian of the Throne Room with silver blade slash!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian smote the golden robot, smashing it to bits. Kanasta's Life Points went down to 6,700.

_Got to get rid of that Swordmistress,_ thought Kanasta, drawing.

"I'll use Ultimate Offering again!" he said. "First I'll summon Jinzo #7, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a humanoid android with a bionic eye appeared. (500/400)

"Now I'll Tribute Jinzo #7 to summon Pendulum Machine!" he said. "In Attack Mode!"

As his Life Points went down to 6,200, Jinzo #7 vanished, and in its place rose a red robot with a huge, bladed pendulum in place of legs. (1,750/2,000)

"Whaddaya think of that?" said Kanasta. "Launcher Spider, attack the Swordmistress with shock rocket attack!"

The Spider prepared to fire its rockets.

"Not this time Kanasta," said Yugi. "I'm activating my Trap. Get it, Flame Swordmistress!"

The Trap card revealed itself, and the Kunai with Chain appeared in Flame Swordmistress's hand. She threw it, and snagged the Launcher Spider! Her Attack score went up to 2,100.

"I've rendered your Spider helpless," said Yugi. "So finish your move."

Kanasta looked at the field hard.

_I could destroy that Guardian with my Pendulum Machine,_ he thought, _but Yugi still has another facedown card. Best not risk it..._

"I'm ending my turn," he said.

"I'm using my facedown card," said Yugi, as the card lifted. "Graceful Charity!"

"Crud," cursed Kanasta.

A winged angel appeared on the field and flew into Yugi's deck.

"I draw three cards," said Yugi, "and discard two."

He drew three cards, added them to his hand, and deposited two cards to the Graveyard.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _Now I'll match him Machine for Machine!_

"I Tribute my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian..." he said.

The Guardian vanished.

"And I bring forth... Machine King, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a light struck the ground. The colossal robot appeared, with lights flashing and motors humming! (2,200/2,000)

_No way!_ thought Kanasta. _This wimp has a Machine King?_

"Since you like Machines so much," said Yugi, "you know that Machine King's Attack power is increased by 100 points for every Machine on the field – that's 300 extra points, for a total of 2,500. Now Machine King, attack the Launcher Spider with jet punch attack!"

Machine King lifted his arms and they shot towards the Launcher Spider, blasting it to smithereens!

"Your turn, Flame Swordmistress!" said Yugi. "Destroy Pendulum Machine with blazing saber of battle!"

The Swordmistress's saber burned with flame, and she swung it at Pendulum Machine, melting it into slag.

Kanasta's Life Points stood at 5,550.

Machine King's Attack score went back to 2,300.

"I'm in the lead, Kanasta," said Yugi. "And it's your turn."

_I can't believe this geek has got the one powerful Machine that I haven't got!_ thought Kanasta.

He looked at his cards.

_But maybe, just maybe, I can turn this situation to my advantage... all I need are the right combination of cards, and once I get them in my hand, I can have this duel won!_

He drew.

_Yes!_ he thought. _The first card I need!_

"I'm going to use Ultimate Offering _again_!" he exclaimed. "First, I'll summon Cyber Commander in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a cybernetic soldier carrying a rifle appeared on the field. (750/700).

"And then," continued Kanasta. "I'll Tribute him to bring out a special Machine..."

He put down a card, and his Life Points went down to 5,050.

"Here she comes, in Attack Mode, Queen Machine!"

She slowly rose into position. She appeared as a shiny, silver android, delicate and feminine in shape, with glowing yellow eyes and long, clawed fingers. (2,200/2,000)

"She's a beauty isn't she?" laughed Kanasta. "Queen Machine, attack the Flame Swordmistress with silicon sorcery attack!"

An aura of dark energy appeared in Queen Machine's hands, and she threw it at the Flame Swordmistress, blowing her away. Queen Machine giggled.

Yugi's Life points fell to 5,750.

The Machine King's Attack score was now 2,400, but Yugi was now worried.

_I don't know what the deal is with this Queen Machine,_ he thought. _No telling what strange powers she has hiding. Better try to take her out._

He drew.

"I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!" he said.

The two twin elves appeared with their arms around each other. (1,900/900)

"Now then," started Yugi. "Once my Machine King destroys your Queen Machine, my elves will devastate your Life Points!"

"Just try it!" dared Kanasta.

"You asked for it," said Yugi. "Machine King, jet punch attack!"

The Machine King raised his arms...

Then his arms shook. He lowered them.

"What?" gasped Yugi. "He refuses?"

"Now you're getting the idea of Queen Machine's power!" said Kanasta. "She's so beautiful, by Machine terms, that no Machine can attack her! And that protection extends to any other Machine on my side of the field! With her on guard, your Machine King is now useless!"

_And once I get the right cards in my hand,_ he thought to himself, _I'll be able to use your King to unleash a beast that will bring you to your knees!_

Yugi thought for a minute. "I'm ending my turn," he said.

"Lovely," smiled Kanasta. "Now I'll summon Ground Attacker Bugroth, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a vehicle that looked like a landbound submarine appeared next to Queen Machine. (1,500/1,000)

"And now," continued Kanasta. "I'll use a second 7 Completed to raise its Attack score."

He set the Equip down, and two 7's appeared on the sides of the Bugroth. Its Attack went up to 2,200.

"Now I'll just lay a card facedown, and end my turn," he said, fitting the card in the slot.

Yugi was puzzled. _Why didn't he attack the Gemini Elf?_ he thought.

He drew.

_Too late now._

"I use Harpie's Feather Duster!" said Yugi, placing the card down.

The feather swept across the field, and Kanasta gasped.

"That will destroy your 7 Completed, your Ultimate Offering, and whatever other card it was you just put down!" said Yugi. The two cards burst, and the 7's on the Bugroth vanished and it returned to its original Attack power.

"Now," shouted Yugi, "I tribute my Gemini Elf for Summoned Skull!"

The Gemini Elf vanished, and the huge, bony fiend appeared, sparking with electricity. (2,500/1,200)

"Summoned Skull, attack Queen Machine with lightning strike!" ordered Yugi.

The Skull shot forth its lightning bolts, and the Queen Machine exploded!

"Now that she's gone," said Yugi, "Machine King, attack the Bugroth!"

With his Attack score now at 2,400, Machine King aimed his fists and they shot towards the Ground Attacker Bugroth, smashing it to pieces.

Kanasta's score was now at 3,850.

"Yay, Yugi!" said Mary.

"Keep it up!" said Peter.

Kanasta shook as he drew.

"Darn you Yugi," he cursed. "I'll beat you yet! I play Pot of Greed!"

He put the card into a slot, and drew two cards.

He looked at his cards.

"Now, I'll first put a Monster facedown in Defense Mode..." he continued.

He put the card down, and it appeared in front of him.

"Now this move will cost me some Life Points, but it will cost _you_ more!" he shouted. "Take this - Tremendous Fire!"

He slapped the card down, and an inferno erupted around Yugi! He screamed and fell to his knees. His Life Points went down to 4,750, and Kanasta's went down to 3,350.

Yugi got up, gasping for breath. His skin and clothes were scorched.

_You'll pay for that,_ he thought.

"Summoned Skull," he commanded. "Destroy the Monster he has in Defense!"

The Skull blasted forth his lightning bolts, and Mechanical Snail appeared, right before it was blown up.

"Now, Machine King, attack him with a direct attack on his Life Points!"

The Machine King shot forth his fists and hit Kanasta full in the face! He toppled over.

He slowly got up, bearing two black eyes and a busted nose. His Life Points toppled to 1,050.

He drew, and then he let out a big smile.

"You think you have me beaten," he said. "Well think again! First, I'll put three cards facedown."

He put the cards into the slots, and they appeared in front of him.

"Now," he continued. "I summon a second Robotic Knight in Attack Mode!"

He slapped down his card, and another Robotic Knight appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Your move," he said, grinning.

Yugi looked hard at him.

_I have a pretty good idea what some of those cards might be,_ he thought.

He drew.

_But I'll be ready._

"I place two cards facedown," said Yugi.

He placed them, and they materialized in front of him.

"And now," he cried. "I Tribute both my Monsters to bring forth Guardian Angel Joan!"

The Summoned Skull and the Machine King vanished, and an angelic choir filled the air. A beautiful shape descended - a lovely woman in a silver gown with feathered wings. (2,800/2,000)

Persephone was aghast!

_Guardian Angel Joan?_ she thought. _That wuss actually has Guardian Angel Joan?_

"I'll end my turn there," stated Yugi.

_Now I'll never be able to surprise him with my combo,_ thought Kanasta.

He drew.

_But I'll still win..._

"Question Yugi," he asked. "Have you ever seen a machine made of wood?"

"A simple wooden mallet counts as a machine," answered Yugi. "Why?"

"Well here's something for you," said Kanasta. "First I use one of my facedown cards, Soul of the Pure."

The card lifted, and a fairy dressed in a gown appeared on his side. His Life Points went up to 1,850.

"Now," he said. "The most unlikely Machine Monster of all, Inpachi, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge blocky figure made of wood appeared. (1,600/1,300)

"That's a Machine?" said Clive.

"Well, technically..." answered Mary.

"And now," grinned Kanasta, "I reveal my second facedown card... Limiter Removal!"

The card lifted up, and a large gauge appeared in the air. Its pointer spun around and around, until it broke with a loud snap.

"Limiter Removal will double the attack points of both of my Machines!" said Kanasta. "The first one will easily slay your Angel, and the next will devastate your Life Points!"

The Attack scores of both the Robotic Knight and Inpachi went up to 3,200.

"Get ready Yugi," laughed Kanasta, "cause here I come! Robotic Knight, destroy Guardian Angel Joan!"

The Robotic Knight charged forward...

"Not so fast, Kanasta!" yelled Yugi, pressing a button.

"What?" gasped Kanasta. "A Trap?"

Yugi's first facedown card lifted up revealing...

"Negate Attack?" gasped Kanasta. "NO!"

The Robotic Knight bounced off an invisible shield, mere feet from Guardian Angel Joan.

"I figured one of those cards was likely Limiter Removal," smiled Yugi. "Why else would you place Robotic Knight in Attack Mode right in front of Machine King and Summoned Skull? So I put Negate Attack there to stop your attack and end your Battle Phase. And since you like Machines so much, I know you know the full effects of Limiter Removal. Once you end your turn, both your Machines will fall apart, and since you've already made your summon for this turn, you'll be defenseless!

"So finish your turn..."

Kanasta was sweating.

_He thinks he has me beaten,_ he thought. _But my last facedown card is my Mirror Force Trap. When he tries to attack me, his Angel will be destroyed, and we can start from the beginning!_

"I'm ending my turn now," said Kanasta.

And as he said that, the Robotic Knight and Inpachi both fell into piles of broken metal and wood.

"Good," grinned Yugi. "And since I know that your last facedown card is a Trap, I'll just activate my own..."

His last facedown card lifted up.

"Go Dust Tornado!" he shouted.

Kanasta looked on in horror, as a feathery hurricane blew, and his facedown Mirror Force was blown to bits!

"It's over, Kanasta," said Yugi. "Guardian Angel Joan, attack with searing light of Heaven attack!"

A ball of pure light appeared in Joan's hands, and she hurled it at Kanasta! He screamed, and toppled over. Smoke rose from him, and fires were even burning on parts of his clothing. His Life Points were reduced to zero.

The crowd cheered.

Yugi looked down at his Dueling Disk. The gem on it changed color, from Orange to Yellow. As his Angel vanished, he saw that the nasty wound on his chest also vanished, and his burned clothes returned to normal.

"Thank goodness," he sighed.

"Well Kanasta," said Yugi. "You said you liked football, and that's what they say in sports terms, a shutout! You didn't even bring me down to half my Life Points!"

Kanasta got up. His wounds were gone too, but he wasn't very happy.

"Aw, naw!" he cursed, looking at his Disk. His gem also changed color, from Orange to Red.

He glared at Yugi in hate.

"You beat me this time Yugi," he growled, "but this isn't over! I'll get even! Beware the wrath of Kanasta!"

He pushed through the crowd and vanished down an alley.

"Wasn't that the name of a movie?" someone said.

Yugi's three friends crowded around him.

"All right Yug'!" shouted Clive.

"Way to go!" laughed Peter.

"You sure put that punk in his place!" cried Mary.

Yugi wasn't exactly paying attention. Yami had appeared beside him.

"Not bad for the first hour of the tournament," smiled the apparition.

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. "One victory down, six more to go..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the command center, Siegfried was intently watching the screen.

"Fine, Ted," said Leslie, "here's your dollar!"

Siegfried chuckled.

But inside, his heart was weighed down. He hated the half-truths he had to tell Yugi last night. But if he had told the whole truth – things that were known to no other living person – Yugi might be too scared to concentrate on the tournament. And he needed Yugi and the rest of them here more than ever if he was going to succeed at the mammoth goal he had undertaken... and which only Yugi could ultimately help fulfill...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several blocks away from where the duel was held, Persephone was seething in rage.

_I can't believe that twerp has a Guardian Angel Joan and I don't!_ she thought. _Joan is one of the most powerful and rarest Fairies in existence! I'm the Fairy Queen... I deserve that card much more than he does!_

She pondered for a minute.

_I've got to have that card,_ she thought. _But I've already seen one duelist arrested for stealing from another... ugly business. I can't take that risk! There must be some other way..._

A light came on in her head.

_Aha!_ she thought. _It's obvious!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**QUEEN MACHINE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **When you control this face-up card, none of your opponent's Machine-Type Monsters can attack any of your own Machine-Type Monsters.


	5. Fiend Comedian

_Ever since I first met Yugi and his dad, one of their favorite stories they used to tell me was the time his dad dueled Maximillion Pegasus for his grandfather's soul. Pegasus used a Toon Deck, full of creepy cartoon Monsters that were incredibly powerful and virtually indestructible._

_Now that _I'm_ the one facing a duelist with a similar deck, I can rest assured that these Toons aren't indestructible or nearly as powerful…_

_But frankly, I think they're just as _creepy_ as Yugi's dad described…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Four**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Fiend Comedian**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, in her room in a hotel called The Sanctuary in the Sky (which wasn't as nice as Cosmo Queen's Castle, but was a close second), Persephone took out a large suitcase.

"I _have_ to have that Guardian Angel Joan card," she mused. "But I'm not about to try to steal it with all those Centurions watching the place. Hiring another kid to steal it would be just as dangerous… anyone I approach with an offer might turn me in if he got caught."

She took out a large box and opened it. It was full of Duel Monsters cards.

"So I'm going to get that card in the easiest way possible," she smiled, leafing through them. "The _honest_ way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the meantime, the Team Supreme was walking through the streets of Duelatopia, with Mary in the lead. Having been psyched out by Yugi's duel with Kanasta, she was itching for a chance to test out her skills with a challenge of her own.

"C'mon!" she cried out loud. "Who wants a piece of Mary Wheeler?"

Unfortunately, not many duelists they met were up for it. Most of the ones they met had already been downgraded to Red Status, and were unwilling to risk it all against someone so enthusiastic.

"Don't worry Mary," assured Yugi. "You'll find someone soon."

At about two o'clock, they sighted a large promenade in front of what appeared to be a library.

"Hey look," said Clive. "There's a duel in progress over there!"

They rushed up and saw the duelist nearest to them. He was a young boy about fifteen, and he was in bad shape. The wounds on his skin and clothing indicated that he had already taken a few hits from direct attacks. He had one Monster in front of him, who appeared to be Zanki.

Before they could look to see who his opponent was, a shrill, female voice shouted, "ATTACK!"

The young duelist was engulfed in a stream of fire! He screamed and fell over, covered with ashes. The Life Point gauge on his disk went down to zero.

Mary ran up to him.

"You okay, pal?" she asked.

"I… I will be…" stammered the boy.

"How'd she make a direct attack when he had a Monster on the field?" pondered Clive.

They turned to face the duelist's opponent, who was half covered with shadow from a nearby tree. Her Monster had already vanished, and she flicked a button on her Disk, causing the holo-imagers to fly back into the unit.

"Looks like my Dragon did you in!" she giggled. "Now, exit stage left, laughing all the way!"

Deftly, she backflipped away with a laugh, vanishing out of sight.

The boy got up, and his wounds vanished.

"Aw, man," he groaned, looking at his Disk, which had just been downgraded to Red.

"That chick needs to be taught a lesson," snarled Mary, "and Mary Wheeler is the teacher!"

She ran off in the direction that the duelist had gone in, and Yugi, Clive, and Peter followed.

"WAIT!" cried the defeated duelist. "There's something you should know!"

But they were already out of earshot.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hundred feet away, the victor came to a rest on the stairs leading up to a large building and sat down. She was wearing a bizarre costume – a tight-fitting blue and red jester costume, accented with white face-paint, with a blue shamrock painted around her left eye.

She eyed her Dueling Disk, which had just been upgraded to Yellow.

"Not bad for a matinee," she mentioned.

"Yo, clown!" shouted Mary.

"Clown?" pouted the girl, turning to face her. "CLOWN? Don't you know a harlequin costume when you see one? Say, don't I know you?"

Her accent was decidedly French.

"Uh, no…" said Mary.

"Sure!" stated the jester-girl. "Mary Wheeler! One of the big-shot duelists in Domino City! Mary, I'm Clover! Two-time national champion of France!"

She bowed.

"Really?" sneered Mary. "Well I'm no rookie either. Care to duel someone who can fight back?"

"I'm as game as you are," giggled Clover. "Prepare yourself for a real harlequinade!"

Everyone just stared at her in stony silence.

"Harlequinade!" pouted Clover. "It's a comical play where a harlequin is the star! Geeze, you're thick!"

A crowd was starting to form, attracted by the shouting.

"Well, this is more like it," smiled Clover. "I can use a captive audience while I pummel you into pulp!"

"Keep dreaming," growled Mary, raising her Disk. "Activating holo-imagers!"

The holo-imagers shot out, and her disk moved into position. Clover copied the move.

"LET'S DUEL!" they cried.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his command center, Siegfried was overseeing his technicians, who were busy at their monitors.

"Master of Games!" said one of the technicians. "I'm getting a signal that you requested. The guest named Mary Wheeler is dueling for the first time."

"Put her duel up on the main screen," ordered Siegfried.

The screen changed, showing Mary and Clover about to draw their first cards.

_This should be interesting,_ thought Siegfried.

"That costume her opponent is wearing sure does look cute," noted one of the Centurions beside him.

_I know that costume,_ thought Siegfried. _Mary had better be careful, because that duelist is one of the better ones that I invited. But then, Mary is no slouch herself…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"The curtain is rising, Mary," cried Clover. "Let the show begin!"

The scores set to 8,000 apiece.

"Fine," stated Mary, making her first draw. "I'll start this show then… I summon, in Defense Mode, Swordsman of Landstar!"

She put a card down, and a strange Monster appeared. He looked like a toy soldier that kids played with, with a big smile on his face. He knelt in defense. (500/1,200)

"Interesting," chuckled Clover. "I'll start by playing a Spell Card. Here it comes… the magical, mystical Toon World!"

She put the card down, and a large shape flew out of her disk. It was a large green book with a rainbow on the front. It opened, revealing pages like a pop-up book, and bolts of energy crackled from it!

"Toon World?" gasped Mary in surprise.

"That's right!" said Clover, as her Life Points fell to 7,000. "I have to pay some Life Points to play this Spell Card, but it let's me summon special Toon Monsters to the field! And I'm summoning one right now… Toon Mermaid, in Attack Mode!"

She put another card down, and smoke poured from Toon World. A smiling, giggling, cartoon mermaid inside a large clam appeared with her bow drawn. (1,400/1,500)

"Of course," chuckled Clover, "Toons can't attack on the round in which they are summoned, but next turn, she'll be able to bypass your Monster completely and hit you for a direct attack!"

The Toon Mermaid giggled again.

"And I'll place a card facedown too, for later," continued Clover. She fit the card into the slot, and it appeared behind the Mermaid.

"Well, now we know how she was able to make that direct attack on that poor guy," said Yugi.

"Don't worry," assured Clive. "That Mermaid is pretty weak… Mary will blow her away before she gets a shot off!"

Mary drew.

_Absolutely,_ she thought to herself.

"I Tribute Swordsman of Landstar to summon Flame Swordsman!" she cried.

She put the card down, and Swordsman of Landstar vanished… the mightier Flame Swordsman arose. (1,800/1,600)

"Attack that Mermaid!" shouted Mary. "Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman charged.

"Uh, uh, uh!" scolded Clover, pressing a button. "Forgot about my facedown card, didja?"

"What?" gasped Mary. "A Trap?"

The card revealed itself, showing an old-fashioned sketchbook. A bunch of paintbrushes appeared around Toon Mermaid, making her more colorful and shinier.

"A special Trap Card called Kirby's Sketchbook," explained Clover, "made especially for Toons! This Trap card first negates any attack made on a Toon Monster…"

Toon Mermaid's clam caught Flame Swordsman's sword, and pushed him backwards.

"And then," said Clover. "It raises the targeted Toon's Attack Score until it is 100 points more that the Monster who just tried to attack!"

Toon Mermaid's Attack score went up to 1,900.

"So, is that your turn?" asked Clover.

"Yeah…" stammered Mary.

"In that case," laughed Clover. "I think I'll have her attack… oh, I dunno… YOU! Toon Mermaid, plant one in Mary! Direct attack!"

As Clover's Life Points fell to 6,500, Toon Mermaid drew back her bow, and fired! Flame Swordsman watched helplessly as the arrow struck his master and she toppled over!

Mary's Life Points fell to 6,100.

Mary got up. She saw that arrow was sticking out of her chest. She passed her hand through it to confirm that it was a hologram.

_Very funny, Siegfried,_ she thought.

"This doesn't look good," moaned Peter.

"I know," muttered Yugi. "Toon Decks can be very dangerous. Look. Clover spent 1,000 Life Points to summon Toon World in the first place, and an additional 500 Points to have her Mermaid attack. But in just one attack, she's caused an even greater Life Point loss to Mary. Mary is going to have to be very careful…"

Mary drew.

_Yeah, that's what I need,_ she thought.

"I use this Equip card," she cried, "Salamandra!"

She put it down, and Flame Swordsman's blade blazed with fire.

"It powers up the Attack of any Fire Monster by 700 points, making him too hot for your Mermaid to handle!"

Flame Swordsman's Attack power went up to 2,500.

"Now, let's try this again," shouted Mary. "Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman swung his blade, and the Toon Mermaid was incinerated. Clover's Life Points fell to 5,900.

"Not bad," stated Clover. "But this duel is far from over."

She drew.

"Well look at that!" she laughed. "I just drew a Spell Card… Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She put it down, and the Salamandra went out. Flame Swordsman's Attack went back down to 1,800.

"And now," giggled Clover. "I summon Toon Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode!"

Toon World glowed with purple light, and purple dust fell to the ground below. Two cartoon elves appeared, holding each other around the waist. The cartoon these elves were from was obviously some sort of adult-oriented anime – they looked like harlots, and they both gave an evil grin at Mary. (1,900/800)

"I don't know what cartoon _they_ came from," stammered Clive. "But if Phoebe and I ever have kids, I'm _not_ gonna let them watch it!"

"Okay," muttered Mary, drawing. "Now we get serious! First I'll lay one card facedown."

She placed a card down, and it appeared in front of her.

"Now, I Tribute Flame Swordsman to bring forth the mighty _Berfomet!_" she cried.

The Flame Swordsman vanished, and a huge, four-armed, hairy, horned Fiend appeared. (1,400/1,800)

Berfomet started to breathe magical fire.

"His magic is able to bring forth Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts!" continued Mary.

The flames coalesced, forming a large, lion-like beast with a unicorn-like horn. (1,500/1,200)

"And now," yelled Mary, throwing a card into a slot, "I use Polymerization to fuse them together…"

Berfomet and Gazelle came together and swirled like two colors of paint.

"…forming the mighty _Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast_!"

A huge shape fell to the ground with a crash. She had two horned heads, and huge feathered wings, with a snake for a tail! (2,100/1,800)

Chimera roared with rage.

The gathering crowd started to cheer.

"I think I taught her how to do that," mentioned Yugi.

"Mach-3 rules say that Fusion Monsters have to wait a turn before attacking," stated Clover.

"I know that," frowned Mary, "so I end my turn. But when she can attack, your two elves are toast!"

"Maybe so," chuckled Clover, making a draw. "But they still have enough time to get a shot off at you! Or did you forget that your Monsters can't shield you from Toons? And by the way, unlike my Mermaid, I don't have to pay Life Points to attack with them!

"Toon Gemini Elf, hit Mary with doe-si-doe of death attack!"

The Toons laughed; they locked their elbows and leapt up in the air, doing a spin. They both aimed a kick at Mary…

"Oh, really?" said Mary, hitting a button on her Disk. Her facedown card revealed itself, and three blue-garbed priests sprang up in front of her.

"What? Waboku?" said Clover.

Toon Gemini Elf leapt forth, but they were blocked by the Waboku.

"Too bad," said Mary, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well it's still my turn…" smiled Clover. "I'll play this Spell Card… Scapegoat!"

She put the card down, and four colored sheep appeared beside Toon Gemini Elf.

"The key to this strategy will come to light next turn," she smiled. "And it's your move."

"Fine," said Mary, making a draw.

_I don't know what she plans to do with those Scapegoats,_ thought Mary, _although they will make it harder to get at her Life Points… in the meantime…_

"Chimera, lunchtime!" she said. "Devour Toon Gemini Elf!"

The two elves screamed and tried to run as Chimera ran them down. They were torn apart.

Clover's Life Points fell to 5,700.

"Your move," said Mary.

"Indeed," smiled Clover. "I think it's time for act two of this harlequinade to start."

She drew.

"I'll bet you're wondering what I intend to do with these little sheep, huh?" she grinned. "Well normally, Scapegoats can't be used as Tributes to summon powerful Monsters… but for Toon Monsters, which are all considered special summons, that is the exception to that rule!"

"So," she continued, laying a card down, "I Tribute two of my Scapegoats to summon the mighty Manga Ryu-Ran, in Attack Mode!"

Two of the sheep vanished, and flames erupted from Toon World. The sheep were replaced by a large, fat, red and blue dragon wearing a blue eggshell as pants and also part of it as a helmet. He grinned at Mary with sharp teeth and chuckled. (2,200/2,600)

"Your turn," said Clover, with a laugh.

"Did you know she could do that?" said Clive to Yugi.

"Frankly, no," sighed Yugi, who was getting worried.

Now Mary truly looked scared. She drew and looked at her hand.

_No!_ she thought. _That Toon is going to blast me next round, and I don't have a single thing in my hand that can stop it!_

She looked at Manga Ryu-Ran and the two remaining Scapegoats.

_Only one thing I can do,_ she thought. _Take away some of her ammunition…_

"Chimera," she said. "Attack one of the remaining Scapegoats!"

Chimera charged, and vaporized one of the small sheep.

"Your move," stuttered Mary, nervously.

She braced herself.

"Aw no," gasped Peter.

"Manga Ryu-Ran," ordered Clover. "Attack Chimera! Nasty nostrils flare attack!"

Manga Ryu-Ran inhaled and let loose a stream of flames from his snout. It incinerated the Flying Mythical Beast.

Mary's Life Points slipped to 6,000, and Clover's to 5,200.

Mary was confused.

"Why'd you attack him instead of me?" she said, puzzled.

"Couldn't have such a powerful Monster threatening my Toons," explained Clover. "It's called 'strategy.' Besides, it makes no difference… he'll fry you on the next round – I doubt you can take him down without making a Tribute…"

"Yeah?" said Mary. "Well, Chimera has a special ability. When he goes down, I get to bring back one of the Monsters I fused to summon him."

Berfomet appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,800)

"My move..."

Mary drew.

"So, I can't take that thing down without a Tribute, huh?" she asked.

"Huh?" said Clover.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force, in Attack Mode!" she cried.

She put the card down, and five goblin Warriors appeared in front of her bearing clubs. (2,300/0)

Berfomet moved to Attack Mode.

"Attack Manga Ryu-Ran, my Attack Force!" ordered Mary. "Goblin rush attack!"

The small Warriors charged forward, and Manga Ryu-Ran fell under a flurry of blows.

"Berfomet, get her!"

Clover screamed as the Fiend rushed at her and made a tackle. Her Life Points fell to 3,700.

The goblins backed up, and knelt in Defense Mode.

Clover chuckled as she got up.

She drew.

"Not bad..." she said. "But your Goblins had to move to Defense Mode after attacking, and their Defense Score is zero.

"Legion the Fiend Jester in Attack Mode!"

A tall, thin creature in a colorful jester's outfit appeared in front of her. (1,300/1,500)

"Now, attack Goblin Attack Force!" ordered Clover. "Acrobatic flip attack!"

The Fiend Jester did a flip and brought his foot down on the gang of goblins, blowing them to pieces.

"And I'll also place one card facedown," said Clover, "to end my turn."

_This clown is good,_ thought Mary. _But she made a mistake in choosing such a weak Monster as a weapon._

She drew.

_This guy will take care of him…_

"Panther Warrior, in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She lay the card down, and a tall panther man in armor, brandishing a scimitar appeared. (2,000/1,600)

"Now, I Tribute Berfomet so that he can attack..."

Berfomet vanished.

"Panther Warrior, attack the Fiend Jester!" shouted Mary.

Panther Warrior raised his blade.

"Not so fast!" cried Clover. "I activate my Trap Card – Plummeting Safe!"

"Plummeting what…?" started Mary.

Clover's facedown card revealed itself. A sound like something falling came to her ears, and then suddenly, a huge cartoon safe fell on Panther Warrior, crushing him!

"What the…?" said Mary.

Clover chuckled.

"Plummeting Safe is a Trap that can only be played when Toon World is on the field!" she giggled. "And since you ordered an attack with that Monster, it enabled me to turn your Panther Warrior into a pancake!"

Mary's Life Points slipped to 5,250.

"Clover," gasped Mary, "you're nuts!"

"Thank you!" exclaimed Clover, drawing. "And now that you have no Monsters to protect you, Legion, attack Mary with a direct attack!"

Legion the Fiend Jester flipped towards Mary and kicked her in the face! She fell over, and her Life Points fell to 3,950.

When she got up, everyone saw that she was bleeding from the nose.

And to finish my move," continued Clover. "I'll Tribute my last Scapegoat to summon one of the mightiest of Toons! Here comes the master of disaster, the engine of destruction, the horrible, terrifying, unspeakable…"

"WILL YOU JUST GET ON WITH IT?" shouted Mary.

Clover put a card down.

"Toon Summoned Skull, in Attack Mode," she said quietly.

The last Scapegoat vanished, and an enormous lightning storm erupted out of Toon World. A horrifying cartoon Monster arose in front of Clover. Like something out of a nightmare, this Toon resembled Summoned Skull only in basic outline. It glared at Mary, and made a hideous face at her! (2,500/1,200)

All the spectators, with the exception of Yugi, Peter, and Clive, applauded.

"Soon Mary," smiled Clover. "The curtain will be going down, and I'll be able to chalk up another dynamite performance!"

"Aw, man, Mary's in trouble!" gasped Clive. "That… thing can do 2,500 points of damage in one blow!"

"Mary can pull it together as long as she doesn't panic," stated Yugi. "As the great master once said, it ain't over till it's over."

Mary drew.

"I'll summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" she announced.

She put the card down, and the slimmer, female version of the Flame Swordsman appeared. (1,600/1,500)

"Attack Fiend Jester!" shouted Mary. "Blazing saber of battle!"

Flame Swordmistress charged forth, and Legion the Fiend Jester was burned up. Clover's Life Points fell to 3,400.

"Charming," smiled Clover, making a draw. "But it was too little too late. Toon Summoned Skull, attack Mary with lightning strike attack!"

"No!" screamed Clive.

Clover's Life Points fell another 500 points to 2,900. The Toon Fiend powered up, and shot forth a volley of lightning bolts at Mary. She screamed, and was knocked prone.

As she got up, she was burned all over, and her clothing was in tatters. Her Life Points plummeted to 1,450.

_Okay, Mary,_ she thought to herself. _Don't panic now. Forget the fact that if it gets off another blast it's going to finish you…_

"Why don't you just give up and save yourself the embarrassment?" laughed Clover.

"You said you wanted a show, Clover," groaned Mary, "and I intend to keep going until the last act!"

She drew.

Her eyes opened wide.

"I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She put the card down, and the leather clad Spaniard with his two machetes appeared. (1,500/1,500)

Clive started to say something, but Yugi went "Shhh!"

"And," continued Mary. "Due to the Flame Swordmistress's presence, his Attack score goes up by 300 points!"

Double Pinaska's Attack score went up to 1,800.

"Doesn't matter," laughed Clover. "One more attack from my Skull, and I'll have this duel won! So end your turn!"

"Mmm!" approved Mary.

Clover drew.

"Toon Summoned Skull," shouted Clover. "Attack Mary with lightning strike attack!"

The Toon powered up again.

"Double Pinaska," shouted Mary. "Counter it!"

As the lightning bolt flew forward, Double Pinaska held his machetes together and the energy glanced harmlessly off of them!

"What?" gasped Clover.

"Double Pinaska has a special effect," grinned Mary. "Once per duel, he can counter _any_ enemy attack, whether it is aimed at him or not. So he was able to protect me from your Toon's attack! Another 500 Life Points wasted!"

Clover's Life Points were at 2,400.

"Well, it's only a minor setback," said Clover. "He can only do that once, and you still haven't found a way to destroy my Skull. He'll destroy you next turn!"

_She's right,_ thought Mary. _I have to have a card in my deck strong enough to defeat that crazy Toon Skull, and I have to draw it NOW!_

She drew. She looked at the card.

_Bingo,_ she thought.

"Hey Clover," she announced. "Look at this card!"

She showed it to her.

"A Ritual Card!" exclaimed Clover.

"It's called the Garma Sword Oath!" exclaimed Mary, throwing it into the slot. "And to activate the power of this ceremony, I sacrifice both the Flame Swordmistress and Double Pinaska!"

The two Warriors raised their swords and clashed them together. They vanished as lightning struck them.

A rumble was heard as a dark cloud appeared on the field. A figure stepped out of it. He raised six arms, and drew six huge scimitars!

"Presenting," shouted Mary. "The greatest of all swordsmen, the mighty Garma Sword!"

(2,550/2,150)

"Now," said Mary. "Destroy that blasted thing! Sextuple scimitar slash!"

Garma Sword charged forward and sliced the Toon Summoned Skull apart! It fell into twitching pieces!

Clover's Life Points inched slightly lower, to 2,350.

"All right!" yelled Peter.

"I'd say this Duel has just turned around one-hundred and eighty degrees!" smiled Mary.

"We'll see about that," said Clover, drawing.

She looked at her card.

_Yes!_ she thought. _I just drew another Kirby's Sketchbook! Now, I just have to summon another Toon, and when Mary tries to attack it with that Garma Sword, its Attack strength will be raised to a phenomenal 2,650, more than enough to finish Mary off!_

She slid it into a slot.

"I play one card facedown," she said. "And then I'll summon another Toon Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the Toon Gemini Elf appeared again, grinning as much as they ever were. (1,900/900)

"I'll end my turn there," smiled Clover.

Mary looked at her with a suspicious look.

"I get it," sneered Mary. "That facedown card is another Kirby's Sketchbook Trap, isn't it?"

"Maybe!" smiled Clover.

Mary drew.

"Well it won't work," said Mary. "I've just drawn the card that will bring your twisted harlequinade to an end! Behold my own Mystical Space Typhoon!"

"NO!" gasped Clover. "That let's you destroy any opposing Spell or Trap Card!"

"That's right," stated Mary, fitting it into the slot. "And I'm aiming it directly at your Toon World!"

A maelstrom of dark energy erupted onto the field, and the green popup book was torn apart. Pages scattered everywhere!

"And without Toon World's magic," smiled Mary, "Toon Monsters can't maintain their existence!"

It was true. Toon Gemini Elf screamed, and melted into a puddle of colored ink.

"And my turn is just starting!" exclaimed Mary. "I use Monster Reborn to bring back my favorite Monster, Flame Swordsman!"

She placed the card down, and the powerful Warrior reappeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Now then," said Mary. "You so much like dishing out direct attacks, let's see if you can _take_ them! Flame Swordsman, attack Clover with flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman closed in on Clover and slashed with his sword, opening a deep, burning cut across her chest! Clover's Life Points fell to 550.

"Now it's your turn Garma Sword," yelled Mary. "Attack with sextuple scimitar slash!"

Clover screamed as the six-armed Warrior pounced. He attacked, and blood flew! Clover collapsed, as her Life Points fell to zero.

The crowd cheered, as the two Warriors vanished in sparkles of light. Mary sighed. Her wounds vanished, and her clothes went back to normal. She looked at her disk – the gem had turned to Yellow.

Yugi, Clive, and Peter ran up to her.

"Great job, Mary!" congratulated Yugi.

"Killer!" grinned Clive.

Clover slowly got up.

"Hey, Mary…" she said.

Mary turned to her.

"Good duel," muttered Clover. "I guess I need to practice more…"

"Don't feel bad, Clover," comforted Yugi. "It was close, and it takes a good duelist to get anywhere with a Toon Deck."

Clover looked at her Disk, which was back to Orange Status.

"Guess I have to start over from the beginning," she said. "But perhaps we'll meet again."

She flicked a button on her disk, and the holo-imagers retracted.

"But I've had enough for one day," she smiled. "Au revoir!"

She leapt up and backflipped out of sight.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his command center, Siegfried rubbed his chin.

_Not a bad bit of work, Mary,_ he thought. _My uncle would have been proud of you for crashing through those nasty Toons…_

_Well, maybe I should concentrate on my other potential allies…_

"Listen up," he said to the technicians. "When Clive Marris, Peter Ramset, and Jade Valentine duel for the first time, inform me immediately. I want to at least see their first matches."

"Yes Master of Games," said the head technician.

"And keep me informed of the status of Yugi Mouto Jr." he said. "I want to be informed on every significant aspect of his progress, positive or negative.

"If anyone wants me, they'll know where to contact me…"

He turned and left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now four o'clock. It didn't seem like Clive and Peter would be able to find any duels of their own today, so they made a decision to hit the streets early the next morning. Right now, they were looking for a place to get an early dinner.

"Man, Mary," commented Clive. "You're tough! I didn't think anybody could take that many direct attacks! Especially from something as tough as that Toon Skull!"

"She's tougher than you think," said Yugi, smiling. "Anyway, we should…"

"Yugi!" called a voice behind them.

"Aw no," sighed Yugi. They recognized that voice.

They turned around, and saw Persephone, carrying a satchel.

"Yugi," she asked. "Got a minute?"

"Maybe," said Yugi. "What do you want Persephone? Green Status already, I see."

"Heh, heh," smiled Persephone. "I don't like to brag. Look Yugi, I'm sorry for everything I said on the boat, and I want to make it up to you. How about I treat you to a burger? I know a place near here that makes half-pound cheeseburgers and the best spicy-curly fries!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"And you're buying?" he asked.

"Uh huh," she nodded.

"Yugi, I don't trust her…" whispered Mary.

"Don't worry," said Yugi. "You guys go on ahead. I'll handle whatever she wants…"

"Leave a trail of breadcrumbs…" muttered Clive.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Persephone hadn't been lying. The cheeseburgers and fries at the restaurant she brought Yugi to were both huge and to die for. Halfway through the meal, Yugi spoke up.

"Persephone," he said. "I have the feeling that you aren't buying me dinner out of mere generosity…"

"Oh?" asked Persephone.

"No," frowned Yugi. "More likely you want to challenge me after we finish when I'll be stuffed, and therefore sluggish and slow. Well, people have tried that trick with me before, and it hasn't worked."

Persephone let out a laugh.

"No Yugi," she smiled. "I brought you here to talk business…"

"Business?" asked Yugi.

"Uh huh," said Persephone. She took a large box out of her satchel and hefted it up on the table.

"As you undoubtedly know Yugi," she explained, "I play a Fairy deck, and you happen to have one of the most powerful and rarest Fairies in existence in your own deck…"

"You mean my Guardian Angel Joan?" asked Yugi, suspiciously.

"Precisely," said Persephone with a smile. "I was watching that duel with that awful Kanasta fellow. Anyway, I'd love to have a Guardian Angel Joan, and I'm willing to make an even trade… or even a not-so-even one, in your favor."

She opened the box, revealing a lot of cards.

"Uh, Persephone…" started Yugi.

"How about Injection Fairy Lily?" asked Persephone, picking out a card. "I know you like powerful Spellcasters…"

"Persephone, I…" started Yugi.

"Here's a good one," said Persephone. "Diffusion Wave-Motion. One of the strongest Spell Cards around, especially when you have a Dark Magician."

"Look," said Yugi. "I can't…"

"How about the ever-popular Ring of Destruction?" she continued, picking out another one. "A great Trap Card!"

"Persephone…" said Yugi.

"Ah, I got it!" exclaimed Persephone. "Ta da!"

She held up a frightening looking Monster card.

"That's really Chaos Emperor Dragon, Envoy of the End?" asked Yugi.

"Uh huh!" said Persephone. "Much more valuable than Joan, but it's really of no use to me, so if you want it, we can…"

"I'm sorry, Persephone, no," said Yugi.

"Pardon?" she said.

"Persephone," explained Yugi, "even if you were to offer to give me all four of those rare cards, I wouldn't accept the trade, and I'll tell you why…"

He shifted through his deck until he found Guardian Angel Joan, and held it up.

"This card means a lot to me," he stated. "I didn't get it out of a lucky draw from some booster pack. It was given to me as a gift from a good friend. This card represents more than the rarity of the card, or the power she possesses in a duel… it represents the tie of friendship I have with that individual. He gave it to me out of gratitude for saving his life, in fact. You must understand, that even if you were to offer me every rare card you have in that box, I cannot in clear conscience trade away Guardian Angel Joan.

"In a way, she is MY Guardian Angel."

Yugi wasn't lying or exaggerating. It was Siegfried himself who gave him Guardian Angel Joan. He had meant to give it to him for saving him from Anastasia Pegasus after he and the rest of his friends had been imprisoned by the madwoman, and ended up giving it to him after he had been dragged to Remi's City of Souls to be used as bait in one of Remi's traps. Yugi was sincere in what he said… he could never trade something like this away.

Persephone thought for a moment. Unpleasant things were going on in her mind.

_Fool,_ she thought. _Who needs friends in this business? I've dueled long enough to know that anyone who's your friend today can be your enemy tomorrow. Friends only slow you down. A gift? I always exchange my birthday and Christmas gifts anyway! This Yugi is nothing more than an idiot!_

She smiled at Yugi with a fake smile.

"Well, um, I guess I can respect you for that, Yugi," she lied.

"Thank you for dinner Persephone," he said, getting up.

"Yugi, wait!" she said.

"Now what?" frowned Yugi.

"Just so this visit won't be a total bust…" she said, reaching into her satchel.

She pulled out a large photocopy of what appeared to be a map of part of the city.

"I bought this from another contestant," she continued. "He said it leads to the lair of an Eliminator. If you're as good a duelist as you claim to be, you could go there and get upgraded two places!"

"And you're just giving it to me?" asked Yugi, suspiciously.

"Yep," smiled Persephone. "I'm too chicken to go there myself, so I have no use for it…"

Yugi took the photocopy. An Eliminator. Siegfried had warned everyone about these people. He'd have to think about it.

He folded it up, and placed it in his pocket.

"Well, thanks," he said, and turned to leave.

As Yugi left, a wicked smile crossed Persephone's face. She reached into the satchel and pulled out what appeared to be the original map, drawn on canvas.

"If only Yugi knew that I bought this thing only three hours ago from a disqualified contestant who was scared out of his mind!" she laughed. "Yugi is good, but that map I gave him will likely boot him out of the tournament! Then we'll see how far his friendship gets him!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KIRBY'S SCETCHBOOK (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A notebook with Dark Rabbit on the cover and Jack Kirby's signature.

**Card Description: **Activate when a Toon Monster you control is the target of an attack. Negate the attack and the ATK of that Toon Monster becomes equal to the ATK of the attacking Monster, +100.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PLUMMETING SAFE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A falling safe with the word "Acme" on it.

**Card Description: **Activate when an opposing Monster declares an attack when you control a face-up "Toon World". Destroy the attacking Monster.


	6. Water Omotics

_I've spoken to Yugi's dad and Mary's dad about their past victories… and one great duelist who always interested me in their conversations was Mako Tsunami. He was a guy who loved the ocean since he was a child… He knew how to swim before he knew how to walk! A tragic accident at sea resulted in the loss of his father. Poor Mako seemingly never could accept the fact that his father was dead, and devoted his young life to searching for him, never giving up hope. _

_On the other hand, Mako had a very good reason for never giving up. A few years after the accident, he received an anonymous letter that told him never to give up… and the mysterious note came with an equally mysterious Duel Monsters card: The Legendary Fisherman, a powerful Warrior/Water Monster whose appearance was a dead ringer for his father. I guess it was an omen of sorts. Mako himself kind of looked like the Monster on the card._

_But whatever the case, I found out on the ship over here that Mako himself is a father now, and now I'm about to face his son in my first duel in the Duelatopia tournament. _

_And it seems that the third generation of the Tsunami family takes after his dad… in more ways than one…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Five**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Water Omotics**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

They woke up at 7 AM sharp. It was Day Two of the tournament, and Peter and Clive had not dueled even once.

At least three of them woke up at seven.

"Where the heck is Clive?" grumbled Mary to Yugi, as they were standing outside the Cosmo Queen's Castle. "I thought we were going to meet out here…"

"Hey guys," called Peter, coming out. "I found this note on the door to Clive's room…"

Yugi read: "Dear Guys, I went out for a jog and some fresh air. Be back by eight. Clive."

"Well, you know Clive," sighed Mary. "Always exercising. Why don't we just go for a walk while we wait for him to come back?"

"And maybe we can grab a bagel on the way," suggested Peter.

As they walked off, Yugi took out the map he had gotten from Persephone.

Yami appeared beside him.

"Still considering it?" asked Yami. "It might be a great opportunity…"

"Yeah," muttered Yugi. "But I don't know anything about these 'Eliminators'. What if they're too tough for me to beat? They aren't called Eliminators for nothing… And if I lose, I'm disqualified!"

"We've beaten some tough opponents," said Yami. "Your deck has never failed you."

"These duelists have probably gotten themselves good decks too," considered Yugi. "And good strategies to go with them. And I remember too plainly what Siegfried said… if you lose against one of them, 'that may not be the only thing you lose.' It just sounds… dangerous."

"Well, it doesn't have to be today," assured Yami.

"True," said Yugi. He put the map back in his pocket.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At this instant, Clive was experiencing how hard it was jogging with a Dueling Disk strapped to his left arm. He had brought it just in case, but it was slowing him down.

A lot of joggers and speed-walkers use "heavy hands" to give their arms a workout, but most joggers who use them (well, all joggers who use them) wear _two_ of them at once. As Clive was now finding out, carrying _one_ slightly heavy object strapped to his left wrist was throwing him off balance and slowing him down. He was regretting not bringing his backpack and carrying it in there.

Eventually, he stopped to catch his breath and sit for a few minutes. He found that he had gone beyond the gates of Duelatopia (which had since been removed) and was now in front of the large tower on which he had first seen the Master of Games.

He looked around. A few pedestrians were about, apparently having had the same idea that he had, but none had their Disks. The docks were in front of him, so he decided to jog down to them. Maybe the sea air could help clear his head.

As he ran down, he saw a figure sitting on the large docks, one who did have a Disk strapped to his arm. He approached the figure, and saw that it was someone he had already met – it was Orin. His bandana, boots, and a pair of leather gloves, along with a satchel, were beside him.

Orin Tsunami had a worried look on his face as he gazed out to the ocean waves. Clive could hear him muttering to himself.

"The sea is restless and troubled," mused Orin quietly. "Strange things are afoot here…"

"Orin?" said Clive.

"Oh, hi Clive," said Orin, turning around. "Catching some sea air? It does wonders for the heart and lungs!"

"Yeah," muttered Clive. "So what are… wow! You have Green Status already!"

"I don't deserve it," grumbled Orin. "The two duelists whom I defeated were no more of a challenge than plucking oysters from their beds. If I'm to get far in this tournament in a respectable way I must avoid small guppies and start challenging powerful barracuda!"

Clive thought for a minute.

"Well, I hate to brag, Orin," he said, proudly, "but I can duel you if you want. I've beaten…"

He caught himself. He had almost said "Des Fist", and if he had said that he would have had to answer a million questions.

"… a lot of good duelists," he continued.

"So then, you are challenging me?" asked Orin.

Clive thought for a minute. He bent down and picked up one of Orin's gloves. He gently slapped him in the face with it.

Orin chuckled. "Why not?" he said. "We'll see if you're truly up to it. But I have to warn you… in the middle of a duel, I kind of get lost in the moment… like a school of quippers in a feeding frenzy! "

"We have a lot in common," assured Clive.

They walked back to the grand promenade in front of the tower. Some folks immediately started to take notice. This wouldn't exactly be the cheering crowd that Yugi or Mary had, but at least Clive would be able to make a little bit of a name for himself.

If he won.

"Okay Clifford," warned Orin. "Don't expect me to be lenient. The Tsunami family is as merciless and relentless as the sea itself!"

"Then don't expect any leniency from me either!" responded Clive. "Go Dueling Disk!"

The holo-imagers shot out of his Disk and the console swung into position. Orin copied the same move.

"LET'S DUEL!" they said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a luxurious manor house near the center of Duelatopia, Siegfried was finishing breakfast. A special cell phone next to him went off. He picked it up and cleared his throat.

"Talk to me," he said.

"Master of Games," said the voice on the other end. "We've gotten visual of one of the duels you requested. Clive Marris has engaged his first challenge."

_About time,_ thought Siegfried.

"Put it up on these co-ordinates," he said. "1002-5678-BA."

He pushed a button, and a screen lowered in front of him.

"Interesting," he stated over the phone. "What do we know about his opponent?"

"Someone named Orin Tsunami," answered the technician. "Our records indicate that he's a duelist with at least ten regional tournament wins under his belt… all in different locations. He must like to travel."

_Tsunami..._ thought Siegfried. _Where have I heard that name before? Didn't my uncle mention that name once or twice?_

_Oh, right, the Water duelist._

_Well, let's see how this turns out…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Why don't I start this off, Orin?" stated Clive, after making his draws. "For my first move, Frontier Wiseman, in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and an old man in royal green robes wearing a crown and carrying a book appeared. (1,600/800)

"This guy may be a Spellcaster," exclaimed Clive. "But while he's on the Field, all my Warriors are immune to Spell Cards!"

"I only need one Spell Card to defeat you, landlubber," smiled Orin. "Behold my special Field Spell Card… A Legendary Ocean!"

"What?" said Clive, surprised. "A Field Card?"

Orin flicked open his Field slot and a card in, and the results were dramatic. First, the area they were dueling in became flooded; water appeared quickly covering them! Clive tried to hold his breath, before realizing it was a hologram. But it was realistic – it seemed they had been transported to the bottom of the sea!

Then, strange buildings with underwater architecture arose around them. It was as if they were standing amid a restored Atlantis!

"Man, this is cool!" said one spectator.

"Wow," stammered Clive. "These Disks are something. I can even taste it!"

"It's more than a cosmetic change, Clive," explained Orin. "A Legendary Ocean has two potent effects on any Water Monster I summon. First, it lowers their Star Level by one, making them easier to summon to begin with. Two, it increases both their Attack and Defense by 200 points.

"And that's not all. Many of the Monsters in my deck have _unique_ powers when fighting in A Legendary Ocean…"

"Unique powers?" said Clive, getting frightened.

"Take this one for instance…" said Orin putting a card down.

A large, red submarine-like vehicle appeared. It had twin turrets on the top, and mechanical arms in the front. (1500/1,300) –) (1,700/1,300)

"This is what is called Amphibious Bugroth MK-3," continued Orin. "While this Machine is in ocean terrain, it can bypass your Monsters completely and deliver a direct attack!"

"Oh, great," gasped Clive.

"Amphibious Bugroth MK-3," ordered Orin, "hit him with high-pressure hydro cannons attack!"

The turrets on the vehicle started to hum, and then they shot two streams of water at Clive, knocking him over. He got up, covered with bruises. His Life Points fell to 6,300.

"Whoever said a little water can't hurt?" grinned Orin. "Come on, Clive, I'm waiting for this big challenge!"

_It's a good thing all this water is just a hologram,_ thought Clive, drawing. _It would ruin my deck if it were real!_

"Your Bugroth might have special powers, Orin," sneered Clive, drawing, "but it was a critical mistake to have it attack me and not my Wiseman!"

He put a card down. "Dark Blade, in Attack Mode!"

A Warrior in black, bladed armor bearing two huge swords appeared on the seafloor. (1,800/1,500)

"Now Dark Blade, attack the Bugroth!" said Clive. "Dark slash attack!"

The Dark Blade cut through the waves and bought a sword down on the Machine; it exploded.

"Your turn Frontier Wiseman!" yelled Clive. "Hit Orin with your royal enchantment attack!"

The Wiseman slowly raised his right hand, and fired a blast of colored energy, striking Orin and sending him staggering back.

Orin's Life Points stood at 6,300. The score was tied.

"So now what are you gonna do, Orin?" mocked Clive. "I've got two Monsters on the Field. Even if you summon one that can take out one of them, you can't destroy them both!"

"Oh no?" smiled Orin, drawing. "I disagree…"

"I summon Mermaid Knight in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

A large, lovely mermaid with purple scales and hair appeared, wearing armor and wielding a nasty sword. (1,500/700) –) (1,700/900)

"This is no enchanting undersea princess, Clive," stated Orin. "She lives to fight. And while in A Legendary Ocean, she can make two attacks per round, enabling her to destroy _both_ of your Monsters!"

"I can see one problem with that," frowned Clive. "Her Attack score isn't high enough to defeat Dark Blade, even with the Ocean's benefit."

"She'll be strong enough once I give her this Equip," exclaimed Orin. "Power of Kaishin!"

He put the card down, and a golden axe appeared above the Mermaid Knight. Her sword vanished, she grabbed hold of the axe, and her Attack went up to 2,000.

"Go my Mermaid!" said Orin. "Attack both of them with Kaishin axe attack!"

Mermaid Knight let out a war cry and swam forward, striking down both the Frontier Wiseman and the Dark Blade! She brandished her axe in triumph.

Clive's Life Points went down to 5,700.

_Okay,_ thought Clive, looking at his hand. _I've got nothing but mediocre Monsters and a couple of throwaways in my hand, and he's got a gal who can attack twice… not to mention the fact that he might summon something powerful on his next turn..._

He drew.

_Hmm..._ he thought, looking at the card. _This might just work…_

"I'm setting one Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the card appeared in front of him.

"And I'll place another facedown card as well," he continued, "ending my turn."

He fit the card into the slot, and the facedown card appeared behind the facedown Monster.

Orin drew.

"I summon a Monster in Attack Mode," he cried, "Meet Sea Stealth Two! Otherwise known as…The Legendary Fisherman!"

He put a card down, and a very intimidating Monster appeared from out of the deep. He was a huge Warrior, holding a giant harpoon, riding a ferocious shark! (1,850/1,650) –) (2,050/1,850)

_So that's what he looks like,_ thought Clive. _He does kind of look like him… only older… and scarier…_

"Normally," explained Orin. "I'd need to make a Tribute to summon The Legendary Fisherman, but as I said, while in A Legendary Ocean, his Level is downgraded. Plus, while in this Ocean, he is immune to Spell Cards, _and_ your Monsters can't attack him!

"It's like staring into the depths of the abyss, isn't it Clive?" he continued. "After my Fisherman destroys your Defense Monster, my Mermaid Knight can make _two_ direct attacks, doing you 4,000 points of damage!

"You're no challenge at all…"

_That's what you think,_ thought Clive, trying to keep a poker face.

"Legendary Fisherman!" shouted Orin. "Attack with Harpoon of Legend attack!"

The Legendary Fisherman raised his harpoon…

"Not so fast, Orin!" said Clive, pressing a button on his disk. His facedown card lifted up.

"What? A Trap?" gasped Orin.

"Yep, a Trap," smiled Clive. "Go Magic-Arm Shield!"

A large box with a mechanical grabber tipped with "cymbals" on it appeared, and the grabber shot forth. Mermaid Knight screamed as it seized her!

"What's happening?" said Orin.

"This little toy, the Magic-Arm Shield," said Clive, "lets me grab your Mermaid and use her to shield my side from your Fisherman's attack! So attack Fisherman!"

The Legendary Fisherman hurled his harpoon. The Mermaid Knight screamed and covered her eyes as it hit her, blowing her apart!

Orin's Life Points fell to 6,250.

The onlookers all laughed, as did Clive. Orin just starred in bewilderment.

"Ha!" laughed Clive. "Looks like your Fisherman caught a big one! You should have seen your face when you killed your own Mermaid! It was priceless."

Orin spoke up.

"Perhaps I misspoke," he said. "You are indeed a challenge. But you still lack the ability to defeat my Fisherman. So I'll just end my turn."

Clive drew.

_Now that's what I'm talking about,_ he thought.

"I summon Giant Orc, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting a card down.

A huge, white-skinned giant appeared, holding a huge femur as a club. (2,200/0)

"And I'll also lay two cards facedown," he continued. "And that will end my turn."

He put them down, and they appeared behind the Orc.

He looked hard at Orin.

"Seems we have a standoff, Orin old boy," he said. "My Giant Orc isn't able to attack your Fisherman, but on the other hand, your Fisherman isn't strong enough to defeat my Orc…"

Orin thought for a moment, and then drew.

"Legendary Fisherman," he ordered. "Attack his facedown Monster."

The Fisherman threw his harpoon. Little-Winguard appeared, and was blown away.

"I agree that it is a standoff for now," said Orin. But I can still do something for my benefit. I use this Spell Card… Triton's Trumpet."

"Huh?" said Clive.

Orin put the card down, and a large conch horn appeared above The Legendary Fisherman. He grabbed hold of it and blew it – a low sound echoed through A Legendary Ocean.

"What does that do?" asked Clive.

"Triton's Trumpet can only be used in an ocean terrain," said Orin. "But when I use it, 2,000 points are added to my Life Points.

His Life Points went up to 8,250.

"I end my turn there."

"Funny," stated Clive, drawing. "I was about to do something similar…"

He placed a Spell Card down.

"I play the Spell Card known as Emergency Provisions!" he exclaimed. "I send my two facedown cards to the Graveyard…"

A huge mouth appeared, and swallowed the two facedown cards.

"…and I gain 1,000 Life Points for each!"

Clive's Life Points went up to 7,700.

"That will end my turn," said Clive.

"It seems we're nearly back where we started," frowned Orin, drawing. "And neither of us can attack yet. I'll simply lay one card facedown, and end my turn."

The card appeared behind the Fisherman.

Clive drew.

_All right!_ he thought. _Finally!_

"Time to dry up your Ocean, Orin!" smiled Clive.

"What?" gasped Orin.

"I'm playing a Field Spell Card of my own to replace it," explained Clive. "A very special one called Scorpion's Den!"

He fit it into the slot, and the water slowly receded. The buildings vanished.

Then, the terrain changed dramatically. They were now inside a dark cave, full of crates and sacks and chests, overflowing with gold, gems, and other valuables.

The Legendary Fisherman's stats dropped down to (1,850/1,650).

"What?" said Orin. "Scorpion's Den? What is this place?"

Everyone who was looking on was apparently wondering the same thing.

"The Scorpion's Den is the lair of special Warriors," smiled Clive. "Thieves known as the Dark Scorpion Gang!"

"The Dark Scorpion Gang?" gasped Orin.

"You'll be meeting one of them in a second," continued Clive. "but before I make the introduction, you should know that because this is their home, they all gain a 500-point bonus to both their Attack and Defense!

"And I warn you Orin, there's a little policy about this place that all visitors must follow; once you enter, the Scorpions will never allow you to leave alive…

"Now, allow me to introduce their master of disarmament… Cliff the Trap Remover, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a blonde-haired thief with a brown shirt, red pants, and a dagger appeared. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,500)

"And guess what Orin?" continued Clive. "Without your Ocean to protect him, my Orc can attack your Fisherman! Giant Orc, bone club bash attack!"

Giant Orc raised his club, and smashed The Legendary Fisherman, blowing him to pieces!

_Hated to do that,_ thought Clive. _I really did._

"Now go Cliff!" said Clive. "Hit Orin with scorpion stab attack!"

Cliff the Trap Remover raised his dagger and lunged at Orin, jabbing it into his chest! Orin screamed and fell over.

As Orin got up, blood was pouring from the wound. His Life Points had been reduced to 6,200.

"And whenever Cliff the Trap Remover does damage to your Life Points," said Clive, "I can destroy one Spell or Trap card you have on the field!"

The facedown card in front of Orin shattered.

Giant Orc shifted into Defense Mode.

"Tricky," said Orin. "But I'm not done yet. First I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and a tall creature in a deep blue carapace armor carrying a trident appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"And I'll have him attack your Giant Orc!" shouted Orin. "Trident of Darkness attack!"

The Warrior of Darkness rushed forth and impaled the Giant Orc; the giant burst.

"Now I'll use a Spell Card," yelled Orin. "The powerful Tsunami Force!"

He set it down.

"What?" said Clive.

"This Spell Card only works when at least one Water Monster is on the field," exclaimed Orin. "I simply discard one card from my hand…"

He did so.

"…and in return, I get to drown one of your Monsters!"

A wave of water appeared, and struck Cliff the Trap Remover, washing him away.

"Nuts," said Clive. His Life Points dropped to 7,275.

"Okay," said Clive. "Time to get serious. I summon Double Pinaska in Defense Mode."

The bandit swordsman appeared, and shielded himself with his machetes. (1,500/1,500)

"Your move," said Clive.

"And I'll move all right," exclaimed Orin, drawing. "I Tribute my Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness to bring forth Terrorking Salmon!"

The Warrior of Darkness vanished, and was replaced by a huge salmon, the size of a shark! (2,400/1,000)

"This variety of salmon is as vicious as they come," said Orin. "But on the bright side, the roe it produces is quite tasty!"

Everyone looking on started to whisper among themselves.

"Roe, people!" said Orin, rolling his eyes. "You know, _fresh water caviar_! Aw heck, Terrorking Salmon, attack Double Pinaska!"

Terrorking Salmon dove towards Double Pinaska…

"Counter it, Pinaska!" shouted Clive.

Double Pinaska raised his machetes, and Terrorking Salmon was stopped dead in its tracks.

"Oh yeah," frowned Orin. "That Warrior can block one attack per round. But it won't save you next round…"

Clive drew and looked at the card.

"Think so?" he said. "I switch Double Pinaska into Attack Mode…"

He turned the card, and Double Pinaska rose up to attack.

"And I play the Spell Card Negative Energy!" he said, "which can double the attack of any Dark Monster!"

Double Pinaska's Attack score shot up to 3,000!

"Attack the Terrorking Salmon!" laughed Clive. "Double machete slash! Turn that Salmon into lox!"

Double Pinaska swung his swords, and chopped the Terrorking Salmon to pieces. Orin's Life Points fell to 5,400.

"Too bad we don't have any bagels and cream cheese," chuckled Clive.

"Hardy, har, har," frowned Orin.

He drew. He smiled.

"I'll just play one card facedown and end my turn," he said, fitting the card into the slot.

"You think I'm dumb enough to actually attack such an obvious Trap?" chuckled Clive. "I'll simply summon Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and a huge, orange, fiendish dog appeared. (1,900/1,400)

"But Clive, I didn't need you to attack," smiled Orin, pushing a button on his Disk. "All I needed you to do was summon a Monster! Go _Torrential Tribute!_

"No, not that!" cried Clive.

As the Trap card appeared, an enormous wall of water appeared, and engulfed Clive, Double Pinaska and Mad Dog of Darkness! When it subsided, Clive was soaked, and both his Monsters were gone.

His Life Points were reduced to 6,050.

"Well that was unpleasant," groaned Clive.

"Any other move you'd like to make?" asked Orin.

Clive looked at his hand. "No," he answered.

"Then I summon Mother Grizzly in Attack Mode!" shouted Orin.

A huge grizzly bear appeared in front of Orin and roared. (1,400/1,000)

"THAT'S a Water Monster?" said Clive, puzzled.

"Yes," said Orin. "And now she's going to turn you to chum! Mother Grizzly, attack Clive with bear claw swipes!"

Clive screamed as the bear closed in and raked her claws over his chest! Deep gashes appeared in him!

"Ouch!" moaned Clive.

His Life Points fell further to 4,650.

Clive drew.

"Time to bring out another member of the Dark Scorpions," said Clive. "I summon Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the beautiful female member of the Gang appeared, bearing her whip. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/2,300)

"Attack Mother Grizzly!" shouted Clive. "Scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae laughed and struck with her whip, eradicating the bear.

Orin's Life Points were now at 5,300, but he didn't seem worried.

"And, since Meanae inflicted damage to your Life Points," explained Clive. "I get to take one other member of the Dark Scorpions from my deck or Graveyard and add him to my hand."

He pushed a button on his disk, and the discard pile came out.

_I'll retrieve Cliff the Trap Remover and save him for later,_ he thought

"Nice," smiled Orin. "But since you destroyed Mother Grizzly, I now get to search my deck for any Water Monster I choose, with an Attack score of 1,500 or less, and special summon it instantly."

He removed his deck and looked through it until he got the card he needed.

"Now, I reshuffle…" said Orin.

He plugged the deck back into the Disk and a mechanism reshuffled it.

"…and I summon Island Turtle in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a huge turtle appeared on his side. It had trees and other plants growing on its shell. (1,000/2,000)

"Then I'll end my turn," said Clive, thinking.

Orin drew.

"I'll lay one card facedown," he said. "And summon Red Archery Girl, also in Defense Mode."

He put the cards down. The facedown card appeared, and the mermaid archer in her shell appeared, shielding herself with her bow. (1,400/1,500)

_He's planning something,_ thought Clive, as he drew.

_Maybe he's planning to perform that Ritual his father liked so much! Fortress Whale Oath? Should I attack?_

_But maybe that's what he wants me to do. I can't risk attacking yet with that facedown card… but I can augment my forces._

"I summon Cliff the Trap Remover back," stated Clive, laying a card down. "In Attack Mode. And that will do it for my turn."

Cliff reappeared next to Meanae. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,500)

Orin slowly drew, keeping a poker face.

"I summon Flying Fish, in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

A small fish appeared flapping its fins next to Red Archery Girl. (800/500)

"Come on guys!" yelled a female spectator. "One of you is going to have to attack eventually!"

Clive drew.

_She's right,_ he thought. _Enough of this chickening out. And I just got a good card…_

"I play the Spell Card, Change of Heart!" exclaimed Clive, throwing the card into the slot. "And I'll use it to seize control of your Island Turtle!"

A robed woman with one feathered wing and one bat wing with a heart on her chest appeared in front of Clive. She flew into the Island Turtle.

Orin drew back, as the Island Turtle vanished and reappeared on Clive's side.

"Confused?" asked Clive. "Watch. I'm going to Tribute your Island Turtle to bring out the muscle of the Dark Scorpions… meet Gorg the Strong!"

He put a card down, and the Island Turtle vanished; a large, muscular, bald Warrior arose, carrying a huge mace.(1,800/1,500) –) (2,300/2,000).

"And I'm getting tired of waiting," said Clive. "So, Gorg the Strong, attack Red Archery Girl with scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg charged, and smote the mermaid with his mace, smashing her.

"Ha! I knew you didn't have a Trap there," said Clive. "Now…"

"It _was_ a Trap, Clive," interrupted Orin, pushing a button. "A very powerful one that you just activated. It's called Gift of the Sea."

The Trap card revealed itself, revealing the picture of a huge oyster with a beautiful pearl.

"Gift of the Sea?" stammered Clive. "That doesn't sound good…"

"When one of my Water Monsters is slain in battle," said Orin, "I can activate Gift of the Sea, to instantly summon any Water Monster I desire from my deck or hand, without needing a Tribute. I can even summon it in the middle of your turn."

He reached for his deck and looked though it.

"And here's the one I chose," he continued. "In Defense Mode, the mighty Tentacle Thug!"

He put the card down, and a huge octopus appeared in front of him. (0/2,500)

"What good is that?" asked Clive. "It doesn't have a single… huh?"

The Tentacle Thug reached out with three long tentacles and seized Cliff, Meanae, and Gorg! They screamed and struggled to break free, but they were caught fast.

"In order to compensate for its nonexistent Attack score," said Orin. "The Tentacle Thug has a powerful Effect. It can capture every opposing Monster on the field, preventing them from attacking or changing their battle position!

"And it's still your move, by the way."

"Then I'll end it," said Clive, sweating. "But why didn't you use the Mother Grizzly's effect to summon that thing?"

"Simple strategy, Clive," explained Orin. "When the Grizzly was destroyed, you had one Monster on the field. But I knew I had another way to bring out the Thug, so I waited until you had more Monsters, and it would thus be more devastating. Now you have three Monsters on the field who are all helpless, just waiting to be picked off!"

Clive was starting to get worried. That _was_ good strategy.

"Now I'll summon one of my favorite Monsters," exclaimed Orin. "Mary thought I might have the mighty Fortress Whale in my deck… she was only partially correct. I Tribute my Flying Fish to summon an even greater version of the old fashioned Fortress Whale… Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!"

He put a card down, and the Flying Fish vanished. A huge form arose… it was unreal. It looked like a huge killer whale with guns, towers, and a large crane on its back! (2,100/1,200)

"Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness," said Orin, "Attack Meanae the Thorn with naval artillery attack!"

The Fortress blasted its guns, and blew Meanae into particles.

Clive's Life Points fell to 4,050.

"And that's not all," continued Orin. "My Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness has special powers that will come to light very soon…"

Clive drew.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed," he announced, placing a card in a slot, "to draw two more cards. As my Scorpions know, greed is good!"

The jar appeared before him. He drew two new cards.

_Okay,_ he thought. _This might work._

"First, I'll lay two cards facedown," he said.

The two facedown cards appeared.

"Now I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back Meanae the Thorn," he said, "in Attack Mode."

Meanae reappeared. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/2,300)

"And finally," continued Clive. "I'll summon another member of the Dark Scorpions… Chick the Yellow, in Attack Mode."

A young, teenage thief with yellow hair, carrying a quarterstaff appeared next to Meanae. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,500)

"And I end my turn," said Clive.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Orin, drawing. "Weren't you listening a minute ago?"

The Tentacle Thug reached forward and grabbed Chick and Meanae.

"My Thug will seize _any_ Monster you summon, leaving them sitting ducks!

"And now I summon Cannonball Spear Shellfish in Defense Mode," he exclaimed.

A man-shaped mollusk with a large spiral, pointy shell on its head appeared next to Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness. (1,000/1,000)

"This guy may not look impressive," explained Orin, "but first, my Orca can absorb it…"

The Fortress opened its mouth, and swallowed the Cannonball Spear Shellfish.

"Huh?" said Clive.

"And now," said Orin. "It gains the ability to vaporize one of your Trap or Spell Cards! Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness, destroy the card on the left!"

The Fortress blasted its guns, and destroyed the card.

"Now, I could destroy Meanae again, but why repeat myself?" said Orin. "Orca, attack Cliff the Trap Remover! Naval artillery attack!"

The Fortress fired its guns, and blasted Cliff. Clive's Life Points fell to 3,650.

"And that isn't all my Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness can do, Clive," said Orin. "When it absorbs a _different_ type of Monster on my next turn, it will be able to automatically destroy an opposing Monster, enabling me to do away with Gorg the Strong!"

Clive chuckled.

"What's so funny?" sneered Orin.

"I'm not going to give you that chance Orin," smiled Clive. "You made a mistake. If you had aimed for the facedown card on the _right_ you would have won this duel, but sadly, you aimed for the one on left, and now you're gonna pay!"

He drew.

_Nice,_ he thought.

"Activate Trap!" he said. "Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

"What?" said Orin, as the Trap revealed itself.

"Being some of the greatest thieves in the world, there is nothing that the Dark Scorpions can't steal," exclaimed Clive. "And this Trap card endows one of them with the ability to steal from your Graveyard any Spell or Trap Card that he or she desires! So why don't you take care of that Meanae?"

Meanae pulled her arm free of the Thug's tentacle, and a large card appeared in her hand.

"No!" gasped Orin. "My Tsunami Force card!"

"That's right," said Clive.

The card materialized in his hand, via the hologram, and he placed it down.

"Now then, how does this work?" asked Clive. "Right. I discard one card from my hand, and I get to wash away one of your Monsters! And I'm aiming at the Tentacle Thug!"

He discarded one of the two cards in his hand, and a wave of water crashed over the octopus. When it subsided, the Tentacle Thug was gone. Orin's Life Points fell to 4,675.

The Dark Scorpions got to their feet. They were soaked, but unharmed.

"And now," continued Clive, putting down the last card in his hand, "I summon the fearless leader of the Dark Scorpions, Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode!"

The pale-haired, eye-patched bandit bearing his rapier and dagger flipped into view, in front of the other Scorpions. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/2,000)

"You and your Fortress will not survive the onslaught I have put before you!" shouted Clive.

Orin drew back in fear.

"Gorg the Strong," commanded Clive, "attack Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness with scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg the Strong raised his mace, and leapt high. He brought it down on the huge Monster. Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness exploded!

Orin's Life Points fell to 4,475

"Meanae the Thorn," shouted Clive. "Attack Orin with scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae waved her whip dramatically and struck Orin with it, sending him staggering back!

Orin's Life Points fell further, to 2,975

"Chick the Yellow, attack him with scorpion smash attack!"

Chick the Yellow twirled his quarterstaff and whacked his foe upside the head, sending him plummeting!

His Life Points stood at 1,475.

Orin groaned and started to get up…

"Finish him off, Don Zaloog!" shouted Clive. "Sting of the Scorpions attack!"

Don Zaloog leapt up, and drove his rapier deep into Orin gut, impaling him ! Orin screamed and collapsed to the ground, a bloody mess. His Life Points had been depleted.

The crowd cheered, as the holo-imagers shut down. Orin groaned and slowly sat up. His wounds slowly disappeared, and thankfully, so did Clive's.

Clive saw that the gem on his Disk changed to Yellow. He looked over to Orin. His also changed to Yellow, but that wasn't a benefit to him.

Clive calmed down. He walked over to Orin.

"Orin," said Clive, slowly, offering his hand. "It was a good duel…"

Orin took Clive's hand.

"You are a true duelist, Clifford," muttered Orin. "Unlike the weak duelists I've seen here, you and your Dark Scorpions are a fierce as the mighty great white shark!"

He looked at his Disk.

"I may be only Yellow now, but I'm still in good standing," he continued. "Maybe we can have a rematch sometime…"

"Maybe," said Clive.

"Say Orin," continued Clive. "By the way, when I first saw you, you said that sea was 'restless and troubled.' What did you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I meant," said Orin. "I can tell when the sea is uneasy… the movements of the currents are troubled and foreboding, as if some big event were to come soon. One that would not be pleasant. It may look normal to the untrained eye, but someone as experienced as I am can see clearer… the sea is unhappy."

"Yeah, well…" muttered Clive.

He looked at his watch.

"Holy cow!" he cried. "It's almost eight-forty-five! I have to meet up with the other guys! See you later Orin!"

He ran off in the direction of the Cosmo Queen's Castle.

"Good luck," said Orin.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

While watching the duel, Siegfried had been putting on his distinctive armor.

_Well, it was close,_ he thought,_ but Clive was the victor. Still, Orin is a strong duelist with a formidable deck. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more of him._

_Only one more duelist to truly check up on…_

He lowered his helmet onto his head. He pushed a button on a speaker.

"This is the Master of Games," he said. "Keep track of that task I put before you, and inform me when Peter Ramset duels for the first time, should it happen before I get there. It shouldn't be long now. I will be in the command center within an hour."

"Yes sir," said a voice.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the Cosmo Queen's Castle, Mary, Peter, and Yugi were waiting.

"Where is he?" complained Mary. "It's almost nine!"

As if on cue, Clive came running up.

"Hi guys," he panted. "Sorry I'm late!"

"So how was your jog?" asked Mary.

"You tell me!" exclaimed Clive, showing off his Disk, with the new Yellow gem.

As they started walking into the city proper, Clive explained the details of his duel.

"That Tentacle Thug sounded like trouble," muttered Peter.

"Yeah, well, I was able to handle it," pronounced Clive.

He put his arm around Peter.

"So old pal, ready to find a challenge of your own?" he asked.

Peter raised his Disk.

"Just try to stop me," he exclaimed.

As they started to walk off, Yugi took the map out of his pocket again.

"Guys," he stated. "I have something I want to tell you…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRITON'S TRUMPET (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A large conch-shell horn inlaid with pearls.

**Card Description: **Activate only when you control a face-up "Umi" and you control at least one WATER Monster. Gain 2,000 Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SCORPION'S DEN (Spell Card)**

**Fiend Spell**

**Image: **A cave full of chests and urns overflowing with gold.

**Card Description: **Increase the ATK and DEF of all "Dark Scorpion" Monsters and ones that are named "Don Zaloog" and "Cliff the Trap Remover" by 500.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TSUNAMI FORCE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A raging tidal wave.

**Card Description: **Activate only when there is at least one face-up WATER Monster on the field. Discard one card from your hand to destroy one face-up Monster your opponent controls.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GIFT OF THE SEA (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A large oyster with a pearl inside.

**Card Description: **You may activate this card when a WATER Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon 1 WATER Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TENTACLE THUG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description: **When this card is in Attack Position, Monsters your opponent controls that were Normal Summoned cannot attack or change their battle position.


	7. Trap Master

_As an artist, I have a lot of inspirations._

_As a photographer, my first art form attempt, my inspirations include Bischof, Capa, and Eisenstadt. As a painter, my inspirations include Picasso, Van Gogh, and Gainsborough. As a pianist, my inspirations include Tchaikovski, Mozart, and naturally, Beethoven._

_But as a duelist, I only have one real inspiration, and unlike my others, he's still alive – my good friend Yugi. His heroics in the Duelist Labyrinth were the main reason for my deciding to build a deck in the first place. And he's taught me more about the driving force of Duel Monsters than any published work could ever show me._

_And as I prepare for my first Duelatopia challenge, I know that, with my mentor not twenty feet to my right, I can't possibly screw this up – if I do, I'll never live it down…_

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**Chapter Six**

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**Trap Master**

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"_An Eliminator's lair?"_ cried Mary, Clive, and Peter at once.

"That's what Persephone said," muttered Yugi.

"And I'm sure she gave it to you out of the goodness of her heart!" scolded Mary. "She must _want_ you kicked out of the tournament!"

"I considered that Mary," sighed Yugi. "And you're more than likely right. She tried to hide it, but I could tell she was angry for me not accepting her trade.

"But my father never got anywhere by turning down challenges. Maybe if I made the attempt I could not only advance, but make somewhat of a name for myself in Duelatopia…"

He folded up the map and put it back in his pocket.

"It is worth thinking about."

They continued to walk on.

"I hate to say it," whispered Clive to Peter, "but our leader has finally gone loco!"

"I dunno," muttered Peter. "I've yet to see anyone defeat Yugi. If Remi couldn't…"

"Remi would have beaten Yugi if he didn't have that Trap Jammer card," said Clive. "And I'll say prayers to Bonz's spirit until the day I die for that. "

"He beat Anastasia…" mentioned Peter.

"…only because we, Jade, and Siegfried helped him," interrupted Clive.

"…and the Grim Reaper…" mentioned Peter.

"Don't forget what Yugi told us," reminded Clive. "The Grim Reaper gave himself a handicap, promising to only attack once per turn."

"What about Set?" asked Peter.

Yugi chimed in. Obviously, he had heard every word.

"Set involved a great deal of good draws," he mentioned. "If I hadn't drawn the right cards when I did, he would have defeated me. I'll have to admit that, during that duel, even I was scared.

"When and if I finally decide to find this guy, I'll just have to give it my best, and play my cards right."

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They were in the west part of the large city now. They came upon a large, fenced-in enclosure which seemed to be the city park.

Walking in the gates, they saw all over the place statues and fountains depicting Duel Monsters, some made of stone, others made of bronze, and still others made of marble. Trees and shrubs were planted in the grassy areas.

After walking through the park for a while, they saw commotion of some sort. Perhaps there was a duel in progress. They ran up towards the crowd.

It wasn't a duel, but rather a demonstration of some sort. A large mat had been set up on the grass, and two young men wearing martial arts _gis_ were standing on it. One was a burly, muscular youth with black hair tied up in a bandana. The other guy was much smaller.

Behind them was a large monument shaped like a black pyramid of some sort. Yugi flinched a little when he saw it. Something was strange about the pyramid…

"Okay, folks, watch," stated the bigger guy. "When Fred comes at me, I'm gonna flip him! Anybody want to take some bets on whether he'll come up heads or tails?"

"You're a riot, Brick," sighed his sparring partner.

"Okay," shouted Brick. "Go!"

Fred charged at Brick, and the bigger youth quickly entered a stance. He caught Fred as he attacked, and threw him over his head. Fred flew about ten feet and landed behind Brick on the mat.

Everyone clapped.

"That is what was called a full-body throw," explained Brick, as Fred got up. "A rather basic move to fend off an attack. Now that the martial arts demonstration has more or less reached an intermission…"

He reached into a dufflebag and pulled out a Dueling Disk. Yugi and his friends could see that the jewel on it was at Green Status.

"…who'd like to do some sparring of a different sort?" he continued.

"Uh, I left my deck at the hotel…" muttered one guy.

"I would, but I've got a bad cough…" mumbled another.

"Hey!" announced Peter, stepping through the crowd. "You're on big guy!"

"Peter, are you sure?" asked Clive.

"I can take him," assured Peter.

"Well, what have we got here?" chuckled Brick. "You sure, lightweight? You're even smaller than my friend Fred, and you saw what I did to him."

"Your skill in martial arts is formidable," agreed Peter, "but it has nothing to do with the way you duel. Want proof? See my friend Yugi over there? He's even smaller than me, but he's beaten a martial artist of much better skill than you at Duel Monsters."

"You're about to find out how wrong you are," warned Brick. "My martial arts skills have a _lot_ to do with my particular strategy. Besides, I see you're only Orange – I've won twice, and you have yet to start. Unless, of course… you won once and then lost, which is even worse…"

"I've got to start somewhere," smiled Peter.

"Fine, chump," dared Brick. "Then step right up!"

"I hope Peter knows what he's doing," sighed Mary. "That guy does look tough…"

Peter got on the border of one side of the mat, while Brick stood on the other. Peter thrust forth his Disk, and the holo-imagers shot forth. Brick repeated the trick.

"Don't go away folks," said Brick to the crowd. "This won't take long!"

"Enough talk!" commented Peter. "Let's duel!"

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In his command center, the Master of Games was reclining on a chair, with a Centurion standing guard by his side.

"Master of Games!" said a technician. "Info is coming in from Peter Ramset's Dueling Disk. Looks like he's dueling for the first time."

"Good," said Siegfried. "Put the duel up on the screen."

He turned to the Centurion beside him. "I suggest you stay and watch Vanessa," he chuckled. "Peter's duels are always interesting."

"Is he good?" she asked.

"Let's just say that his opponent is in for a devil of a time…"

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"I'll give you the honor of the first move," stated Brick. "That's the least I can do."

_Let's see,_ thought Peter, looking at his hand. _I've got three Monsters… Opticlops, Vilepawn Archfiend, and Infernalqueen Archfiend. If I summon one of the latter two now, I'll just hurt myself, so…_

"I summon Opticlops, in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Peter

He put the card down, and a huge, muscular fiend with one eye sprang to life. (1,800/1,700)

"Impressive, isn't it?" stated Peter.

"Not really," sighed Brick, drawing. "I'll lay a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and also one other card facedown."

He set the cards down, and they appeared in front of him, one card in front of the other.

"And it's your move," said Brick.

_Hmm..._ thought Peter. _He's planning some sort of long term strategy…_

He drew.

_Now the ONLY Monsters I have in my hand are Vilepawn and Infernalqueen…_ he thought. _Still can't summon them. So…_

"Opticlops, attack his facedown card with fiendish gaze attack!" he ordered.

Opticlops howled, and fired a beam of energy from its eye.

"Sorry Peter," said Brick, "but I was hoping you'd do that…"

He hit a button and his facedown Trap Card appeared. Two Magic Cylinders appeared in the air!

"My first Magic Cylinder will catch the energy of your attack and the second will blow it right back at you!" shouted Brick.

"No!" screamed Peter.

The blast from Opticlops' eye beam collected in one of the Cylinders, and then shot out of the other, like a cannon, blasting into Peter! He screamed!

His Life Points fell to 6,200.

"Gee, is it over already?" laughed Brick. "Get up you pansy!"

Peter got up. His skin and clothes were charred.

"Hang in their Peter," urged Clive. "He can't have any Traps more powerful than _that_!"

Brick chuckled.

_Wanna bet?_ he thought.

"Since you're doing such a good job of doing yourself in," chuckled Brick. "My move will simply consist of drawing, and turning it back over to you."

"Fine," said Peter. He drew.

_Just what I needed,_ he thought.

"I play my Field Spell Card," he cried, _"Pandemonium!"_

He fit the card into the slot, and suddenly, the air around the park began to grow hot and stifling. The sky turned red, and the ground turned cracked, parched, and blasted. Flames erupted from the ground, and finally, buildings of evil, fiendish architecture rose around them. The pyramid monument was still there, but it too had turned diabolical in appearance.

"What…" gasped Brick. "What is this place?"

"That's what I wanna know!" cried Mary.

"Shh!" urged Yugi.

"Welcome to the city of Pandemonium," smiled Peter. "The capital of the Underworld, the place where all Fiends eventually come. And its rulers are a select group of Fiends known as Archfiends, who make up the cornerstone of my deck!"

"But what's the point?" said Brick.

"You see," explained Peter, "The major Archfiends are dangerous and evil Monsters, and they demand a hefty price from any duelist who dares to summon them, in the form of a Life Point payment… except when they're in their home. Here, they're happy, and they demand no payment, so I can summon them with no danger to myself…

"Like I will right now. Infernalqueen Archfiend, in Defense Mode!"

A burst of flame erupted on the field in front of Peter, and a tall female Fiend with wings, dressed in a purple robe and a red crown appeared. (900/1,500)

"And my turn is just starting!" said Peter. "Opticlops, attack the facedown Monster!"

Opticlops shot forth his eye beam again…

"Bad idea…" said Brick.

The Monster appeared where the facedown card was. It was a giant stone head with two big hands. (300/2000)

Opticlops' attack bounced off!

"My Stone Statue of the Aztecs not only has too high a Defense for your Opticlops," laughed Brick, "but any damage it does as a result of battle is doubled! So you lose 400 Life Points!"

"Crud," snarled Peter. His Life Points dropped to 5,800.

"My turn now," said Brick, drawing. "I'll simply lay one card facedown, and end my turn."

Likely another Trap, thought Peter, drawing.

"First," stated Peter, "I'll activate Infernalqueen's effect… during my Standby Phase, she can raise the Attack of any Archfiend on the field by 1,000 points. So she'll use it on herself!"

Infernalqueen blazed with fire. Her Attack rose to 1,900.

"And to finish my turn," continued Peter. "I'll summon a friend of hers… Vilepawn Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

The ground rumbled, and another Fiend crawled out of it. He had a gaunt face, bone-like armor, a huge claw for a left hand, and carried a sword in his right. (1,200/200)

Brick drew.

"Well," he stated, "if your Infernalqueen can juice up your Monsters, I'll have to get rid of her! Karate Man, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a man in a karate outfit and a huge afro appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"And I think I'll activate his effect right now," said Brick, "doubling his Attack Score to 2,000!"

Karate Man charged up, and his Attack doubled.

"Karate Man!" ordered Brick. "Attack Infernalqueen with karate chop attack!"

Karate Man charged at Infernalqueen…

"Waste of energy!" laughed Peter.

Vilepawn stepped in front of Infernalqueen and swatted Karate man away!

"What?" gasped Brick. "How?"

"Another thing about the Archfiends," explained Peter. "They may not be friendly to humans, but they support each other. So long as Vilepawn is on the field, no other Archfiend can be harmed!

"And don't think I don't know the limits of Karate Man's power," he continued. "After you activate his effect and have him attack, you have to send him to the Graveyard!"

"Fine," growled Brick. "I end my turn."

Karate Man vanished.

Peter drew. He smiled at the card.

_Now I can do some serious damage to him,_ he thought.

"First I'll use Infernalqueen's effect again, this time on the Vilepawn!" he said.

Vilepawn's Attack rose to 2,200.

"Now look at this, Brick!" he laughed. "I just drew a Stop Defense Spell Card! And I'll use it to bring your Stone Statue into Attack Mode!"

He played the card. Stone Statue of the Aztecs' hands clenched into fists.

"Third time's the charm Opticlops!" said Peter. "Fiendish gaze attack!"

Opticlops blasted its eye beam.

"Forget about my facedown card?" chuckled Brick, as the card lifted.

"Oh, no…" muttered Peter.

"It's called Sakuretsu Armor," laughed Brick, as a shield formed around the Statue. "It's activated by a Monster's attack, and destroys the attacker!"

"I know what Sakuretsu Armor does…" snarled Peter.

Opticlops was blasted to pieces. Peter's Life Points fell again, to 5,350.

"Fine," sneered Peter. "But now I have another Monster who can do it! Vilepawn Archfiend, erode that Stone Statue with en passant strike attack!"

Vilepawn charged forward and smote the Statue with his sword, smashing it to rubble. Brick's Life Points fell to 6,100.

"Well, Peter narrowed the gap considerably," said Yugi.

"I wish Peter the best, but I wish I could say more about his choice of venue," moaned Mary. "This Pandemonium place even smells bad!"

"Well, it can only get better from here," sighed Clive.

"Fat chance!" mocked Brick.

"Huh?" said Clive.

Brick turned to Peter.

"Hasn't it sunk in chump?" he laughed. "I told you my martial arts skills gave me an advantage, and my martial arts specialty is Jujitsu."

"Huh?" frowned Peter. "What does _that_ have to do with it?"

"Jujitsu is an art that's heavy on defense!" explained Brick. "In Jujitsu, a practitioner learns to use his opponent's attacks to his own advantage, and use his opponent's strength against him.

"With my deck, trying to hurt me will only hurt yourself, until your Life Points are depleted!

"And I believe it's my turn…"

He drew.

"Just the right card!" he cackled. "I'll lay another card facedown, and to prove my point, I'll summon Legendary Jujitsu Master in Defense Mode!"

He put the two cards down. First the facedown card appeared, and then a fierce, huge, muscular, bearded man in a _gi_ appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,100/1,800)

"I'm not afraid of your Legendary Master!" said Peter, drawing.

"I'll use Infernalqueen's effect on Vilepawn again!" he said. Vilepawn became shrouded in flames, and his Attack rose to 3,200.

"Attack the Legendary Jujitsu Master!" shouted Peter.

"Never learn, do you," said Brick, pressing a button as the Archfiend charged. "Activate Nightmare Wheel!"

"WHAT?" cried Mary. She knew this Trap Card too well. A Rare Hunter from the City of Souls had used it against her.

The Trap Card revealed itself, and huge mechanical wheel appeared! Vilepawn howled as he was chained to it.

"Now your Archfiend can't attack," laughed Brick, "and you'll lose 500 Life Points during each of my Standby Phases!"

"Crummy…" muttered Peter. "Make your move…"

"Peter can still win, can't he?" said Mary to Yugi.

"Brick is obviously using what we call in dueling simply a 'Trap Deck'," explained Yugi. "It must be loaded with some of the deadliest Traps imaginable.

"My father once told me that Marik's companion Odion used a Trap Deck, and he was a worthy foe. Of course, I truly doubt that Brick's skill is anywhere near that of Odion, but Trap Decks can be very dangerous…"

"I think my move will consist of just drawing and passing again," stated Brick.

He drew. The Nightmare Wheel blazed fiercely. Peter's life Points fell to 4,850.

"Your turn."

_Hmm..._ thought Peter. He looked at the card he drew and the cards in his hand.

_I think I can burn off that Nightmare Wheel and get rid of that Master in one move. There's that facedown, which is likely another Trap… so I'll keep the Queen in Defense Mode for now._

"I'll first use Infernalqueen's effect on herself this time," said Peter.

The Queen blazed with fire, and her Attack went up to 2,900.

"Now," he stated, "I'll Tribute my Vilepawn to summon Mefist the Infernal General!"

Vilepawn Archfiend and the Nightmare Wheel vanished, and he was replaced by an armored Fiend on a fiendish horse. (1,800/1700)

"Mefist here isn't an Archfiend," explained Peter, "but he's a friend of theirs. And I'll strengthen him with my Dark Energy Equip!"

He put the card down, and a hand holding a black crystal ball appeared. It threw the ball at Mefist, and his Attack rose to 2,100.

"And another great thing about Mefist," grinned Peter. "He can do damage to your Life Points even when he Attacks a Defense Position Monster. Mefist, attack Legendary Jujitsu Master with fiendish forward charge!"

Mefist raised his sword and sped forward on his mount. Legendary Jujitsu Master screamed and collapsed.

"And that's not all," laughed Peter. "You also lose a card from your hand!"

Mefist speared a card in Brick's hand with his lance, and threw it into his discard slot.

Brick's Life Points fell to 5,800.

"Don't celebrate yet," muttered Brick. "Sure, you destroyed my Legendary Jujitsu Master and did damage to my Life Points, but any Monster that does battle with the Master, win or lose, has its card returned to the owner's hand!"

Mefist vanished in a sparkle of light.

"Crud!" said Peter, returning the card to his hand. "Your move then…"

Brick drew.

"I'll play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said. "And yet another card facedown!"

He chuckled, as the two cards appeared.

"And it's your move…"

Peter drew.

_Only way I can win,_ he thought. _Is by getting him to use up his Traps the hard way._

"You've seen two Archfiends, Brick," smiled Peter. "Now are you ready to meet their king?"

"By all means," laughed Brick. "Let's meet the old guy!"

"Since I have one Archfiend on the field," said Peter, "I can summon the incredible Terrorking Archfiend!"

Peter slapped a card down, and thunder struck over the skies of Pandemonium. He arose out of the darkness; he looked vaguely like the Summoned Skull, but wore royal clothing, a golden crown, and had no horns. (2,000/1,500)

"Well… that _is_ impressive," stuttered Brick.

"So is this," said Peter. "Terrorking Archfiend, attack his facedown Monster with charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking Archfiend flew forward. Masaki the Legendary Swordsman appeared on the facedown card; Terrorking punched him and he was obliterated.

"Activate Trap!" shouted Brick. "Dark Mirror Force!"

"_Dark_ Mirror Force?" gasped Peter. "What the hey?"

The facedown card revealed itself.

"This Trap can only be activated when you attack," explained Brick. "While the normal Mirror Force destroys all opposing Monsters in Attack Mode, Dark Mirror Force destroys all opposing Monsters in _Defense_ Mode! So say bye-bye to your Infernalqueen!"

A wave of dark energy blasted forth. Infernalqueen Archfiend screamed as she was blown to pieces.

Peter's Life Points fell to 4,375.

"Still your turn, by the way," laughed Brick.

"Then I'm ending it," said Peter, more than a little upset. He'd been counting on that Infernalqueen.

Brick drew.

"I first use… Dian Keto the Cure Master!" he cried, fitting a card into the slot.

The homely deity appeared, and his Life points increased by 1,000, to 6,800.

"And now it's time for my favorite Monster," cried Brick. "Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a blocky Machine full of huge gears arose on the field. (800/2,200)

"Plus," continued Brick. "I'll strengthen its Attack Score with this Equip – Horn of the Unicorn!"

He put the card down, and two unicorn horns appeared on either side of Gear Golem, pointing forward. Its Attack went up to 1,500.

Peter looked at him strangely.

"I see you're confused," said Brick. "Let me explain how Gear Golem the Moving Fortress works. If I pay 800 Life Points, it can bypass your Monsters and hit you for a direct attack!"

"Not when it's in Defense Mode!" snarled Peter.

"Taken care of," said Brick, taking a card from his hand. "Behold the Continuous Spell Card known as Aggressive Defense!"

He fitted the card into the slot.

"With this Spell Card, I can, once per round, attack with a Monster while it's still in Defense Mode! So get ready, because I'm going to burn 800 Life Points to do away with 1,500 of yours! Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, attack Peter directly with gyrating gears attack!"

The Machine's gears started to spin, and it rolled forward, slamming into Peter and nearly running him over! He fell down. Terrorking Archfiend looked down at Peter aghast.

Peter's Life Points fell to 2,875, and Brick's went down to 6,000.

"Now what?" cried Mary.

"Peter has Monsters that can destroy that thing," stammered Clive. "But he'll have to draw them before he takes two more hits from that monstrosity. And even so, Brick likely has even more Traps in his deck to finish them off."

"As a wise man once said," said Yugi. "Don't give up the ship…"

Peter got up. He was covered with cuts and bruises. He drew.

_This can help for one round,_ he thought. _But then what?_

"I place one card facedown," he said. "And that does it for me."

The card appeared behind Terrorking Archfiend.

"You think you can fool me into thinking you have a Trap of your own?" laughed Brick. "Get serious!"

He drew.

"Just what I needed!" he laughed, adding the card to his hand.

"I'll play Card of Sanctity," he exclaimed. "It lets us both draw until we have a full hand of six cards!"

He inserted the card, and they both made their draws.

"Now I'll use another Dian Keto," he said, putting another card in the slot. The deity appeared again, and his Life Points went up to 7,000.

"And now," shouted Brick. "Another Continuous Spell Card… the powerful Regeneration Chamber!"

He put the card into the slot, and a circular set of machinery surrounded Brick. Then a dome of blue energy covered him.

Brick chuckled. "With Regeneration Chamber in effect, I can't summon any additional Monsters. But, starting next turn, I'll be healed of 800 LP during each of my Standby Phases!"

"Meaning it won't cost you anything to activate Gear Golem's effect…" said Peter.

"Exactly!" said Brick. "But until then, I'll burn another 800 to have it attack you again! Attack!"

Gear Golem rolled forward… Brick's Life Points fell down to 6,200…

"Activate Trap!" cried Peter. "Shield me, Waboku!"

The card flipped up, and the three blue-garbed priests appeared. Gear Golem skidded to a halt.

"Phew!" sighed Mary.

"Only a minor setback," frowned Brick.

"My turn now," said Peter.

He drew.

His eyes opened wide!

He glared at Brick. Terrorking Archfiend growled.

"Easy, old friend," said Peter.

"I'll lay one card facedown," said Peter, softly, "And I'll end my turn."

He put the card down, and it appeared behind Terrorking.

Brick drew.

"As you can see," he chuckled, "the Regeneration Machine is working like a charm!"

He regained 800 Life Points, bringing his total up to 7,000.

"Now I'll play a Spell Card," he said. "Reload!"

He put his hand of cards back in his deck, and they started to reshuffle.

"I put the four cards in my hand back into my deck," he said, "They reshuffle, and then I draw four new cards."

He placed the deck back, and then made his draws.

He chuckled. He obviously got some good cards.

"And I think I'll lay three of them facedown!" laughed Brick. The three cards appeared in his three remaining vacant spaces.

"Now, I'll spend the 800 Life Points I just gained to have Gear Golem attack you again! Gyrating gears attack!"

"Bring it on!" yelled Peter.

Gear Golem mowed Peter down! His Life Points fell to 1,375, and Brick's fell to 6,200 again.

Peter got up, he was bleeding from a dozen cuts, and Terrorking Archfiend was now very angry.

"You think I'm scared of your three Trap Cards?" said Peter, drawing. "Well, I'm NOT!"

"It's time to take control of this duel," he continued. "Time for you to give the devil his due…"

"What do you mean?" snarled Brick. "I have over four times as many Life Points as you!"

"Well, meet my ultimate trump card," said Peter. "A Trap Card more powerful than any you'll ever own. A little thing known as… _Fool's Mate_!"

His facedown card lifted up, and the sky above Pandemonium darkened. Lightning started to flash.

"Fool's Mate?" gasped Brick. "What the sam-hill is that?"

"Fool's Mate is a card so powerful, it comes with several restrictions," said Peter. "First, it only can be played when Terrorking Archfiend is on the field, but I have that part covered.

"Now, I have to sacrifice half of my current Life Points, and discard my entire hand…"

Peter's Life Points fell to 687, and he discarded his hand into the Graveyard.

"Is Peter crazy?" cried Mary.

"You'd better know what you're doing, Peter!" shouted Clive.

"And in exchange for that," said Peter, reaching for his deck, "I get to search my deck, and special summon as many Monsters with the word 'Archfiend' in their names as I have room for on my side of the field! And since I only have my Terrorking on the field, I can summon the maximum of _four_!"

Everyone watching gasped. Lightning struck.

"Now behold!" said Peter, as he held aloft four cards. "I summon, Archfiend Soldier!"

A dark cloud sprung onto the field, and a long-horned Fiend with purple skin, a green cape, and a nasty sword appeared! (1,900/1,500)

"Desrook Archfiend, appear!" shouted Peter.

A brilliant light struck from above, and a blocky chess rook with a fiendish face and four thick, metallic, barbed tentacles appeared! (1,100/1,800)

"Shadowknight Archfiend, come forth!" yelled Peter.

A whirlwind erupted onto the field, and a powerful fiendish knight in armor, with wings, and huge claw for a left hand, bearing a large sword in his right, appeared! (2,000/1,600)

"And finally," said Peter, "Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

And explosion erupted on the grid, and a huge Fiend burst forth. He looked like the Summoned Skull, but was surrounded by a crackling aura of lightning! (2,500/1,200)

The five fiends roared at Brick.

"And if you're thinking that your three Trap Cards will protect you," chuckled Peter, "let me explain the other effect of Fool's Mate. For every Monster I summon in this way, I can destroy one card you have on the field! Thus I'm going to wipe out all three of your facedown cards, and your Regeneration Chamber!"

One by one, the three facedown cards exploded in fiery bursts, and the Regeneration Chamber around Brick came tumbling down!

"No, keep away!" gasped Brick

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning," yelled Peter, "demolish Gear Golem the Moving Fortress with Archfiend lightning attack!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning blasted forth his thunderbolts, and Gear Golem exploded!

"Archfiend Soldier," commanded Peter, "attack Brick with dark sword of Purgatory attack!"

Archfiend Soldier leapt forward and slashed his sword across Brick's chest, opening a burning cut! Brick screamed! His Life points fell to 4,300.

"Desrook Archfiend," shouted Peter. "Attack with king's castling attack!"

Desrook reached forward with a sharp tentacle and slashed across Brick's gut! His Life Points fell further, to 3,200.

"Shadowknight Archfiend," yelled Peter, "knight's four-square fury attack!"

The Shadowknight charged forward and smote Brick with his blade! Brick fell down, and his Life Points fell to 2,200.

"Lucky for you," laughed Peter, "Shadowknight only does half the expected damage of his Attack power! Now, Terrorking Archfiend, charging checkmate attack!"

As Brick started to get up, Terrorking zoomed forward and socked him in the face, sending him skidding ten feet backwards!

Brick's Life Points stood at a measly 200.

"Go Peter!" cried Mary.

"Show that meathead who's boss!" yelled Clive.

Brick was covered with deep wounds and bruises. He got to his feet.

"Don't get too happy," he snarled. "You gave up a lot of Life Points, and you have no cards in your hand."

"Well you have less Life Points and one card in your hand," chuckled Peter. "And since I just destroyed a Monster Equipped with Horn of the Unicorn, the next card you draw will be that same Equip Spell Card. The one card in your hand better be a good one."

Brick drew.

_He's right,_ he thought. _But my one other card is a reasonably good one._

"I'll just draw two new cards by playing my Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed, putting the first card down.

The laughing jar appeared, and he made two draws.

_Aha!_ thought Brick, looking at one of the cards. _Mirror Force! This will be enough to finish him off!_

"My move will consist solely of laying one card facedown," said Brick, putting the card in the slot. It appeared in front of him.

The five Archfiends snarled.

"Patience, everybody," assured Peter.

_Sorry, Brick,_ thought Peter, drawing, _but I'm not going to fall for that..._

He looked at his card. He gave a slight grin.

_And thanks to this, I won't have to!_

"I too will place one card facedown," said Peter, placing the card in the slot. The card appeared behind the Archfiends.

"And I end my turn..."

"Draw..." said Brick, drawing a card.

"Pass..." he said.

Peter made a draw.

"And now," ordered Peter, "Terrorking Archfiend, finish him off!"

Terrorking Archfiend sped forward!

"Sorry, Peter," laughed Brick, pressing a button, "but my Mirror Force will blast all your Archfiends into oblivion!"

"Oh, no!" gasped Peter. "I'm finished!"

He smiled.

"Or am I? Activate Trap! Solemn Judgment!"

He hit a button of his own, and his own facedown card appeared. An old man with a beard and two young women, all wearing long robes, appeared in front of Terrorking.

"Solemn Judgment?" gasped Brick in shock.

"This Counter Trap can negate the activation of ANY card!" said Peter. "Sure, I have to cut my Life Points in half again, but now your Mirror Force fails, and my Terrorking's attack succeeds!"

Peter's Life Points fell to 343, the Mirror Force shattered, and the Terrorking slugged Brick hard! He fell over, and lost the last of his Life Points.

The five Archfiends howled in victory. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled over Pandemonium.

The Disks slowly deactivated. As the wounds on Peter's body vanished, the Archfiends and their infernal city disappeared. The gem on Peter's Disk changed to Yellow.

Brick was still lying on the mat groaning. The duel must have taken a lot out of him. The crowd applauded.

"You thought a Trap Deck was the key to victory, Brick," smiled Peter, "but it seems the last Trap did _you_ in!"

"All right bro!" shouted Clive, grabbing Peter around the shoulder. "I never doubted you for a minute!"

"Never?" asked Peter.

"Well…" said Clive. He paused.

"Well, until you brought out that Fool's Mate card, I did think you were in trouble…"

As the crowd dispersed, Yugi spoke up.

"I have to ask, Peter," he asked, "where did you get such a card?"

"I have to admit," pondered Peter, "It is a mystery, even to me.

"You see, when the major Archfiends were first created for the game, Industrial Illusions only made fifteen Fool's Mate cards, to be given away as prizes in a sweepstakes. They never made any more of these powerful Traps. I never dreamed I would ever own one of these rarest of Archfiend accessories.

"But then, six months ago, I got a special delivery package in the mail, with no return address. There in a special protective case, was this incredibly rare card, and also this mysterious anonymous note…"

He dug into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper.

"See for yourself," he said.

Yugi took it and read. It was written in old-fashioned ink pen, and bore a short, strange verse:

_**Good is evil, old is new,**_

_**Hell and Heaven split in two.**_

_**Time ends, reality tossed,**_

_**As paradise found**_

_**Becomes paradise lost.**_

"I never understood what it meant," said Peter, "nor do I know who my benefactor is, but since _Paradise Lost_ is an epic poem by Milton about the fall of Satan, I guess it made sense to include that line, seeing as the card has to do with Fiends."

"True," said Yugi. "But it is quite mysterious…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Man, you were right," said Vanessa, "that was some duel!"

A beeper in her armor went off.

"Oh, I have to leave," she said. "It's time for my shift in sector G4."

"Go then," said Siegfried.

Siegfried thought to himself.

_Peter is a clever duelist,_ he thought. _And he'll be a potent ally… I just hope he never figures out that I was the one who sent him the Fool's Mate card. He'd get more suspicious about it than he already is._

_With all my allies at top strength, I do believe I stand a good chance at succeeding in the task that is to come soon…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends walked out of the park, they didn't know that they were being watched.

On the roof of a building were two strange men. They were dressed in black overcoats and wearing dark sunglasses. One was bald with a short beard, and the other had black hair tied in a long ponytail.

The ponytailed one gestured with his hand, and like magic, a white sphere about eight inches across appeared, hovering over his palm.

He waited a few seconds, and then a pair of sinister, red, glowing eyes appeared in the sphere.

"Master," said the man. "Yugi Mouto and his three disciples are off to an impressive start. Each has one victory under their belts."

A haunting voice came from the sphere.

"One victory does not a tournament win," growled the voice. "Continue to monitor their progress. Keep me informed of every major development. Yugi Mouto may be our greatest obstacle, but when the time comes, he may prove our greatest asset."

The eyes vanished. The man closed his fist and the sphere disappeared.

Then he and his companion walked away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Team Supreme walked away from the park.

"So now where do we go?" asked Mary.

"To the western edge of the city," said Yugi, softly.

"Why there?" asked Clive.

"Because that's where the map leads to," he replied.

"Yugi!" gasped Mary. "You're not going to do what I sure hope you're not going to do?"

"Sorry Mary," stated Yugi. "But it's time I truly prove myself.

"I'm going to find this Eliminator, and give him the match of his life!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **A warrior bull-rushing an opponent with a shield.

**Card Description: **Select one Monster you control that is in face-up Defense Position. The selected Monster may attack while in face-up Defense Position. If this card leaves the field, destroy the selected Monster. If the selected Monster changes battle position or leaves the field, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REGENERTION MACHINE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **A circular terminal covered by a dome of blue energy.

**Card Description: ** While this card is in play, you cannot Summon or set a Monster. Increase your Life Points by 800 during each of your Standby Phases.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FOOL'S MATE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Five Archfiends on dark a chessboard facing down Gate Guardian.

**Card Description: **Activate only when you control at least one "Terrorking Archfiend". Pay half your Life Points and discard every card in your hand. Special Summon as many Archfiend Monsters as possible from your hand or deck. For each Monster Special Summoned via this method, destroy one card on the field.


	8. Insect Imitation

_My friends and I have dueled our share of sleazy and downright evil opponents, but at least one thing I can take comfort in most of the time is that most of them have been human._

_Most of them, that is._

_I've fought a few nonhuman creatures as well. The demon Ahriman, the shapeshifter Doppler, the Grim Reaper, and naturally, Set. I had some doubts about whether or not Remi could truly be considered "human" with what he was. Technically, maybe, but other than that, I'm not sure._

_Now, once again, I'm facing someone whose species I'm not really sure of. I don't know whether her threats are real or just a big bluff…_

_But it doesn't make looking at her any easier…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Seven**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Insect Imitation**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was four o'clock. Yugi had his friends in tow, and was following the map, to the edge of Duelatopia. There weren't many popular buildings around here… they seemed to be near a bunch of storehouses and off-limits buildings. There was hardly a duelist to be seen.

"Are you sure about this Yugi?" cautioned Mary. "If you lose, you're out! Kaput! Finished!"

"I'm well aware of that Mary," sighed Yugi. "But I'm willing to take the chance."

He looked around.

"According to the map, the entrance should be around here," he said.

They all looked around.

Clive looked down.

"Hey…" he said. "That manhole…"

They looked down, and saw that the manhole had an odd symbol on it – six stars arranged in a circle.

"Hmm," pondered Yugi.

He took out his deck and leafed through it… he took out Dark Magician Girl.

"Six stars, a six-star Monster," he said. He put the card into his disk.

Then the manhole slowly swung open.

But that wasn't all that happened. An image came out of his Dueling Disk, and Dark Magician Girl appeared before them!

She had a very worried look on her face. Before Yugi and his friends could react, she spoke!

"You're entering very dangerous territory, Yugi!" she cried. "It isn't too late to turn back! I beg of you, abandon this place before it is too late!"

"Man, Siegfried pulled out all the stops…" whispered Clive.

"I can't turn back now…" said Yugi to the hologram.

The Spellcaster started to weep.

"I cannot stop you," wept Dark Magician Girl, sadly. "If you must, I will stand by you to the very end. Good luck, old friend…"

She vanished. Yugi slowly put the card back in his deck.

They looked down, and saw a ladder going down. With Yugi in the lead, they climbed down into the darkness.

From the shadows above, Persephone appeared.

"The sucker took the bait, just like I hoped!" she laughed. "You should have listened to your Dark Magician Girl, Yugi!

"I think I'll just stay here and wait for him to come out… I'd love to laugh in his face!

"And when he does come out, as scared as he'll likely be, if he doesn't want his reputation smeared across this whole city… I think he'll agree to my trade then…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the command center, Siegfried, still in his armor, was taking coffee from a machine.

A technician looked up in surprise.

"Master of Games!" she cried.

"What?" asked Siegfried, turning around.

"We just got a message from the Disk of that contestant you told us to monitor, Yugi Mouto Jr.! He's just activated the entrance to Shelob's lair!"

"What?" shouted Siegfried. "Put the lair on the main screen!"

The screen came up on a new scene.

_Damn you, Yugi,_ thought Siegfried. _I hope you know what you're doing! Shelob is the best Eliminator I have! She's already done away with five contestants!_

_Who'd have ever thought you'd be so headstrong? Didn't you realize something when one of your own Monsters told you to stay away? I guess all we can do now is watch…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his companions walked down a long tunnel covered with spider webs… and unfortunately, there were spiders in them!

"Eeesh…" muttered Mary. "I hate spiders…"

"You used to have a Hunter Spider in your deck," reminded Clive.

"At least he did what I told him to do," sighed Mary.

"I think I see a light up ahead, people," said Yugi.

They entered a large chamber that was circular, similar to an arena, and dark, like a dungeon. Small lamps provided illumination… and enormous spider webs covered the upper half of the room.

The Puzzle around Yugi's neck shone, and the change overtook him. He knew there was a presence somewhere in this room…

"People…" muttered Peter. "No regular spiders could have made those webs…"

Suddenly, a gate crashed down behind them, blocking off the way they came!

"Welcome," said a sultry female voice.

The webs started to shake, and a large form started to scurry down them. The four of them looked up in fear.

A figure leapt down from above and they drew back.

It was a woman, but definitely not a _normal_ woman. She was like something out of a nightmare. To begin with, she had _four_ arms, the top left one of which was armed with a Dueling Disk (which did not have a gem on it). Her skin was pure white, she had a fanged mouth, and four eyes, which were slit-like and glowing red. She had black hair that reached down to her waist. Other than that, she was more or less human, and she was dressed in a skin-tight green bodysuit with the image of an hourglass shape cut out of the chest, revealing significant cleavage.

"Well, well," she purred. "Prey. Welcome Yugi, I am Shelob, and as you can see, your only exit has been blocked off. Since you were the one to open the door to my lair, the only hope you or your friends have for escape is for you to duel me… Of course, your personal hope for escape is rather dim…"

"I can take you," stated Yugi. "Even if you are some mutant spider… thing."

"Don't be so sure," smiled Shelob. "I've already beaten and devoured the last five challengers…"

"Devoured?" said Yugi, in shock.

"She eats the losers?" gasped Mary.

"I still have a bone or two to gnaw on," smiled Shelob, "but I'm in the mood for something softer. You see young Yugi, when you duel an Eliminator, you put much more than your standing in the tournament on the line!"

Her tongue lapped over her fangs.

"Is this creature for real?" thought Yugi inside his mind.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's bluffing," responded Yami. "But whether her threats are bluffs or not, she's an Eliminator. We still must defeat her to remain in the tournament. We've defeated scarier freaks…"

"Agreed," said Yugi. "We can take her."

Shelob produced a pack of cards with her upper right hand, and then shuffled them with her lower hands.

"Come now, Yugi," she beckoned. "Let's get this started. I don't have all night… and I'm starved as it is."

Yugi shuffled his own deck. "I'm as game as you are," he said.

He plugged his deck into the Disk and activated it. Shelob did the same.

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

Shelob drew her cards with lower right hand, and then picked out a card with her upper right.

"Why don't I go first?" she stated. "I summon Giant Flea in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a huge, ugly flea appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,200)

"No problem," responded Yugi, putting a card down. "I summon Skilled White Magician, in Attack Mode!"

A sorcerer in a white robe and skullcap appeared, brandishing a staff. (1,700/1,900)

"Attack!" ordered Yugi. "White magic attack!"

Skilled White Magician fired a beam of light, blowing the Giant Flea apart. Shelob's Life Points fell to 7,800.

"I flattened your flea," mocked Yugi.

"Maybe," smiled Shelob, drawing. "But it takes more than one attack to win a duel. My move will consist simply of setting a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…"

She placed the card, and it appeared in front of her.

Yugi drew.

_If I can beat that Monster's defense I can do her some serious damage,_ he thought.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the elven warrior appeared. (1,400/1,200)

"Again, Skilled White Magician!" yelled Yugi. "White magic attack!"

Skilled White Magician aimed…

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do," grinned Shelob.

As the Magician fired, and the Defense Monster appeared. It looked like a red beetle of some sort with four stars on its shell.

As it was blown apart, Shelob cackled.

"What's so funny?" sneered Yugi.

"Take a look at your Monsters!" she laughed.

Skilled White Magician and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian clutched their throats and fell over!

"You just activated the Flip-Effect of my 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom!" said Shelob. "When it's flipped, all four-star Monsters sicken and die! And both of your two Monsters had four stars!"

Yugi's two Monsters vanished. His Life Points dropped to 7,225.

"No!" cried Mary. "She tricked Yugi into destroying his own Monsters!"

"Exactly," chuckled Shelob. "Now are you beginning to see the jeopardy you've put yourself into, Yugi. Any other move you'd like to make before I make my turn?"

Yugi looked at his cards. He started to sweat.

"No," he stammered.

She drew.

"Then I summon, in Attack Mode, Flying Kamakiri #1!" she shouted.

A huge, flying mantis appeared, with a green and yellow shell. (1,400/900)

"And now," laughed Shelob, "it can bite right into your Life Points! Go my Kamakiri!"

The mantis pounced on Yugi, and struck, biting into his chest! Yugi screamed.

His Life Points dove to 5,825.

"That bite won't cause any permanent damage," laughed Shelob, "but _mine_ sure will!"

"You seem to like Insects a lot, Shelob," panted Yugi, getting up. "Let me let you in on something… spiders aren't insects!"

"But they're similar," noted Shelob. "And I doubt it will make much of a difference to you what phylum of creature will soon be gnawing on your flesh! Your move."

Yugi drew.

"Come on Yugi," urged Clive. "Don't you have a big can of bug spray somewhere in that deck of yours?"

"I have this!" exclaimed Yugi. "Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the muscular Warrior appeared with his greatsword. (1,700/1,600).

"Attack!" shouted Yugi.

Dai Grepher charged and sliced Kamakiri in two! Shelob's Life Points were lowered to 7,500.

"Good show, Yugi," commented Shelob. "But when Flying Kamakiri #1 is destroyed, I can instantly summon the even stronger Flying Kamakiri #2, in Attack Mode!"

An even bigger mantis with a red exoskeleton materialized. (1,500/800)

"Ugh," muttered Clive.

"Insect Monsters can be very tricky," sighed Mary. "They often have strange effects that can devastate an opponent. Yugi will have to be careful."

Yugi was thinking.

_She knows as well as I do that Flying Kamakiri #2 is still no match for Warrior Dai Grepher… so why'd she put it in Attack Mode?_

"I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," he said.

The card appeared behind Dai Grepher.

"Splendid," chuckled Shelob, drawing. "Now watch…

"I'll first lay a card facedown myself…"

She put the card into the slot on her disk, and it appeared in front of her.

"Now I'll lay one Monster facedown in Defense," she said.

She put the card down, and the card appeared on the ground.

"And finally, I'll Equip my Kamakiri with Laser Cannon Armor!"

She put down the Equip Card, and a metal exoskeleton armed with a laser gun formed around the Flying Kamakiri #2. Its Attack score went up to 1,800.

"Now my Kamakiri," ordered Shelob, "turn Warrior Dai Grepher into bug juice!"

The laser prepared to fire…

"Not so fast, Shelob," said Yugi, pressing a button on his Disk.

The facedown card came up, and the Kunai with Chain appeared in Warrior Dai Grepher's hands! He hurled it, ensnaring the Kamakiri.

"What?" said Shelob.

Grepher's attack score went up to 2,100.

"Counter attack!" said Yugi. "With your steel sword!"

Warrior Dai Grepher swung his blade and decapitated Flying Kamakiri #2. Shelob's Life Points fell to 7,200.

"It's my move now," said Yugi.

He drew.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, attack the Monster she has in Defense Mode!"

Grepher charged, and a large black beetle with a skull and crossbones on its back appeared. Grepher chopped it to pieces.

"Why, thank you," said Shelob, grinning. He Life Points went up, to 8,200!

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"You just destroyed my Skull-Marked Ladybug!" laughed Shelob. "When it's sent to the Graveyard, 1,000 points are added to my Life Points!"

"Like I said," added Mary, "very tricky…"

Yugi snarled.

"Just move," he frowned.

"Now I'll activate this Trap Card," said Shelob, pushing a button on her Disk. "DNA Surgery!"

"What?" said Yugi.

The card lifted up, and huge form erupted in the center of the field… a double-helix. Then a change came over Warrior Dai Grepher. He sprouted fly-like wings, then antennae, and then his eyes became compound like a bee's and his hands became insect-like pincers.

"With the Continuous Trap DNA Surgery in place," explained Shelob, "any Monster I summon, and any Monster _you_ summon, will have its Type transformed into any Type that I now choose, and I'm choosing Insects. Confused? This part of my strategy will become clear in a few turns. But for now…"

She picked two cards out of her hand.

"…I place one card facedown, and summon Killer Needle in Attack Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and a huge wasp appeared in midair. (1,200/1,000)

_Okay,_ thought Yugi. _This has GOT to be a Trap._

_Or maybe it isn't. Maybe she's trying to scare me into not attacking so she can make a major Tribute. _

_And what good does it do to turn my Monsters into Insects?_

He drew.

_Well, here goes._

"I Tribute Warrior Dai Grepher for Summoned Skull!" he shouted. "In Attack Mode!"

Grepher vanished, and the huge Summoned Skull appeared. His bony covering had been replaced by a beetle-like carapace, but he was still as fierce as ever. (2,500/1,200)

"My Skull may be an Insect," said Yugi, but he can still vaporize your Needle with lightning strike attack!"

The Skull powered up and blew Killer Needle away. Shelob's score fell to 6,900.

Shelob chuckled as she drew.

"Actually Yugi," she laughed. "I was hoping you would Tribute Grepher for a more powerful Monster. But this is better than I planned… I never dreamed you'd come up with something _that_ powerful!"

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"I only wanted to lure one of your stronger Monsters out so I could destroy it with this… Eradicating Aerosol!"

Her facedown card lifted up, and a large green spray-can of aerosol appeared on the field.

"This Spell Card can destroy all Insects on the Field!" she said. "And since your Skull is considered an Insect…"

The spray-can sprayed a mist at the Summoned Skull and he screamed, melting into a pile of sludge. Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,200.

"You used DNA Surgery just for that?" asked Yugi, puzzled.

"No!" snarled Shelob. "I have another strategy in mind, and it starts now!"

She put a card down.

"Pinch Hopper, in Attack Mode!" she said.

A large grasshopper appeared in front of her. (1,000/1,200)

"Go Pinch Hopper!" laughed Shelob. "Attack Yugi with grasshopper kick attack!"

Pinch Hopper leapt up and kicked Yugi with both of its rear legs, knocking him down. His Life Points fell to 4,200.

Mary, Peter, and Clive looked on with disbelief.

_Could Yugi actually lose?_ thought Mary. _Oh, Yugi, you have to win!_

"That does it!" cursed Yugi, getting up.

He drew.

_The card Mary gave me,_ he thought. _This will do._

"Alligator's Sword, in Attack Mode!" he said.

The Alligator's Sword appeared. Like Dai Grepher, he grew wings and antennae, and his eyes and claws changed shape.

"Destroy Pinch Hopper!" shouted Yugi. "Alligator's sword slash!"

The Alligator's Sword charged forward and cut the Pinch Hopper apart. Shelob's Life Points fell to 6,400.

"Well," laughed Shelob. "Thank you again. Now my strategy can finally be unveiled!"

"Huh?" said Yugi. "Now what?"

"See," explained Shelob, "when Pinch Hopper is sent to the Graveyard, I can summon any Insect from my hand with no Tribute. And now I can summon a deadly royal Insect with the potential to achieve nearly limitless power! Presenting, her royal highness, Insect Princess!"

She lay a card down, and a strange, man-shaped Monster appeared on the field. It was a beautiful female creature that looked more Fairy than Insect, with four arms, graceful antennae, and butterfly wings. (1,900/1,200)

She blew a kiss at Yugi and giggled.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Huh?" said Clive. "What's so deadly about her? She's kind of cute."

"Cute she may be, but looks can be deceiving," started Shelob. "Let me explain. Every time Insect Princess slays an enemy Insect, her Attack Score goes up by a considerable 500 points! Combine that with my DNA Surgery Trap, which transforms ALL of her foes into Insects, and she has the potential to become super-powerful in only a few turns!"

"Oh, no," muttered Mary.

"Now, Insect Princess," said Shelob, "Attack Alligator's Sword with katydid kick attack!"

The Insect Princess made a circular kick, and smashed the Alligator Sword apart. Yugi's Life Points fell to 3,800.

The Princess's Attack went up to 2,400.

"Make your move," dared Shelob.

Yugi drew.

_Can't take her down with what I have,_ he thought. _Better defend…_

"Skilled Dark Magician, in Defense Mode," he said.

Skilled Dark Magician appeared, and once again, the DNA Surgery changed his features. (1,900/1,700)

He knelt in defense.

And then, he rose up into Attack Mode!

"WHAT?" shouted Yugi.

"Oh, did I forget to mention Insect Princess's _other_ effect?" said Shelob. "She also forces all opposing Insect Monsters into Attack Mode. And again, all of your Monsters are Insects!"

"I know!" cursed Yugi. "I get the idea! Make your move!"

Shelob drew.

"You know Yugi," she mused, "I doubt you'll be able to summon anything that can threaten my Princess, but just to be on the safe side…" 

She put a card down.

"…I'll summon Prickle Fairy in Defense Mode!"

A green, plant-like fairy with vines for arms, covered with thorns and wearing a purple and green dress appeared next to the Insect Princess. (300/2000)

"Prickle Fairy?" gulped Yugi. "What does she do?"

"So long as Prickle Fairy is on the field, none of my Insects can be attacked!" exclaimed Shelob. "And since my DNA Surgery makes Prickle Fairy herself an Insect, that means you can't even attack her!

"Now, Insect Princess, attack Skilled Dark Magician with katydid kick attack!"

The Insect Princess executed her spin-kick, and made short work of Skilled Dark Magician. Yugi's score fell further, to 3,300.

The Insect Princess's Attack went up to 2,900.

"Man," gasped Clive. "This creature's strategy is practically foolproof!"

"NO strategy is foolproof!" shouted Mary. "Yugi defeated the God of Darkness… don't tell me he can't defeat some ugly bug!"

"Ugly?" hissed Shelob, obviously insulted. "You think I'm ugly? Consider yourself lucky I won't be allowed to devour _you_ as well, Mary!"

Mary let out a little shriek.

"Now be quiet and let me finish off your friend," she snarled. "I believe it's his turn…"

Yugi drew.

_This is the strongest Monster I have left that I can summon without a Tribute,_ he thought. _After this, I don't know what I'm going to do…_

"Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode," he said, putting the card down.

The twin elves appeared, and they sprouted butterfly wings and antennae. (1,900/900)

"That the best you can do?" chuckled Shelob, drawing. "Insect Princess, attack!"

The Insect Princess let loose her lethal kick, and destroyed Gemini Elf.

Yugi's Life Point tally now stood at 2,300, with Shelob's far ahead at 6,400.

"You want to throw in the towel and surrender peacefully, Yugi?" purred Shelob. "After all, my Insect Princess is now 3,400 Attack points strong… there are only a select few Monsters in the dueling world who can take down something with that much kick! And I mean kick!"

Insect Princess giggled evilly.

"I never give up Shelob," snarled Yugi.

"Then make your move," she dared. "Victory is so close, I can almost taste it…"

She licked her lips.

"Eww," cringed Mary.

Yugi drew. He looked at his card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said, placing the card into a slot.

The angel on the card appeared and flew into his deck.

"I draw three new cards…" he said.

He made the draws and added them to his hand.

"…and discard two…" he said, making the discards.

"Now," he said. "I lay one card facedown, and play Kuriboh in Attack Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and the tiny Fiend, now bearing fluttering mosquito wings, appeared. (300/200)

Shelob laughed out loud.

"Come ON, Yugi, an outright surrender would have been less embarrassing!" she laughed.

"I'm not surrendering," said Yugi.

"Let me do the math for you," she stated. "Your Life Points are now at 2,300; my Insect Princess has 3,400 Attack points and that little fuzzball only has 300. When I attack, you'll lose 3,100 Life Points and lose this duel!"

"Observe the facedown card behind Kuriboh," said Yugi.

Shelob paused.

"A desperate attempt at a bluff for my desperate prey," she said.

"Then attack," snarled Yugi. "I dare you!"

Shelob paused again.

"I double-dare you!" snapped Yugi.

_It's got to be a bluff,_ thought Shelob. _He's been playing so lousy so far… what harm can that facedown do?_

"Insect Princess," she ordered. "Katydid kick attack!"

The Insect Princess leapt forward. Yugi's friends gasped…

Yugi hit a button. The facedown card revealed itself… it was Negate Attack!

The Insect Princess was thrown back.

"Huh," muttered Shelob. "Like I said, a desperate move to stall. You think you can summon a strong enough Monster with one Tribute? Even if you could, my Prickle Fairy is protecting my Princess!"

"Who said anything about a _one_ Tribute Monster?" chuckled Yugi.

He drew.

"Watch now, Shelob," he warned. "I'm going to take you down piece by piece! I play the Spell Card Brain Control!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the demonic brain appeared.

"I'll use it to seize control of your Prickle Fairy," stated Yugi, "brainwashing her for one turn!"

Two arms reached out, and grabbed the Prickle Fairy, pulling her over to Yugi's side.

"What good will _that_ do you?" asked Shelob.

"I'll show you," smiled Yugi. "I now Tribute both Kuriboh and Prickle Fairy to bring forth my favorite Monster… the mighty Dark Magician!"

The two Monsters vanished, and the Dark Magician appeared. The DNA Surgery affected him, giving him antennae and large, gray, gossamer wings. (2,500/2,100)

"It seems your DNA Surgery has turned my Dark Magician into a Dark Moth Magician!" chuckled Yugi. "But he still has his powers!"

"Big deal!" laughed Shelob. "He may be powerful, but he still isn't strong enough to take down Insect Princess!"

"Maybe not by himself," said Yugi, "but I also have a Spell Card…"

He took it out of his hand.

"…Thousand Knives! These enchanted daggers allow the Dark Magician to destroy _any_ opposing Monster, regardless of power!"

He threw the card into the slot, and a swarm of daggers shot forth from the Dark Magician, impaling the Insect Princess!

"NOOO!" shouted Shelob, as the Princess fell in a puddle of dark blood.

"And I'm not through," said Yugi. "That knife attack does NOT count as the Dark Magician's normal attack! Dark Magician, show her some real power… with a direct attack on her Life Points!"

The Dark Magician twirled his staff and fired his dark magic directly at Shelob! She screamed and fell to her knees.

Shelob's Life Points now stood at 3,050.

"This battle is turning around, Shelob," said Yugi. "I've taken down your best Monster, while one of my best is just getting warmed up!"

"Yes!" shouted Mary. "I knew he'd find a way to take out that Princess!"

"Go Yugi!" cried Peter.

Shelob's leotard was burned, and her flesh was singed. She lifted herself up with her lower arms and drew with her upper right arm.

She looked at Yugi and the Dark Magician.

_It seems I underestimated this kid,_ she thought. _No matter… I could use a challenge. And I still have a few tricks lying in wait… after all, while he was struggling against Insect Princess, I was cleverly amassing a useful hand of cards…_

"I lay one Monster facedown in Defense," she said, "and I also play another card facedown."

The facedown Monster appeared in front of her, and a facedown card appeared in front of it.

_Typical,_ thought Yugi, drawing.

_Good._

"Here's a card that was given to me by a good friend," he said. "I summon Tengu Warrior, in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the Tengu appeared. The DNA Surgery really did a job on it… the combination of bird and insect it created was incredibly bizarre. (1,800/600)

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "attack the Monster she has in Defense!"

_That's it,_ thought Shelob.

The Dark Magician aimed.

Shelob hit a button on her Disk, and suddenly, the whole center of the field erupted in ropy strands! Before Yugi knew it, his Dark Magician was tangled in a mass of webs!

"What the…" gasped Yugi.

"Meet my Trap Card," said Shelob. "It's called Entangling Web, and this Continuous Trap is so powerful, that it can only be maintained so long as Insect Monsters remain face-up on the field!"

"But you have NO Insects face-up on the field!" gasped Yugi.

"But _you_ do," scolded Shelob. "Remember? So you made this Trap work! Now my Web has snared your Dark Magician, and he loses 500 Attack points. And the same thing will happen to any Monster you send to attack me, so long as the Web remains!"

The Dark Magician's Attack score fell down to 2,000.

Yugi looked at his Dark Magician, who struggling against the sticky strands.

"I suggest you take a good look at him, Yugi," warned Shelob. "His fate will be yours, once you lose this duel!"

"I'll end my turn," said Yugi.

_But I already see a possible way out of this…_ he thought, looking at his hand.

"Now then," laughed Shelob, "appear my Insect Soldiers of the Sky!"

A large dragonfly flew out her facedown card. (1,000/800)

"I'll now Tribute this weak Monster to bring out my favorite Monster!" she cackled, putting a card down.

The Soldier vanished.

"Arise," she called. "Arise my deadly Black Widow!"

An enormous black spider with a red hourglass symbol on its huge abdomen appeared. Venom dripped from its fangs! (2,600/500)

"Aw, man," said Mary. "That is creepy!"

"Go Black Widow!" ordered Shelob. "Attack the Dark Magician with venomous bite attack!"

Black Widow scurried up into the web and sank its fangs into the Dark Magician! He screamed, and vanished. Yugi's Life Points dove to 1,700.

"Your move, Yugi," smiled Shelob. "But how are you going to fight me if you can't attack?"

Yugi drew.

His eyes opened wide.

"I lay one card facedown," he said. "And I lay one Monster facedown in Defense Mode.

"And that ends my turn."

"Sorry, Yugi, but I'm not going to fall for _that_ again!" laughed Shelob.

She drew.

"I'll simply use Soul of the Pure, to raise my Life Points."

She inserted the card, and the shimmering fairy appeared. Her Life Points rose to 3,850.

"Thought this was a Trap, did you?" said Yugi, pressing a button. "Actually, it wasn't…"

The card lifted up, and the Pot of Greed appeared. Yugi drew two more cards.

"Now, I Flip-Summon the Monster I had facedown…"

A figure appeared from the facedown card…

"Magician of Faith!" gasped Shelob.

"That's right!" affirmed Yugi.

She had moth wings and antennae, but it was the Magician of Faith, sure enough. (300/400)

A hatch on Yugi's Disk opened up, and the discard pile became accessible.

"Now I get to retrieve a Spell Card from my Graveyard," said Yugi, leafing through the cards.

He found what he needed, and added it to his hand. He closed the slot.

"And now," said Yugi. "It's time for one of my favorite combos. I first Tribute my Magician of Faith to summon Catapult Turtle!"

The Magician vanished, and the huge Turtle appeared. His shell was more beetle-like than turtle-like, but it still had the launch pad on it. (1,000/2,000)

"And now I use the Spell Card I retrieved," he said, fitting it into the slot.

"Oh no," moaned Shelob.

"You guessed it," said Yugi. "Brain Control!"

The brain reappeared and grabbed hold of the Black Widow.

"Now, let's put the Black Widow on the catapult!" shouted Yugi.

The huge spider mounted the Catapult Turtle.

"Catapult Turtle has the ability to smash down walls and barriers," explained Yugi. "And also, when I fire a Monster from it, half of that Monster's Attack score is deducted from my opponent's Life Points!"

Shelob drew back.

"Catapult Turtle," ordered Yugi, "catapult launch the Black Widow!"

The Turtle's engines ignited, and it launched the spider at the Entangling Web! A huge explosion blew the Web apart, and Shelob was thrown backwards.

"Ooh," she moaned, getting up.

"And my turn isn't over yet!" said Yugi. "Now that your Web is gone… Tengu Warrior, attack Shelob with dive-bombing katana slash attack!"

Tengu Warrior raised his katana and flew forward, striking Shelob! She was thrown backwards, and received a deep sword wound across her torso!

Shelob's Life Points stood at 750.

Shelob was clearly angry. She got up and drew.

She examined her cards.

_I've got to do something, or I'm bug chow,_ she thought, drawing. _Aha!_

"Here's something for you to chew on," she said. "I'm using Polymerization to fuse my Kuwagata and my Hercules Beetle!"

She put the Spell Card down, followed by two Monster Cards. A large humanoid in a insectile carapace appeared, and a large, black, horned beetle appeared next to him.

The two melted into pools of light, and merged together.

"Forming the mighty Kwagar Hercules!" said Shelob.

The resulting creature formed before Yugi, resembling a giant beetle with a huge horn and sharp mandibles. (1,900/1,700)

"The rules state that Fusion Monsters must wait one turn before attacking," said Yugi.

"I know that," pouted Shelob. "I'm ending my turn."

Yugi drew.

_Nothing good,_ he thought. _But I can repel that beetle's attack._

"For my move, I'll simply switch both my Monsters into Defense Mode," said Yugi.

The Tengu knelt in Defense, and the Turtle shut down its Launcher.

Shelob drew.

"Joke's on you, Yugi!" she laughed. "I just drew a Stop Defense card!"

"No!" cried Mary.

Shelob threw it into the slot.

"And I'll use it on your reptilian rocket launcher!" she said.

The Catapult Turtle rose up to attack.

"Attack Catapult Turtle, Kwagar Hercules!" ordered Shelob. "Hercules bite attack!"

The huge beetle scurried forward, and its mandibles clamped down on Catapult Turtle, crushing it. Yugi's Life Points fell to 800.

"Both their life points are in triple digits!" gasped Clive.

"It could go either way!" moaned Peter.

"Come on, Yugi," urged Mary. "You can do this…"

Yugi drew.

_Well what do you know?_ he thought.

"I Tribute my Tengu Warrior…" he said.

The Tengu vanished.

"And I summon Dark Magician Girl!"

A magical energy coalesced, and the Dark Magician Girl appeared. (2,000/1,700)

She raised her arms. Huge, beautiful butterfly wings sprouted from her back, and graceful antennae grew from her forehead. She giggled.

"It seems your DNA Surgery has turned her into an Insect as well," said Yugi. "But she's even more beautiful than ever before! And since my Dark Magician is in my Graveyard, her Attack score goes up to 2,300!"

"It's ironic, really," continued Yugi. "When I unlocked the door to your lair, she was the one who warned me to go back, and when I told her I couldn't, she said she would stand by me until the very end… and I would say this duel has almost reached it end, wouldn't you?

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Kwagar Hercules with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl fired, and blew the huge beetle away. Shelob's Life Points fell to 350.

"And finally," said Yugi, "one card facedown."

He placed the card in the slot.

Shelob looked at Yugi and Dark Magician Girl.

_One more successful attack,_ she thought, _and it's over for me!_

She drew.

_Yes!_

"Look at this, Yugi!" she said. "I just drew Monster Reborn!"

She threw it into the slot.

"I'll use it to bring back my Black Widow! Return!"

Black Widow arose onto the field, and hungrily eyed Dark Magician Girl. (2,600/500)

"Say goodbye to your girlfriend!" shouted Shelob. "Attack, Black Widow!"

Black Widow scurried forward.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do," smiled Yugi. "Activate Trap! Spellbinding Circle!"

"What?" gasped Shelob. "NO!"

The facedown card revealed itself, and the Black Widow stopped dead in its tracks. It's Attack score dropped to 1,900.

"So Shelob," smiled Yugi. "What are you going to do now?"

There was a long pause.

"Well?" asked Yugi.

Shelob didn't reply.

"I figured as much," said Yugi.

He made one last draw.

"Dark Magician Girl, dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl twirled her baton, and fired, blowing Black Widow away!

Shelob's Life Points fell to zero.

"He won, he won, he won!" shouted Mary.

"Phew!" gasped Yugi.

"All right Yugi!" yelled Clive.

"We always knew you could do it!" shouted Peter.

Dark Magician Girl winked at Yugi.

The holographic system shut down. Shelob arose.

Her four eyes glowed.

"Congratulations, Yugi," she said. "You've just defeated the greatest Eliminator in Duelatopia!"

"Really?" asked Yugi.

"And thus," said Shelob, "according to Duelatopia rules, as part of your reward, I hereby upgrade your Status from Yellow to Blue."

She waved her upper right arm, and the gemstone on Yugi's Disk changed first to Green, and then to Blue.

"_Part_ of my reward?" asked Yugi.

"Didn't you remember what the Master of Games said?" said Shelob. "Those who defeat an Eliminator get an extra reward…"

She waved the same arm, and a card appeared in it.

"Something to add to your deck," she said, handing it to him. "An incredibly rare card."

He looked at it. It was a Monster Card called "Brown Recluse," bearing the image of a frightening brown arachnid.

"Brown Recluse is a venomous spider, as lethal as a black widow, but rather than a web spinner, it is a hunter spider. It lies in wait for victims, providing a nasty surprise for prey. And this card can give an opponent a nasty surprise as well. As you see, it has 2,300 Attack points, but is only four stars, needing no Tribute to summon – but once it attacks, it must shift into Defense Mode.

"Like an Insect version of Goblin Attack Force," noted Mary.

"Exactly," agreed Shelob.

Her eyes narrowed.

"But you know the rules, Yugi. You are henceforth not allowed to challenge any of my peers. Do not badger them with requests, for they will be refused."

She turned to Mary, Clive, and Peter.

"And you three know the rules as well. Although I would very much enjoy feasting on your flesh, you must never return here. If you try, the door will not open. But Duelatopia has many other Eliminators… find them if you have the courage.

"Now leave me be…"

The gate opened, and Shelob turned her back to them. She vanished into the shadows.

They heard her sigh. "Guess I'll send out for pizza," she muttered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Feeling more than a little relieved, Yugi and his friends exited the lair, climbing up the ladder and out the manhole. Darkness had fallen while they were inside.

They didn't notice that someone was watching them leave.

"Now to…" chuckled Persephone, peering over. "What the…?"

She looked at Yugi with disbelief.

"The gem on his Disk… he defeated that Eliminator!"

She hid behind the wall. She seethed with rage. Now Yugi was tied with her!

_Okay,_ she thought. _So Yugi is rather good. But I'll make certain he fails… any way I can. And I'll find a way to get that Guardian Angel Joan of his even if I have to bribe a Centurion to steal it!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was 8PM. Dinner had been a quiet affair, and Yugi was now rather exhausted. He was in his room, lying in bed, watching television. The satellite hookup got the Domino City channels perfectly.

His videophone rang.

"Coming," he said, getting up.

He turned it on, and Siegfried's face appeared.

"Well, Yugi," smiled Siegfried, "I see you're doing well. I just got word from Shelob… that was quite a duel."

"Yeah, Sieg, I wanted to ask you…" mumbled Yugi.

"About?"

"What the heck is she?"

Siegfried chuckled. "I told you there were many secrets of Duelatopia that I couldn't spill, Yugi," he said.

"Did she really devour five duelists before I got there?" asked Yugi.

"She _defeated_ five duelists," said Siegfried.

"That didn't answer my question," accused Yugi. "If I had any idea that you were consorting with bloodthirsty killers…"

Siegfried chuckled again.

"Okay, Yugi," he smiled. "Two possible scenarios. The less likely one is, Shelob is a man-eating predator that I caught in the jungles of South America, and whom I offered a chance for easier meals if she were to work for me here…"

"You're creeping me out, Sieg," said Yugi.

"The more likely scenario," continued Siegfried, "is that she's just an elite member of the Centurions with some special technological accessories who's trained in the art of intimidation.

"Now, I won't confirm or deny either scenario, but you know me pretty well, Yugi. Draw your own conclusions. The important thing is, you won.

"Good luck during Day Three." He hung up.

Yugi sighed.

Yami appeared next to him.

"I think we can trust him," said Yami. "I don't think you were ever in mortal danger."

"Yeah," said Yugi. "But tell that to Mary, Clive, and Peter. This tournament is getting weirder by the day…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ENTANGLING WEB (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A large web with a black widow spider in it.

**Card Description: **If there are no face-up Insect-Type Monsters on the field, destroy this card. If an opposing Monster attacks, the attack is negated, and its ATK is reduced by 500.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLACK WIDOW (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 500

**Flavor Text: **_This feared arachnid preys on anything caught in its web. Its poison is lethal enough to kill the strongest Monsters within minutes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BROWN RECLUSE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description: **After this card attacks, it is changed to face-up Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. This position cannot be changed during your next turn.


	9. Beautiful Hadhuntress

_Sometimes, big things can come out of small things. Take a simple video game for instance._

_I only stopped by this arcade in this apparently popular part of Duelatopia for a little fun before finding my next duel. Little did I know that a sore loser with a bad attitude would result in me actually finding my next duel… and a difficult one at that. But I'm not going to be scared by some tough gal and an army of tougher gals… I've bested worse._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Eight**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Beautiful Headhuntress**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Day Three of the Tournament dawned on Duelatopia.

After breakfast, the four members of the Team Supreme met outside of the Cosmo Queen's Castle with Dueling Disks in hand. Mary's, Peter's, and Clive's shone at Yellow Status, but Yugi's stood ahead of them at Blue. His friends had some serious catching up to do. But they did have eight days left.

After walking down the streets for a while, Peter had an idea.

"You know folks," he suggested. "This is a big city. Maybe we can explore more of it if we split up."

Everyone paused.

"It couldn't hurt," stated Mary.

"Okay," said Yugi. "Mary and I will take the north. Clive and Peter, you take the south. We'll meet at two o'clock in that square where Mary dueled Clover.

"Good luck in case either of you gets into a duel," said Clive.

"Likewise," answered Mary.

They waved to each other, and each group walked off in a separate direction.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary and Yugi soon reached an entertainment district. They passed a record store, a comic book store, and a video store, as well as a nightclub (closed for the day) and many restaurants (also closed, being morning). Still, there were people around, and even a duel or two in progress.

"There are a lot of potential challengers around," mentioned Yugi.

"Yeah," answered Mary. "But I've just got to find the right one. My intuition will tell me when I've found a worthy opponent. After all, I defeated Lady Circe… I can't duel just anyone…"

Yugi sighed. "You have a lot of your father's pride in you," he muttered.

"Thank you," she said. "Hey, look!"

They were in front of a large building. The marquee said "Palace of Machine King," and it was a video game arcade.

"Hey Yugi," smiled Mary. "How about we take some time off for a little fun?"

"Well…" said Yugi. "I guess an hour couldn't hurt… but video games aren't really my thing."

They went into the rather crowded arcade, and the first thing they saw was a man-sized change-machine shaped like Machine King himself.

Mary took out a five dollar bill and went up to it.

"_Welcome duelist! Prepare to duel!"_ laughed the change machine.

Mary giggled. She fed the bill into the slot on Machine King's chest. Twenty quarters fell out of a slot.

"_Enjoy yourself,"_ said the King.

Mary pocketed the quarters and went in. Her eye immediately caught a long row of games she recognized.

"Cool!" she exclaimed. "My favorite game! _Legendary Heroes_!"

"What's that?" asked Yugi.

"A fighting game," answered Mary. "A very complex one."

She sat down at one of the consoles and fed it a quarter. Ominous music started, and a screen came up.

"ENTER NAME," said the machine.

Mary entered "MARY".

A selection of about twenty-five character faces appeared on the screen.

"Now comes the fun part," smiled Mary.

"CHOOSE YOUR HERO," said the machine.

Mary highlighted a face and hit a button.

A full view of the character came into view. It was a female warrior with maroon armor and a helmet. Highlighted overhead was her name – "Mercuria the Knight Princess".

"Hey," noticed Yugi. "She looks sort of like Flame Swordmistress."

"Why do you think I like this game so much?" smiled Mary.

A new selection came up.

"CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON," said the machine.

Mary highlighted a weapon – the longsword. It appeared in Mercuria's hand.

"PREPARE TO BATTLE," said the machine.

The background faded away, and was replaced by an arena, which looked like an old fashioned gladiatorial stadium.

"Good," chuckled Mary. "We could use some cheering fans."

They saw Mercuria's first opponent. A hulking barbarian with a huge club.

"Uh oh," said Yugi.

"Don't worry," assured Mary. "The first fight is always the easiest."

"FIGHT!" shouted the machine.

Mary started to play, and Mercuria started to clash with the bruiser.

"In this game," grinned Mary. "There are no life bars, and no time limit. You fight until you find a way to kill your foe! Course, wounding him makes him weaker…"

As she said that, Mercuria slashed through the enemy's chest.

"I've got him now," grunted Mary.

Mercuria leapt, and stabbed the barbarian through the chest with both hands. He fell dead.

"MARY WINS," said the machine.

"Well, this certainly isn't Duel Monsters," sighed Yugi.

"Yeah," said Mary. "Well, let's see what the computer throws at me next… I wonder… huh?"

A message flashed on the machine:

"YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!"

"What does that mean?" asked Yugi.

"Heh," smiled Mary. "Someone at another _Legendary Heroes_ machine must want to play me! Consider your challenge accepted pal!

"I love these interactive machines… you never know who you're playing against…"

The arena changed, revealing a jungle canopy with waterfalls, and a new opponent. The opposing warrior this time was a woman in a chainmail bikini with a mane of blonde hair, also armed with a longsword.

The name on the opposing side was just "M.M."

"This guy is using the other female hero," noticed Mary. "Alla the Amazon."

"Where's she get that outfit?" mused Yugi. "Fredrick's of Camelot?"

"She's a very agile fighter," noted Mary. "But she lacks strength."

"FIGHT!" said the machine.

Alla charged at Mercuria, and a clash of swords ensued. Alla tried to run Mercuria through, but Mary was too good.

Mary had Mercuria back up. "That's it," goaded Mary.

As Alla swung, Mercuria ducked, and then thrust forward, driving her sword through Alla's torso! Alla screamed, and fell to her knees.

"MARY WINS," said the machine.

"You sure showed that guy," chuckled Yugi.

"Now to…" said Mary.

Then the message flashed on the screen again:

"YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!"

"Huh," said Mary. "It's the same guy. He must have continued."

A new arena appeared, and Alla appeared before Mercuria again, this time with a new weapon – a battle axe.

"What an idiot," sighed Mary. "The battle axe has a lot of strength, but it has lousy reach!"

"FIGHT!" said the machine.

Mercuria charged into Alla and swiped with the sword, inflicting a deep cut. Alla tried to fight back, but she couldn't reach her foe.

"This is too easy," laughed Mary, as the fight progressed. She punched in the "Taunt" command to get her opponent to fight back.

After about a minute of this, Mary executed a complex move, and with one swift stroke, beheaded Alla.

"MARY WINS," said the computer.

"Almost hated to do that," sighed Mary. "Almost."

"Think he learned his lesson?" asked Yugi.

"YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!" said the machine.

"Guess not…" answered Mary.

It went on for about a half an hour. Again and again, Mary's Mercuria the Knight Princess made short work of "M.M.'s" Alla the Amazon. The best part of all this was that Mary was still on her first quarter!

"YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED!" said the machine again.

"Again?" gasped Yugi. "This guy must have put twenty quarters in there!"

A very frightening arena appeared. It was surrounded by lava pools and lava-falls. Alla appeared, brandishing a huge spear-like weapon.

"Okay," muttered Mary, "she's got the pole-axe. That's a difficult weapon to use…"

"FIGHT!" said the machine.

Alla charged, and this time Mary's opponent seemed to do some good. Mercuria deflected Alla's blows, but they came down fast.

Then, with a savage blow from Alla, Mercuria's sword flew from her hands.

"Looks like you're in trouble now," said Yugi.

"Not if I know this particular arena," said Mary.

She punched in a command. Mercuria leapt up and did a backflip. She backflipped all the way to the edge of the arena and crouched down in a squatting position.

Alla charged at her. "That's it you bimbo," goaded Mary. "Come on."

As Alla charged, Mary punched in a command, and Mercuria sprang up. She grabbed the Amazon, and threw her! Alla screamed, and fell into the lava behind Mercuria!

"Take a bath, chump," laughed Mary.

"MARY WINS," said the machine.

Yugi laughed. "Hey Mary, you want an ice cream cone? There's a place just a block away…"

"Sure. Make mine rocky road."

As Yugi left, Mary waited.

"Well?" asked Mary. "I'm waiting, M.M. Got any more for me? You didn't give up, did you?"

Mary was so concentrating on the screen that she didn't see a large shape approaching her.

"Well, M.M.," laughed Mary. "I guess it's game over for you!"

And then, someone grabbed her pigtail and threw her to the ground.

"Hey!" shouted Mary.

She looked up, and saw an almost five-foot-eight muscular girl wearing a blue halter-top and a skirt. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and she was furious.

"Wrong, squirt," she growled. "The only thing over is going to be your ability to feed yourself!"

"M.M., I presume?" asked Mary.

"Yeah," snarled the girl. "Minerva Medea. And I'll let you know I never lose!"

"What are you talking about?" frowned Mary. "I just beat your Amazon's ass over twenty times!"

"Yeah, well your ass isn't going to be is such great shape either when I get through with it!" snarled Minerva, cracking her knuckles.

The other inhabitants of the arcade started to gather.

"Didn't you hear what the Master of Games said?" sneered Mary, getting up. "Fighting is forbidden. If you strike me, you'll be arrested. Is that really worth a video game, you sore loser?"

Minerva stopped.

She looked at the Dueling Disk on Mary's arm.

"Yellow status I see," she said.

She took off her knapsack and pulled out a Dueling Disk of her own. It was Green Status.

"Fine," smiled Minerva. "Video games are one thing, but we'll see who's truly better with a real duel!"

"You're on!" dared Mary.

"All right!" said a kid at one of the other machines. "They're gonna duel!"

"We're lookin' at a catfight!" said another. "This I gotta see!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside, they took their positions in the middle of the street, as the crowd started to gather.

"I should warn you, Mary," warned Minerva. "I was the regional champion of Boston!"

"Well I hope you don't expect this to be a Tea Party!" frowned Mary.

She activated her Disk, and Minerva did the same.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

The scores set to 8,000 apiece.

_Man, I hope I can do this without Yugi backing me up,_ thought Mary. _There must be a long line in that ice cream parlor!_

Minerva made her draws. "I hope you aren't looking for a friendly duel, Mary," she sneered, "because this is going to be a battle like none other!

"I play one card facedown…"

She set the card, and it appeared in front of her.

"… and I summon Amazoness Fighter, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a bulky female Warrior appeared. She was muscular, and wore a blue bikini top, loincloth, and a pair of belts around her abdomen. She was unarmed, aside from her fists. (1,500/1,300)

_An Amazoness?_ thought Mary. _I've heard of Amazon Monsters before, but I've never seen them. I wish I had a better idea of how they worked… before I had to put my skills against one…_

She drew.

_Ah, here we go…_

"I play the Spell Card Scapegoat!" said Mary.

She slid the card into the slot, and four fluffy sheep appeared.

"You think those puffballs can threaten my Amazon?" said Minerva.

"No, but this guy can!" smiled Mary. "Panther Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

A huge, panther-like Beast-Warrior carrying a sword and wearing a breastplate and a cape came forth. (2,000/1,600)

"Panther Warrior needs a Tribute in order to attack," said Mary. "So I'll just Tribute one Scapegoat for him and attack your Fighter!"

One of the Scapegoats vanished, and Panther Warrior charged. Amazoness Fighter screamed, and was cut down.

"Impressive," smiled Minerva. "But a waste of time. Due to the Amazoness Fighter's effect, I take no Life Point Damage at all from her destruction! And, you just activated my Trap…"

The facedown card revealed itself.

"Dramatic Rescue!" exclaimed Minerva.

"Dramatic Rescue?" said Mary. "That doesn't sound good…"

"Dramatic Rescue can spare any Amazon Monster who's defeated from the Graveyard," explained Minerva, "delivering her card back to my hand instead. And it also lets me special summon any Monster I want from my hand right now. And here's who I chose to summon…

She threw a card down.

"Amazoness Paladin, in Attack Mode!" she pronounced.

A new female warrior appeared. This one was wearing a white bikini top and loincloth, as well as a cape and golden tiara. She held a longsword menacingly. (1,700/300)

"And I'll tell you how this one works," said Minerva. "She gains 100 extra Attack points for every Amazon Monster I have on the field. Of course, since she's the _only_ Amazon Monster I have on the field, her Attack only goes up to 1,800."

Her score changed.

_No wonder she used Alla the Amazon in that video game,_ thought Mary. _Her deck must have a whole army of Amazons!_

"And guess what, Mary?" smiled Minerva. "I have two more Dramatic Rescue Trap Cards in my deck ready in case you manage to destroy my Warriors!"

"I'll end my turn," stated Mary.

Minerva drew.

"I believe my turn will consist simply of laying this card facedown," she said.

She lay a card facedown, and it materialized.

"It's your move."

_She's playing with me,_ thought Mary. _That card is obviously another Dramatic Rescue so she can protect her Paladin._

She drew.

_Well I'll still take a hunk out of her Life Points._

"I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode!" said Mary

She put the card down, and the machete-armed bandit appeared. (1,500/1,500)

"Now I'll Tribute another Scapegoat," said Mary. "And my Panther Warrior will destroy your Paladin!"

The second Scapegoat vanished, and the Panther Warrior raised his sword.

"Sorry Mary," laughed Minerva, "But you just activated my new Trap… Amazoness Archers!"

The card flipped up, and a team of scantly-clad Amazons armed with bows appeared. "Go my archers!" shouted Minerva.

The Archers fired, peppering Panther Warrior and Double Pinaska with arrows! They grunted and reeled back.

"What's the point of this?" said Mary, aghast.

"When Amazoness Archers is activated," said Minerva, "two things happen. First, all your Monsters have their Attack scores reduced by 500 points."

Panther Warrior's Attack went down to 1,500, and Double Pinaska's went down to 1,000.

"And second," continued Minerva, "both of them are forced to attack!"

"No!" gasped Mary. "If they attack the Paladin, they'll both be destroyed!"

"Bingo!" laughed Minerva.

Panther Warrior and Double Pinaska charged Amazoness Paladin. She grinned and cut them down with her sword. They vanished, and Mary's Life Points fell to 6,900.

Mary growled. "That's all I can do," she said.

_At least I have two more Scapegoats acting as a shield,_ she thought.

Minerva drew.

"In that case," said Minerva, laying a card down, "you remember Amazoness Fighter, don't you?"

The Fighter reappeared. (1,500/1,300)

"And now that I have two Amazons," chuckled Minerva, "my Paladin's Attack power is 1,900!

"Amazoness Paladin, attack her Scapegoat! Amazon sword slash!"

The Paladin smote the third Scapegoat.

"Amazoness Fighter, finish the last one! Amazon fist of fury!"

The Fighter punched the Scapegoat, blowing it away.

"How's _that_ for girl power?" laughed Minerva.

_Great..._ thought Mary. _With two of them on the field, I have to protect my Life Points…_

She drew.

_And with this combo, maybe I can do just that…_

"I first play the Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode," she said.

The beautiful Elf appeared, chanting her spell. (800/2,000)

"And next," continued Mary. "I'll use my special Field Spell Card, Chorus of Sanctuary!"

She plugged the Field Card in, and the surroundings changed to a blue sky with fluffy clouds. An adorable little angel flew into view, and sang an angelic hymn.

"This cherubim's song increases the Defense of all Defense Position Monsters by 500 points," said Mary, "making my Elf's Defense power a considerable 2,500! And that ends my move."

Minerva drew.

_Hmmm,_ she thought. _Mary is a better duelist that I imagined. With that Elf in place, it will be harder to get at her Life Points. But my Amazon army has never failed me… they're full of surprises. And I can use that little cherub's power to my advantage…_

"I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Defense Mode!" she exclaimed.

She put the card down, and a scantly clad Amazon with short hair holding a long blowpipe appeared next to the Fighter, in a sitting position. (800/1,500)

"I can see you're confused," said Minerva, "but this Warrior's purpose will come clear in a moment. But since your Chorus of Sanctuary is a Field Card, the Blowpiper benefits from it as well."

The Blowpiper's Defense score went up to 2,000.

"And don't forget," noted Minerva. Now with three Amazons on the field, my Paladin's Attack power becomes 2,000! And it's your turn."

Mary drew.

_I could take out that Fighter with this one,_ she thought, _but where would that get me? I think I'll just lay a little Trap of my own for these Amazons…_

"I'll lay one card facedown," said Mary, fitting the card into the slot. "And I'll summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!"

The facedown card appeared, and Flame Swordmistress leapt up with a war cry! (1,600/1,500).

"I think I'll leave it at that," said Mary.

_Come on,_ thought Mary. _Attack me if you have the guts…_

"Sorry Mary," said Minerva, making a draw. "But I'll not only destroy your Swordmistress, I'll do so in a much more painful way! Go my Amazoness Blowpiper!"

The Blowpiper loaded a dart into her blowpipe and but it to her lips. She fired, hitting the Flame Swordmistress in the neck! She yelped!

"My Blowpiper's poison dart can weaken any enemy Monster once during each of my Standby Phases," smiled Minerva, "lowering her Attack Score by 500 points until the end of my turn!"

The Flame Swordmistress pulled the dart out of her neck, and her Attack score dropped to 1,100.

"Next," said Minerva. "I'll summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a fierce Amazon with wild hair dressed in a purple bikini appeared, holding a huge sword. (1,500/1,600)

"Don't your Amazons have any decency?" said Mary. "They're supposed to be Duel Monsters, not Duel Models!"

"Har, har, very funny," said Minerva. "But now my Paladin has a total of 2,100 Attack points! Now, my Paladin, destroy Flame Swordmistress with Amazon sword slash!"

Amazoness Paladin charged.

"Not so fast, babe," said Mary. "Take this!"

She pushed a button on her Disk, and the Trap card lifted; the Kunai with Chain appeared in the Swordmistress's hand! She tossed it, and it ensnared the Paladin!

"Gotcha!" laughed Mary. "And I've not only captured your Paladin, but my Swordmistress gets her lost Attack power back!"

Flame Swordmistress's Attack went back up to 1,600.

"Any other dumb moves you'd like to make?" said Mary.

"No," frowned Minerva. "Just move."

Mary drew.

_Oh yeah,_ she thought. _That's what I'm talking about…_

"Then now that's it's my move," said Mary, drawing, "your Blowpiper's poison wears off, and my Flame Swordmistress's Attack rises to 2,100. That isn't enough to defeat your Paladin, but I have someone who can…"

She lay a card down.

"Meet my mighty superhero, Zombyra the Dark, in Attack Mode!" shouted Mary.

A flash of light appeared, and a Warrior wearing a black costume with a cape and a skull-like, demonic mask appeared. He struck a heroic pose. (2,100/500)

"And," continued Mary. "Since he's a Warrior, with Flame Swordmistress on the field, his Attack is boosted up to 2,400!

"Now, Zombyra the Dark, attack the Amazoness Paladin with super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra's fist glowed. He charged forward, and socked the Paladin hard, blowing her away. Minerva's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"Of course," continued Mary, "with every attack Zombyra makes, he loses 200 Attack points, but that still leaves him with 2,200 Attack points. And I think I'll end my move by... um…"

She looked at the card she just selected from her hand.

"I think I'll…" she stuttered, looking at the card.

"Yes?" frowned Minerva, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Um, I'll end my move by laying this card facedown…" she said, feeling somewhat unsure of herself for some reason.

She slid the card into the slot.

_Humph._ thought Minerva, drawing. _She could have attacked my Fighter or my Swords Woman. But it's too late now…_

Minerva drew.

_Well,_ she thought. _This will give Mary something to chew on…_

"Blowpiper," said Minerva. "Shoot your dart at Zombyra!"

Amazoness Blowpiper loaded her dart, and shot it at Zombyra. He gasped, and his Attack points fell to 1,700.

"Now," continued Minerva. "I'll play a Spell Card… The Warrior Returning Alive. It allows me to return one Warrior, and I chose the Paladin you just destroyed, from the Graveyard to my hand."

She set the card, and retrieved the Monster Card.

"But I won't summon her just yet," stated Minerva. "Prepare to meet the Amazon Tribe's faithful pet and guardian… Amazoness Tiger, in Attack Mode!"

She set the card down, and a huge tigress appeared and roared! (1,100/1,500)

"Sweet as a kitty cat," smiled Minerva. "And while her Attack Score might not look impressive, she gains 400 points for every Amazon Monster on the field, including herself. That's 1,600 extra points!"

Amazoness Tiger's score shot up to 2,700!

"And she has another power," said Minerva. "So long as she's on the field, you can't attack any other Amazon!"

"Aw, no," gasped Mary.

"Now my Tiger," shouted Minerva. "Lunch time! Attack Zombyra the Dark with tiger maul attack!"

Amazoness Tiger leapt up roared, tearing Zombyra apart!

Mary's Life Point's fell to 5,900.

Minerva chuckled.

"Just so you know, Mary," she said. "I'm taking out your Elf next turn, and then my Amazons can attack you with everything at once! Doesn't look very pretty, does it?"

Mary looked at the three Warrior women and their pet Tiger in front of her. Minerva was certain to summon the Paladin back the next round and she'd have 2,200 Attack points, more than enough to destroy the Swordmistress, especially once that Blowpiper got off a shot.

She had her facedown card, but she was scared to use it. What would the crowd think of her if she used this particular Trap Card? It wasn't… pleasant.

"Man, I wish Yugi were here…" she whispered softly.

"I _am_ here," said a voice behind her.

Mary spun around, and saw Yugi watching her. She saw that the Spirit was fully merged with him.

"How long have you been there?" asked Mary.

"Long enough," answered Yugi. "I gave your ice cream cone to a kid, by the way, because I was sure it would melt before you were done, but I'll buy you another later.

"But come on, Mary. You aren't going to let a bunch of swimsuit models beat you, are you? You've beaten worse.

"And by the way, I saw that facedown card you put down. Go ahead and use it. It was made for situations like this."

His voice lowered to a whisper.

"Show me the Mary who helped me through the City of Souls!"

Mary's eyes narrowed. She drew.

"I play… the Pot of Greed!" she announced, putting a card down.

The smiling Pot of Greed appeared before her, and she drew two more cards.

_Oh yeah,_ she thought.

"First," exclaimed Mary. "I'll activate this Trap Card…"

The card revealed itself.

It was the dreaded Just Desserts!

"NO!" gasped Minerva.

A pair of ghostly arms floated out of Mary's Disk and locked themselves around Minerva's neck! They squeezed!

"Just Desserts drains 500 Life Points from you for each Monster you have on field," laughed Mary. "And you have four of them! Didn't expect that, did you?"

The hands released Minerva, and she fell to her knees. Her Life Points fell to 5,700.

"Wow!" shouted a spectator. "What a move! She just nailed her!"

"Thought you had her there, huh?" laughed another spectator at Minerva.

"My turn is just starting!" grinned Mary. "I'll use a Spell Card… Brain Control!"

She fit the card into the slot, and the huge brain appeared.

"I'll use it to grab your Amazoness Blowpiper," said Mary, "brainwashing her for one turn!"

The brain seized the Blowpiper, pulling her over to Mary's side.

"You're going to Tribute my Blowpiper!" growled Minerva, angrily.

"Bingo!" grinned Mary. I'll Tribute Amazoness Blowpiper to bring out my Flame Swordmistress's powerful mentor, Flame Swordsman, in Attack Mode!"

The Blowpiper vanished, and Flame Swordsman arose. (1,800/1,600).

The Swordsman and the Swordmistress looked at each other, nodded, and turned to face the enemy.

"Now," said Mary. "Without the Blowpiper, your Tiger's Attack power falls to 2,300!"

"So?" stated Minerva. "Neither of your Warriors are strong enough to defeat him."

"Did you forget about my Swordmistress's special ability?" asked Mary. "She raises the Attack power of all allied Warriors by 300 points!"

The Flame Swordsman's Attack rose to 2,100.

"That still isn't strong enough!" shouted Minerva.

"Observe this Equip Card," stated Mary, holding a card up.

"What?" gasped Minerva. "Salamandra?"

"Yup, Salamandra," affirmed Mary, placing it into the slot.

Flame Swordsman's blade blazed with fire, and his Attack rose to 2,800!

"Flame Swordsman, attack the Amazoness Tiger!" yelled Mary. "Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman sung his blade, and incinerated the Tiger.

"Your turn, Flame Swordmistress," shouted Mary. "Attack Amazoness Fighter!"

The Swordmistress charged, and smote the Fighter, blasting her out of existence.

Minerva's Life Points stood at 5,200.

Minerva was steamed.

_I've got to do something,_ she thought, _or this slut will beat me._

She drew.

_Ah, maybe this…_

"First," she said, "One card facedown."

She set the card.

"Now I'll summon the Amazoness Paladin back," she said, putting the card down. The Paladin appeared again. (1,700/300)

"And as you probably know by now," said Minerva. "With two Amazons on the field, the Paladin's attack power becomes 1,900.

"Now, I'll play a Spell Card… Amazoness Spellcaster!"

She fitted the card, and an aged gypsy appeared, chanting a spell. Strange symbols appeared in the air.

"I don't like this…" muttered Mary.

"Don't give up, Mary," said Yugi.

"Amazoness Spellcaster allows me to switch the Attack power of one of your Monsters with one of my Amazons until the end of my turn," explained Minerva. "And I think I'll use it to switch the Attack power of your Swordmistress with that of my Swords Woman! Thus, your Monster's Attack becomes 1,500, while mine's becomes 2,100!

The switch was made.

"Amazoness Swords Woman, attack Flame Swordmistress with Amazon great sword slash!"

The Swords Woman waved her huge sword menacingly, and cut the Flame Swordmistress in half!

Mary's Life Points fell to 5,300.

"How do you like that?" smiled Minerva. "Now you can't power up your Warriors anymore, and your Swordsman loses 300 Attack points."

Flame Swordsman's Attack went down to 2,500.

"Yeah?" growled Mary. "Well it's my turn now, meaning your Spellcaster's spell has worn off. And reduced as his strength may be, my Swordsman will avenge his protégé!

"Flame Swordsman, attack the Amazoness Swords Woman! Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman charged, and ran the Amazoness Swords Woman through. She gasped and fell.

Minerva laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" said Mary.

"I was hoping you'd do that," smiled Minerva. "True, you managed to slay my Swords Woman, but when she's destroyed, my _opponent_ takes any resulting damage! So you just lost 1,000 Life Points!"

Mary's Life Points fell to 4,300.

"Aw, crud!" exclaimed Mary.

"Besides," smiled Minerva. "You just activated my Trap…"

The facedown card lifted up…

"My second Dramatic Rescue!" said Minerva. "Which, as you know, transfers the Swords Woman to my hand rather to the Graveyard, and lets me special summon another Monster from my hand. And I chose to summon Amazon Archer, in Attack Mode!"

She set the card down, and a new Amazon appeared. She wore a brown halter, jacket, and skirt, and was armed with a bow and arrows. (1,400/1,000)

Mary looked at the Archer hard.

_I don't like that,_ she thought.

"I'll end my turn by summoning Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and the gator warrior appeared. (1,500/1,200)

Minerva drew.

"Excellent," she grinned. "Now I'll re-summon Amazoness Swords Woman to the field, in Attack Mode."

The Swords Woman reappeared. (1,500/1,600)

"But, since you already know what her ability is," said Minerva, "I'll activate the Amazon Archer's Effect right now…"

The Archer raised her hand, and a nimbus of energy surrounded the Amazoness Paladin and the Amazoness Swords Woman! After a few seconds, they vanished, and a golden arrow appeared where they had been.

"What the…" said Mary.

"With the Archer on the field," explained Minerva. "She can turn two Monsters into a magic arrow, and with this arrow…"

The Archer took it and fitted it into her bow.

"…she can bypass your Monsters and make a special direct attack on your Life Points!"

"WHAT?" gasped Mary.

"Amazon Archer," shouted Minerva, "attack Mary with enchanted Amazon arrow attack!"

The Archer fired, and with a spray of blood, the arrow impaled Mary! She fell over. Her Life Points dove to 3,100.

"That took you down a notch," giggled Minerva. "About 1,200 notches, to be exact! And finally, two cards facedown."

She placed her cards, and they appeared in front of her.

As Mary got up, everyone stared in disbelief. The arrow was sticking right through her!

"Mary! Are you hurt?" gasped Yugi.

"Yeah," said Mary, drawing. "But it's a _good_ kind of hurt…"

She drew.

"Sorry, Minerva," she sneered, "But my Swordsman will slay your Archer! Flame Swordsman, flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman charged…

"Bad idea…" chuckled Minerva, pushing a button on her disk.

One of her facedown cards rose…

The Flame Swordsman stopped short, as he was surrounded by a ring of energy!

"A Spellbinding Circle!" gasped Mary.

"You got that right," said Minerva, as the Swordsman's Attack went down to 1,800.

Mary thought for a minute. _I could attack with Alligator's Sword, but it wouldn't do much good…_

She looked at her hand.

_Nothing that can help me out now,_ she thought. _I think I'll wait…_

"I end my turn," she said.

Minerva drew.

"I think I'll just pass for this turn," she said. "Your move again."

_What is she planning?_ thought Mary, as she drew.

She looked at the card she just drew.

_Well what do you know?_ she thought.

"All right!" she shouted. "Time to get serious, Minerva! Time to meet the master of disaster! I Tribute both Flame Swordsman and Alligator's Sword to bring forth the most legendary beast in my deck… A card used by both my father and my friend's father…"

She threw the card down.

"Meet Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The two Warriors vanished, and the huge, dark dragon arose, his eyes burning with fiery light! (2,400/2,000)

The crowd gasped. Some of the younger kids screamed.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon?" gasped Minerva. "Where the hell did you get a card that rare?"

"Like I said," smiled Mary. "It's sort of a family heirloom. Now, Red Eyes, inferno fire blast!"

Red Eyes blasted its breath weapon, and incinerated the Archer.

Minerva's Life Points fell to 4,200.

"Very pretty," said Minerva, now angry. "But I can still recover."

She pressed a button on her Disk, and her facedown card revealed itself.

"Your third Dramatic Rescue card," said Mary. "So now you can return the Archer to your hand and summon another Monster."

"Exactly," said. Minerva. "And I choose to summon Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the black-armored warrior with his greatsword appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"That isn't an Amazon," frowned Mary.

"The rules of Dramatic Rescue say I can special summon _any_ Monster, not just an Amazon," explained Minerva. "And true, he isn't an Amazon… not yet."

_Not yet?_ thought Mary. _What did she mean by that? Well I doubt anything she summons will be a match for my Red Eyes…_

"I'll end my turn," said Mary.

"And I'll start mine," said Minerva, drawing.

She looked at her card.

"I'll play… Pot of Greed!"

She put the card in the slot. The wicked jar appeared, and two cards popped out.

She made two draws.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Now watch as I summon my greatest Warrior! I'll summon a second Amazoness Paladin in Attack Mode to join Warrior Dai Grepher!"

She put the card down, and another Amazoness Paladin appeared. (1,700/300)

"And now," smiled Minerva, raising a card, "Time to destroy your Dragon! I'll bring them together! Polymerization!"

She threw the card into the slot, and the male Warrior and the female one formed into a swirl of white and black light.

"Forming the mightiest of the Amazons," said Minerva, "the one known as the all-powerful Amazoness Queen!"

A tall Amazon appeared; she was wearing an armored one-piece, a large red cape, a golden crown and a gorgeous necklace. She bore two razor-sharp scimitars. (2,500/1,400)

"Next round," gloated Minerva, "my Queen will slay your Dragon, and there's nothing you can do about it!

"My turn is over."

Mary looked at her deck.

_So now what?_ she thought. _There's gotta be something in here that can help…_

She drew.

_Unreal!_ she thought.

"Feeling lucky, Minerva?" said Mary. "Because I just drew the Monster that could make or break this duel for me! Meet the master of the space-time continuum… the Time Wizard!"

She slapped the card down, and the Time Wizard leapt up. (500/400)

Minerva gasped.

"Wait a second, Mary, let me do the math for you," she warned. "You have a Red Eyes in Attack Mode who has 2,400 Attack Points. You also have a Mystical Elf in Defense Mode that has 800 Attack Points. Add the Time Wizard's 500 Attack Points, and that adds up to 3,700!

"If that Time Wizard's spinner lands on a skull, you'll lose half of that total, bringing your Life Points down 1,250! Not to mention the fact that it will wipe all your Monsters out, and my Amazoness Queen will finish you off on my next turn!

"And you're actually going to take that big a risk on one spin?"

Mary chuckled.

"Let me tell you something, Minerva," explained Mary. "My father was the same way. He used this card several times. He also used many other cards where risk was involved… and yet, almost without exception, they never failed him. His luck was legendary. He continually left things to chance, and time and again, fate smiled upon him. That luck flows in my veins, Minerva, the luck of the Wheelers!"

"Wheelers?" said Minerva, aghast. "You're… you're Joey Wheeler's daughter?"

The crowd started to mutter, some starred with their mouths agape.

"His fame precedes me, I see," smiled Mary. "And like I said, his luck lives inside me! Go Time Wizard, time roulette now!"

The spinner on the Time Wizard's staff started to spin…

Minerva started to sweat.

_Joey Wheeler's daughter…_ she thought. _What have I gotten myself into?_

It continued to spin. Mary was sweating now.

_C'mon,_ she thought. _After a speech like that, I just can't strike out!_

The spinner stopped on the right skull, then the left skull, and finally stopped with a clang on the top crown!

The crowd cheered.

"_Time Magic!_" shouted the Time Wizard, leaping up.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon and the Mystical Elf vanished, and a huge time warp opened above the field.

"What's happening?" screamed Minerva.

"The Time Wizard has torn a hole in the fabric of time," said Mary. "Causing a million years to pass on the field! And your Amazoness Queen is past her expiration limit!"

It was true; the Amazoness Queen crumbled into a pile of dust.

The Time Wizard vanished, and Red Eyes Black Dragon and Mystical Elf reappeared.

"And now that that's done with," said Mary. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, torch Minerva!"

Minerva screamed as the Red Eyes blasted her with fire, sending her hurtling backwards!

Her Life Points now stood at 1,175.

Minerva got up with her clothes and most of her hair reduced to ashes. Her hand shook as she drew.

_Got to do something, or its curtains for me!_ she thought. _Aha!_

"I'll summon another Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a new Swords Woman appeared. (1,500/1,600)

_Just try to attack her,_ she thought.

Mary drew.

"You must think I'm stupid," she said. "I haven't forgotten what happens when I attack that Monster. So…

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Flame Swordmistress!"

She plugged in the Spell Card, and Flame Swordmistress returned. (1,600/1,500)

"Attack!" shouted Mary. "Blazing saber of battle!"

Flame Swordmistress attacked, cutting down the Swords Woman. Minerva drew back in fear. Mary's Life Points were reduced to 3,000.

"Yeah, I know," sighed Mary. "I take one hundred Life Points of damage for destroying her. But it's a small price to pay to be able to finish you off!

"Red Eyes Black Dragon…"

"Not again…" gasped Minerva. "No…"

"…inferno fire blast!" shouted Mary. "Burn her up!"

Minerva screamed, as she was engulfed by fire. She fell flat on her back, and the last of her Life Points were depleted.

The crowd cheered again.

"Good job Mary," said Yugi. "That was an excellent duel."

Mary looked down. The arrow through her chest vanished.

Minerva slowly got up. The burns vanished and her clothes were restored.

"I never dreamed you were the daughter of such a legend," she shivered. "Say, you don't suppose you might be The Mole?"

Mary chuckled. "Dunno," she said. "It could be anyone here."

She looked at her Disk. The gem had changed to Green.

Minerva looked at hers. It was Yellow now.

"Sorry I almost beat you up in that arcade," sighed Minerva, rather ashamed. "I guess I can't be such a sore loser."

"Yeah, well, I could have turned you in to the Centurions for what you already did," scolded Mary. "Be careful, because if you do it again, the next person might not be as merciful."

"So now what?" asked Minerva.

Yugi stepped in.

"Keep dueling," answered Yugi. "You aren't out of this tournament yet, and your Amazons are a potent force.

"As for the two of us, I have to get Mary another ice cream cone."

As Yugi and Mary held hands and walked towards the ice cream parlor, Mary spoke up.

"You know Yugi, maybe I should taper off video games," she mentioned.

"Oh?" said Yugi.

"Yeah," sighed Mary. "I found out today more than ever, that they can be quite addictive. And it isn't true what they say… they don't burn off stress. Quite the opposite. "

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

From the roof of the arcade, two figures appeared, dressed in black overcoats and sunglasses – one male, one female. They were in fact dressed the same way as the ones who were spying on the team when Peter had dueled with Brick.

The male one waved his hand, and the white sphere appeared in his hand. Again, the two red eyes appeared in it.

"Master," he said. "The one named Mary has progressed further. It seems that Yugi's disciples may become a significant threat."

"That is indeed a concern," said the voice from the sphere. "I must ponder this matter more. In the meantime, do not let any of them out of your sight."

"As you wish, Master."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AMAZONESS QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description: **_Amazoness Paladin + Warrior Dai Grepher_


	10. Double Coston

_My name is Siegfried Kaiba, aka The Master of Games. As the head of the Duelatopia tournament, it is my duty to keep tabs on the backgrounds of the contestants. _

_Two of them who interest me are the companions called Clive Marris and Peter Ramset. One of them is logical and analytical, or "left-brained" if you like that term. The other is artistic and creative, or "right-brained." Some would say they'd make unlikely friends. I say they make two sides of the same soul. _

_From the time they were in kindergarten together, Clive and Peter have been best friends, and have remained such without the slightest reprieve. No friendship is perfect, but they come awfully close. I'm willing to wager that if push came to shove, one would gladly give his life for the other, though I'm not sure how the other would survive with his friend gone after that._

_And in the duel I am about to watch, I know that the their friendship is about to be put to the test in a big way…_

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**Chapter Nine**

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**Double Coston**

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Before Mary even started playing her video game, Clive and Peter were walking through another well-populated section of Duelatopia. Here and there a duel was in progress, but they too were looking for just the right challenge. They started talking about old times, when Peter brought something up.

"Clive," he mentioned. "You ever wonder what would have happened if we never met Yugi and Mary?"

"Yeah," said Clive with a chuckle. "We'd have never risked our lives in the Duelist Labyrinth or the City of Souls!"

"And you'd never have met Phoebe," countered Peter. "You and she met while in Yugi's game store while she was looking for a present for her dad."

"Um, touché," muttered Clive. "I guess we can thank them for this whole vacation. Remi was a monster, but he did give us some good practice."

"It isn't like the Labyrinth was the first time we were in trouble," sighed Peter. "Helped each other out. I warmly remember the time we were six, and I tried to climb that tree, despite your warning. I fell, breaking my leg, and you carried me all the way to the emergency ward."

"And you cried the whole way," smiled Clive. "I have to say I'm sorry for the time during the next month while you were laid up in bed; I tried to make you breakfast in bed, and I spilled it all over you!"

Peter chuckled.

"You repaid the favor two years later," continued Clive. "I picked a fight with the wrong guy at school, and he tried to rearrange my face. Who'd have known that you'd be the one to come to my rescue? Sure, you sucker-punched him on the back of his neck, but you saved me a great deal of hurt."

They sat on a bench and sighed.

"You know Clive," sighed Peter. "We're going to be going to college soon, and more likely than not, it won't be the same one. We can't be together forever."

An idea came to Clive. "Yes we can," he said. "Listen. Do you have any cards in your bag there that you never intended to use?"

"I think so," started Peter, opening up his dufflebag.

He opened up the case where he kept spare cards and leafed through them.

"Will this do?" he asked.

The card was called "Griggle." It depicted a tiny creature with a mop of green hair and blue shoes. It was a Plant/Earth Monster, and its stats were 350/300.

"Sure you don't need it?" asked Clive.

"Positive," said Peter. "The only power it has is the ability to bestow 3,000 Life Points on the user when somebody steals it with Change of Heart or something similar, but since everyone knows it can do that, it's useless."

"Okay," said Clive, taking it.

He took his Swiss army knife out of his pocket, and folded out the scissors. He began to cut the card in half lengthwise, in a jagged pattern.

"There," he stated when he was done. "You keep one half of Griggle, and I'll keep the other. Even if we're apart, any time you look at it, you'll remember that the other half is with someone who's your best friend. And just like Griggle's power warns, it will remind you never to have a Change of Heart."

"Thanks old friend," smiled Peter, taking it.

They reclined on the bench.

"So what do we do now?" asked Peter.

They looked across the street at a large juice bar.

"I vote we stop for smoothies!" exclaimed Clive.

"I second the motion!" exclaimed Peter.

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They went into the brightly lit juice bar, where old-fashioned rock music was playing on a jukebox. They went up to a bar, where a young woman was behind the counter.

"Hi!" she said in a sweet voice. "I'm Penelope… what can I get you boys?"

"Everything looks so good," smiled Peter. "How about two strawberry and banana smoothies?"

"Coming up," she said, going over to the blender.

"I must say," said Clive. "I like most of Duelatopia so far… pleasant atmosphere, pleasant places, pleasant people… the only things that weren't pleasant was Shelob and her lair…"

"You really think she'd have eaten Yugi if he lost?" said Peter with a shudder.

"We may never find out," sighed Clive. "Still, I don't think Siegfried is that nuts…"

Penelope came back with the smoothies.

"Now if y'all need anything else," she said, "just…"

"Out of the way!" growled a burly voice.

"Duelists coming through!" shouted another.

"Oh no," moaned Penelope. "Not them again!"

Two muscular bodybuilders wearing Dueling Disks pushed their way into the bar. They wore t-shirts and gym shorts. One was Caucasian, had blonde hair, and a headband. The other was African-American, and was bald. The gems on their disks indicated Green Status.

"You heard us," demanded the blonde one to someone they had just pushed aside, "if you don't want to get run over, get out of the way!"

"They've come in here twice every day since the tournament started," growled Penelope. "They call themselves Flint and Steel. They're rude, they scare away my customers, leave a mess, and never leave a tip!"

"Flint and Steel?" asked Peter.

"I think they both play Rock and Earth Monsters," answered Penelope.

"Yo, Penelope!" yelled Flint (the blonde one). "Get us two chocolate milkshakes and make it snappy!"

"Yeah, we just made Green, and we want to celebrate!" laughed Steel.

"Yes, sir," groaned Penelope, washing out the blender.

"Where I come from, people talk to women with more respect than that," muttered Clive.

Flint and Steel turned to him.

"You people have manners comparable to a certain type of barnyard animal who eats and defecates in the same place," continued Clive, sipping his smoothie.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Flint, somewhat puzzled.

"He means a pig, stupid," responded Peter.

"Who you callin' stupid?" snapped Flint.

"I'm calling both of you stupid," answered Peter. "And I think my friend here would concur."

The two bullies got angry.

"Either of you care to put your deck where your mouth is?" dared Steel, raising his Disk. "I'll show you just how stupid I am!"

"That's right!" growled Flint. "We ain't as stupid as we really are!"

"That didn't even make sense," chuckled Peter.

"I'll take you both on!" shouted Clive, raising his Disk.

"Easy, Clive, easy!" eased Peter. "You know as well as I do that you can't duel them both!"

"Fine," said Clive. "You take one and I'll take the other."

"I'm game with that," said Flint. "But who will duel who?"

"Um, if I may butt it," started Penelope.

They all looked at her.

"Why don't you four all make this a tag-team duel?" she suggested. "I'm sure that would make quite a show!"

"What?" stuttered Flint. "Well uh…"

He looked at Steel.

"Fine!" answered Steel. "Tag-team it is!"

"Just give me an hour to draw a good crowd," smiled Penelope. "I'm sure a lot of people will want to see this!"

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In the command center, a technician was on the phone.

"Yes, I'll tell him," she said. She hung up.

"Master of Games!" she said, calling over to Siegfried.

"Yes?" he said.

"You know Penelope, that undercover Centurion you put in charge of the juice bar in sector F9?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"She just reported that an official challenge has been made for a tag-team duel, which will be starting in half an hour."

"Who are the participants?" asked Siegfried.

"Sylvester 'Flint' Ronald and Andrew 'Steel' Wright versus Clive Marris and Peter Ramset."

_Peter and Clive in a tag-team duel,_ thought Siegfried. _Well, I guess it was only a matter of time._

"Call back Penelope," he ordered, "and tell her when the duel starts to beam the feedback here. This will be interesting to watch…"

_It will be interesting to see,_ thought Siegfried, _what happens when the Archfiends and the Dark Scorpions join forces!_

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Penelope was good to her word. By the time the hour was up, a crowd had assembled outside the juice bar unlike any Peter and Clive had seen yet. They didn't know how she had done it. (Truthfully, Penelope had contacted her fellow Centurions to spread the word.)

The four duelists stood in a square-pattern, twenty feet apart from each other.

"Okay, you two lightweights," growled Flint. "Ready to lose?"

"Hold on," started Peter. "I'm not exactly even sure how this tag-team stuff works."

"Well," said Steel, "you just… I mean you just… first you… um… say, how does a tag-team work?"

"It's incredibly simple," explained Penelope, walking into the center of the square. "I'll review…

"All four of you start with 8,000 Life Points, as in a standard duel. You will alternate turns: First Flint will go, followed by Clive, then Steel, then Peter, and then back to Flint. No one may actually attack until all four of you have made a draw, and then the duel goes like it normally would.

"You must defeat both members of one team for a victory to be announced, but anyone with no Life Points remaining at the end is considered having lost.

"In most cases, any Monster you summon is considered yours alone; you can only attack with it yourself, but you can use it to defend your partner if he has no Monsters on his side of the Field. You can make a Tribute, Fusion, or Ritual using your partner's Monster, but when that happens, the Monster is considered belonging to both partners. It can be used offensively and defensively by both, but if destroyed, both of you receive any Life Point damage.

"Your Trap and Spell Cards and Monster Effects can be used for both yours and your partner's benefit. Of course, effects that target multiple Monsters affect any or all Monsters on one or both side of the field. Other effects you may discover during the duel.

"Any questions?"

She paused.

"Uh," muttered Clive, "can you repeat the things you said about… the things?"

She sighed. "Let's get this tag-team party started!" she shouted, moving aside.

All four of them made their draws.

"LET'S DUEL!" yelled all four at once.

Penelope felt her dress, under which was a portable weapon.

_And if these two muscleheads try to cheat,_ she thought, _it will be my pleasure to throw them in the slammer!_

"Hey you two," sneered Clive. "Care to make a little wager? If we win, you two leave Penelope and her bar alone, permanently!"

Penelope was taken aback in surprise. She didn't expect that.

"Fine," chuckled Steel. "And if we win, you lightweights buy shakes and smoothies for everyone here!"

Clive paused for a minute. He looked a Peter.

"It will cost us some cheers," sighed Peter, "but I'm jack with that."

"Good," smiled Flint. "Then for my first brilliant move, I summon Giant Soldier of Stone, in Defense Mode."

He set the card down, and the huge Soldier appeared, assuming a kneeing position. (1,300/2,000)

Clive drew.

"I'll summon Double Pinaska, also in Defense Mode," he stated.

He lay down the card. The Spaniard appeared, and crossed his machetes defensively. (1,500/1,500)

Steel drew. His eyebrows perked up. He added the card to his hand.

"I'll summon Spherous Lady, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He lay the card down, and a vicious looking woman wearing a turban with a rocky snake-like tail in place of legs appeared, ready to strike. (400/1,400)

Peter looked at the creature strangely.

_Why'd he play a Monster that weak in Attack Mode?_ he thought. _It must be a trick…_

He drew and looked at his hand.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _Can't summon anything that WON'T cost me a Life Point payment. But not defending myself will cost Clive a Monster... So…_

"Infernalqueen Archfiend, in Defense Mode," he stated.

The flames erupted in front of him, and Infernalqueen Archfiend appeared. She shrieked. (900/1,500)

_Now it really begins,_ thought Peter.

"I end my turn," he stated.

"My turn again?" chuckled Flint, making a draw. "Then I'll Tribute my Giant Soldier for Metal Fish!"

He put the card down and Giant Soldier of Stone vanished. A huge fish with legs made out of iron appeared. (1,600/1,900)

"Metal Fish," ordered Flint. "Attack Infernalqueen Archfiend with metal piranha bite!"

Metal Fish lumbered forward.

"Double Pinaska, counter the attack!" shouted Clive.

Double Pinaska leapt up, and blocked the Fish's attack with his machetes. He gave a kick, and Metal Fish tumbled backwards.

"Thanks, Clive," sighed Peter. "You saved my Queen."

"You'd have done the same for me," said Clive.

Flint growled. "Your move then," he said.

Clive drew.

_Oh yeah,_ he thought.

"First," he said, "I'll switch Double Pinaska into Attack Mode."

Pinaska formed a fighting stance.

"Then, I summon Marauding Captain, also in Attack Mode," he pronounced, placing the card down.

A young Warrior in battle-worn armor carrying a longsword appeared next to Double Pinaska. (1,200/400)

"And just by summoning him," continued Clive, "I can summon another Warrior from my hand. Meet Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn, in Defense Mode!"

Meanae appeared, and knelt in defense. (1,000/1,800)

"I'll also Equip my Captain with this accessory card," said Clive. "Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

The Marauding Captain's normal sword vanished, and huge, nastier sword appeared in his hand. His Attack score went up to 2,000.

"Now, Marauding Captain," he said. Attack Metal Fish with marauding rush attack!"

The Captain charged and sliced Metal Fish in half! Flint's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"Your turn Double Pinaska!" said Clive. "Attack the Spherous Lady with double machete slash!"

Double Pinaska ran up, and cut Spherous Lady in twain. Steel's Life Points dropped to 6,900.

"And I'll end my turn," grinned Clive.

_So why are they smiling?_ he thought.

"Sorry, Clive," smiled Steel, drawing, "but I _wanted_ one of you to destroy Spherous Lady. You see, the Monster I'm about to summon can only be summoned by removing one Rock Monster from my Graveyard. So I'll remove Spherous Lady from play, and summon The Rock Spirit!"

He set the card down, and a huge Monster appeared. It looked like a stone statue in Spartan armor, holding a staff. (1,700/1,000)

"This big guy," said Steel, "will gain 300 Attack points during each of my opponent's turns. And since I have two opponents, he'll have 2,300 attack points by the time it's my next turn! But I can still use him… Rock Spirit, attack Double Pinaska with tremor blast!"

The Rock Spirit aimed his staff at Pinaska and fired a beam of brown energy…

"I don't think so…" smiled Clive.

The Marauding Captain stepped in between them and deflected the blast!

"Did I tell you about Marauding Captain's effect?" grinned Clive. "With him on guard, no other Warrior on our side of the field can be attacked!"

Steel frowned. "I'll lay one card facedown," he said, putting a card in the slot.

The card appeared behind The Rock Spirit.

"Now it's your turn, curls," he said to Peter.

Peter drew, and The Rock Spirit's Attack score rose to 2,000.

At that, Infernalqueen Archfiend gazed at Peter and bore her fangs. Peter groaned, and it seemed like energy was pulled out of him. His Life Points fell to 7,500.

"Peter!" exclaimed Clive. "You just lost Life Points!"

"Didn't I tell you about that Clive?" groaned Peter. "When not in Pandemonium, the major Archfiends demand a price for being summoned…"

"Then play Pandemonium!" shouted Clive.

"It isn't in my hand!" protested Peter.

"Then why did you summon her in the first place?"

"It was that or nothing!"

"Ha! Look at these guys, Flint!" laughed Steel. "They're already arguing!"

Peter grimaced.

"I'll use Infernalqueen's effect, to raise her Attack score to 1,900!" said Peter.

Flames erupted around Infernalqueen, and her score rose.

"I'll switch her to Attack Mode," growled Peter. "Now attack Flint directly, my Queen! Cross-the-board capture attack!"

"Wait, Peter!" shouted Clive.

Infernalqueen blazed with fire…

"I could intercept your attack with my Rock Spirit," smiled Steel, pressing a button on his Disk. "But this is much more fun! I activate my Trap… the powerful Quicksand!"

The card lifted, and suddenly, the ground on Clive and Peter's side of the field changed into a mire! Infernalqueen roared, and Double Pinaska, Marauding Captain, and Meanae the Thorn screamed, and they sank up to their waists.

"What in blazes?" gasped Peter.

"Quicksand affects all opposing Monsters currently active on the field," explained Steel. "Now all four of them are helpless to attack or change position, nor can you Tribute them, and the effect lasts for three full turns!"

"Sorry, Clive," moaned Peter.

"Aw, you gave it your best shot," assured Clive.

"I'll end my turn by placing a card of my own facedown," said Peter.

The card appeared in front of him.

"My turn now," smiled Flint. "I'll lay one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will do it for me."

The hidden Monster, in card form, appeared before him.

Clive drew, and The Rock Spirit's Attack Score went up to 2,300.

_Not much I can do_, he thought.

"I'll lay two cards facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

The two cards appeared.

Steel drew.

"My Rock Spirit is strong enough to destroy your Marauding Captain," he grinned. "But if you think I'm gonna fall for _your_ Trap, you've got another thing coming! I'll just summon Prevent Rat, in Defense Mode."

He lay a card down, and a large Monster that was a cross between rat and armadillo appeared. (500/2,000)

Peter drew. Again Infernalqueen cast her draining glare at him! His Life Points fell to 7,000.

"Peter, your dumb Archfiend is going to do you in!" warned Clive.

"Fine, I've got it covered!" said Peter. "I play the Field Spell Card Pandemonium!"

He inserted the card, and again, the results were dramatic. The city around them changed to the infernal city of Fiends. Some people in the crowd looked around in fear.

"Keep calm folks," chuckled Peter. "In Pandemonium, a surprise lurks around every corner, but they treat their guests well."

He cackled evilly. His two opponents looked nervous.

"Now, I'll use Infernalqueen's power on herself again!"

Infernalqueen lifted her hand out of the mire and flamed up, bringing her Attack score to 2,900.

"And finally, I'll summon Shadowknight Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting a card down.

A gust of foul wind blew, and Shadowknight appeared. (2,000/1,600)

"But since I don't trust that facedown Monster, I'll end my turn," said Peter. "And by the way Clive, don't call my Monsters dumb…"

"Sorry," muttered Clive.

"What, this little thing?" laughed Flint. "Well why don't I just flip-summon it!"

He flipped the card, and a Morphing Jar appeared! It cackled.

"All right everyone," laughed Flint. "You know the rules…"

"Flint, you spongehead!" shouted Steel. "Ever consider that I had something in my hand that I intended to use?"

"Oh…" muttered Flint. "Sorry?"

"Too late now…" growled Steel.

All four of them discarded their hands and drew five new cards.

Flint laughed out loud.

"Now prepare to meet the true fury of flint and steel!" laughed Flint. "I Tribute my Morphing Jar to summon the incredible Blowback Dragon, in Attack Mode!"

The Jar vanished, and a dark shape arose. It came into view, resembling a cross between a dragon and a furnace. Flame and steam shot out of pipes and vents. (2,300/1,200)

"Let me explain how Blowback Dragon works," explained Flint. "When I give the order, it will release three special dice, with red spaces on half their faces, and blue on the others. If at least two of the dice come up red, then it can vaporize one opposing Monster!

"Blowback Dragon, release dice!"

A hatch opened in the Dragons chest, and three dice shot out.

"C'mon…" urged Peter, as they rolled.

The first one stopped… red.

The second one stopped… blue.

The third one stopped… red!

"Yes!" shouted Flint. "Blowback Dragon, destroy Infernalqueen Archfiend!"

A blast of flame spewed forth from the Dragon's "mouth" incinerating Infernalqueen. Peter's Life Points fell to 6,175.

"Now I can make its regular attack!" said Flint. "Attack Marauding Captain with blowback breath!"

Blowback Dragon breathed its flame again, burning up Marauding Captain. Clive's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"Heh, heh," cackled Flint. "Your move, sucker."

Clive drew. The Rock Spirit's Attack Score went up _again_ to 2,900.

_I certainly hope that Peter has something that can take down that Spirit,_ thought Clive, _'cause the Trap I laid down can only protect me from it once._

"I'll first use Dust Tornado!" said Clive, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "To release Double Pinaska and Meanae from the Quicksand!"

The Tornado blew Steel's card to pieces, and Double Pinaska and Meanae the Thorn sprang up (in Attack and Defense Mode, respectively).

"Now," exclaimed Clive. "I'll Tribute Double Pinaska to summon Dark Scorpion Gorg the Strong, in Attack Mode!"

Double Pinaska vanished, and the huge, bald member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, brandishing his mace. (1,800/1,500)

"And I'll end my turn," said Clive.

"Perhaps you didn't notice," chuckled Steel. But The Rock Spirit's Attack Score is now 1,100 more than his! Rock Spirit, attack Gorg the Strong with tremor blast attack!"

The Rock Spirit aimed his staff at Gorg.

"Not on this turn!" shouted Clive. "I activate my Trap Card! Great Escape!"

The facedown card lifted. Gorg produced a grappling hook and threw it, securing it to an overhead building of Pandemonium. He pulled himself to safety, avoiding The Rock Spirit's blast!

"What the…" said Steel.

"Being some of the greatest thieves in the world," explained Clive, "the Dark Scorpions are always being hunted by the law, so they have mastered the art of escape. The Trap Card Great Escape allows one of them to avoid all attacks for one round."

Gorg slowly lowered himself back to the field.

"Yeah, well," grumbled Steel, "when it's your partner's turn again, The Rock Spirit will have 3,200 Attack points! And let's not forget that my partner's Blowback Dragon has a two-out-of-three chance of blowing away any of your Monsters on his turn! This duel is looking up… for us!

"I'm ending my turn by laying one card facedown."

He slid a card into a slot, and it appeared.

Peter drew, and as Steel had warned, The Rock Spirit's Attack went up to 3,200.

But Peter grinned.

"Now I'm going to kill two birds with one stone!" he exclaimed. "Or should I say, kill two stones with one bird! I play the Spell Card Falling Down!"

He slid it into the slot.

"What?" gasped Flint and Steel at once.

Shadowknight Archfiend flew over to Steel's area of the Field, and grabbed hold of The Rock Spirit, dragging it back to Peter's side!

"Falling Down is sort of an Archfiend's version of Snatch Steal," exclaimed Peter. "I can only use it when an Archfiend is on my side of the field, but it lets the Archfiend enslave an enemy Monster, so long as I'm willing to pay 800 Life Points for every further round I intend to use the card. A nifty trick for an Archfiend deck."

"Now, Rock Spirit, destroy the Blowback Dragon!" commanded Peter.

The Rock Spirit thrust his staff forward and fired hitting the dragon-shaped furnace. It exploded! Flint's Life Points fell to 6,700.

"And now to get rid of the Spirit," continued Peter, "since I'm not too keen on losing Life Points. I'll use it as a Tribute, to bring out Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

The Rock Spirit vanished, and the field erupted in electricity. Skull Archfiend of Lightning arose! (2,500/1,200)

"And I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," stated Peter.

The facedown card appeared behind Shadowknight Archfiend and Skull Archfiend of Lightning.

Flint was noticeably angry. He drew.

"Okay, Clive," he snarled. "I'm going to wipe out _both_ of your Dark Scorpions, and use the raw power of an earthquake to do so! Although I guess in this locale, it would be more of a Hellquake!"

"You do you intend to do that?" asked Clive.

"First," started Flint, "I'll use the Spell Card Smashing Ground!"

He threw the card into the slot.

"It destroys the opposing Monster with the highest Defense Score, meaning Meanae!"

The ground around them shook, and Meanae the Thorn screamed as she was buried under a rain of boulders.

"Next," continued Flint, throwing another card into a slot, "I'll use the Spell Card Fissure, which wipes out the opposing Monster with the lowest Attack Score, meaning Gorg!"

The ground shook again, and a crack opened beneath Gorg the Strong's feet. He plummeted into it.

Clive score stood at 6,800.

"And I'll end my turn by summoning Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode!" he stated. "Just try to get past him!"

He put a card down, and a Warrior appeared kneeling down with a huge shield in front of him. (100/2,600)

Clive drew.

_Got to summon something,_ he thought. _And this is the strongest guy I can summon._

"Dark Blade, in Attack Mode," he said.

The dark armored Warrior appeared, and raised his two swords. (1,800/1500)

"That's all I can do," he said.

"Then it's my turn," said Steel, drawing. "And I'm going to Tribute my partner's Monster to summon the strongest defense imaginable. It's time for a new structure to be added to Pandemonium… arise, Labyrinth Wall!"

Big Shield Gardna vanished, and a rumbling was heard. On Flint and Steel's side of the field, a maze of stone walls rose from the ground, completely covering the area behind them. (0/3,000)

Flint, Steel, and Prevent Rat came out from two entrances.

"How do you like that?" laughed Steel. "With the Wall in place, you can't touch me! And since I used my partner's Monster as a Tribute, it will shield both of us!

"I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown."

He did so. It appeared.

_Nuts,_ thought Peter, drawing. _That was a good team strategy. Not much we can do._

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning, destroy Steel's Prevent Rat!" he ordered.

The Archfiend powered up, and blasted the Rat into oblivion.

"And I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend in Defense Mode," he continued, placing a card down.

A column of dark water rose up, and a winged fiend dressed like a bishop carrying a skull-topped staff arose. (300/1,400)

Flint drew.

He laughed out loud.

"Now begins our road to victory," he laughed. "I summon Tribe-Infecting Virus, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a trio of gloppy humanoids appeared in front of him. (1,600/1,000)

"Now then," continued Flint. "All I have to do is discard one card from my hand, like so…"

He discarded his last card.

"…and I can destroy all of one Type of opposing Monster! So what will it be, Warriors, or Fiends? I think I'll start with… Warriors! Tribe-Infecting Virus, infect Warriors!"

Dark Blade dropped his swords and fell over. He dissolved into a puddle of goo.

"And I won't bother attacking you, because I know your partner's Skull would just destroy it," said Flint. "Thought I was stupid, huh?"

Clive's score stood at 6,050.

"Yeah," growled Clive, drawing. "That's exactly what I think."

He looked at the card.

_This should do it._

"Mad Dog of Darkness, in Attack Mode!" he proclaimed.

A huge, ferocious dog leapt onto the grid. (1,900/1,400)

"Go Mad Dog!" shouted Clive. "Tear apart Tribe-Infecting Virus!"

Mad Dog of Darkness pounced.

"I don't think so…" said Steel, pushing a button on his Disk.

"Another team strategy!" exclaimed Clive, as the card lifted.

Tribe-Infecting Virus fled, and ran into the Labyrinth Wall. Mad Dog of Darkness looked around, puzzled.

"This is a useful Trap called Labyrinth Defense," said Steel. "It allows any Monster on our side to hide in the Labyrinth Wall for one full turn, completely protected from attacks, unless you can destroy the Wall!"

_Methinks these guys aren't as dumb as they look,_ thought Clive.

"Your move then," he grumbled.

"I don't think you guys can possibly hurt us," laughed Steel. He looked at Peter. "So to speed up your Fiends' demise, I'll simply draw and pass for this turn."

_Crud,_ thought Clive. _Flint is going to use that Virus on Peter's Fiends next, and there isn't a blasted thing I can do about it!_

Peter drew.

"I summon Terrorking Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" shouted Peter.

Thunder struck over Pandemonium, and the King of the Archfiends appeared beside the Darkbishop, Shadowknight, and the Skull. (2,000/1,500)

"Now I'll activate my Trap Card," exclaimed Peter. "A staple of Pandemonium, something called Altar of the Archfiends!"

The card in front of him lifted, and an infernal altar appeared behind the Archfiends.

"What's that?" asked Flint.

"To activate the power of this Altar," said Peter. "I have to sacrifice one Archfiend, so I'll sacrifice my Skull Archfiend of Lightning."

The Skull mounted the Altar, and he vanished. Thunder rolled again.

"And in return for that," said Peter. "I receive Life Points equal to one-half his current Attack Score. Normally, that would give me 1,250 Life Points, but since this is tag-team, I can split it with Clive!"

Two bursts of energy flowed from the Altar, striking Peter and Clive. Peter's Life Points rose to 6,800, and Clive's rose to 6,875.

"Heh," chuckled Clive. "Feels kind of good! Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," said Peter, giving him a thumbs up. "I think I'm getting the hand of this tag-team thing! I'll end my turn."

"Fool," mocked Flint, making a draw. "What your Altar gave you, my Virus will take away, and then some! Emerge from the Labyrinth Wall, Tribe-Infecting Virus!"

The three gloppy germs appeared out of the Labyrinth Wall.

"All I have to do is discard this card from my hand, like so," said Flint, doing so, "and Tribe-Infecting Virus will be able to destroy all three of _your_ Monsters! Tribe-Infecting Virus, infect Fiends!"

"That depends entirely on how lucky your germs are," said Peter. "Go, Darkbishop!"

Darkbishop Archfiend raised his hand, and slowly, a clock with the numbers one through six appeared above him. A skeletal hand rested on the one.

"What?" said Flint. "What is this?"

"All of the major Archfiends have the power to potentially nullify any card effect that is aimed at them," said Peter. "And Darkbishop is the best at doing it! This clock is going to go for a spin – if the bone pointer lands on two, four, or five, your Virus's effect might succeed. Any other number, and it will fail, and Tribe-Infecting Virus will be destroyed! Darkbishop, Bone Roulette now!"

With a cackling noise, the clock's spinner started to spin.

"You just had to provoke them!" shouted Steel, angrily.

The spinner slowed, and stopped.

"Well, a six!" laughed Peter. "Guess your Virus loses!"

Tribe-Infecting Virus burst in a spray of filth. Flint's score dropped to 6,300.

"Any more moves you'd like to make before it's my partner's turn?" asked Peter.

"You know I can't!" shouted Flint. "But you still can't bring down our Labyrinth Wall!"

Clive drew.

_Well now I can,_ thought Clive.

"Watch my combo," smiled Clive. "First, I use Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Blade. Return!"

Dark Blade reappeared in Attack Mode, brandishing his swords. (1,800/1,500)

"Second," continued Clive. "I Tribute Mad Dog of Darkness to bring forth the powerful Kiryu!"

Mad Dog of Darkness vanished, and a large, orange dragon appeared next to Dark Blade. (2,000/1,500)

"Your loyal steed awaits, Dark Blade," said Clive.

Quickly, Dark Blade mounted the dragon, and Kiryu roared.

"What's happening?" gasped Steel.

"Together, these two Monsters form a Union, a Monster that is two in one!" said Clive. "While mounted on Kiryu, Dark Blade's Attack Score goes up to 2,700!"

"That still isn't enough to scratch the Labyrinth Wall!" mocked Steel.

"Wanna bet?" laughed Clive.

He showed them the Spell Card he just drew.

"A STOP DEFENSE CARD?" they both gasped in panic.

"Yup, a Stop Defense Card," chuckled Clive, sliding it into the slot. "Which will bring your Wall into Attack Mode, where its Score is nonexistent!"

The Wall started to shake, as if it were about to crumble.

"Dark Blade," ordered Clive, "demolish the Labyrinth Wall!"

Dark Blade flew forward on his mount, and swung his sword; the Labyrinth Wall came tumbling down.

"And since that Wall counted as belonging to both of you," said Clive. "I just took a major chunk out of both of your Life Points. And there's more to come! Kiryu, Attack Steel with dark fire blast!"

Kiryu opened his jaws and spewed a gout of black flame at Steel, knocking him over. When he got up, he was charred from head to toe.

Flint's Life Point total now stood at 3,900, while Steel's stood at 2,200.

By now the crowd was cheering and screaming Clive and Peter's names. The two of them guessed that now they didn't mind missing out on free shakes.

"You're in trouble now, meatheads," laughed Peter. "You have no Monsters

On your side of the field, while we have five powerful ones of our own! But that's what you get for putting all your trust in a high defense Monster and what you thought was a powerful Effect Monster."

"Steel, you big idiot, do something before they make complete fools of us!" yelled Flint.

"You're doing a good job making a fool of yourself!" yelled Steel.

"Don't make me come over there!" cursed Flint.

Steel drew.

"I'll play the Spell Card Bones of the Earth!" he exclaimed. "It will heal me of 400 Life Points for each Earth Monster I have in my Graveyard! And there are three of them!

His Life Points went up to 3,400.

"Steel you selfish…" cursed Flint. "You could have shared that Life Point gain!"

"I needed it more than you did," growled Steel. "We have to beat these lightweights!"

"You two are unbelievable," mumbled Peter. "My Archfiends are demons, Clive's Dark Scorpions are criminals, and yet each of our groups can work better as a team than you two can. You are pathetic."

"You want to see teamwork?" said Steel. "I'll finish my turn by laying a Monster facedown in Defense,"

He placed down the card. It appeared in front of him.

"Now make your move, curls!" he said.

Peter drew.

"Shadowknight Archfiend, attack what Steel has in Defense Mode! Knight's four-square fury attack!"

Shadowknight Archfiend charged. The Monster appeared on the card…

It was another Morphing Jar!

"No!" gasped Peter. The Jar cackled before it was smashed.

"See?" grinned Steel. "We _both_ had one."

They all discarded their hands and drew new ones.

"Yeah?" growled Peter. Well I have another Monster to attack with! Terrorking Archfiend, attack Flint Directly, with charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking leapt forward and socked Flint in the face! He crawled to his feet, bearing a black eye. His Life Points fell to 1,900.

Steel looked at Flint. He nodded, and Flint nodded back.

"I'll end my turn," said Peter.

"Are you two hungry?" snarled Flint drawing. "Well I hope you like candy… as in BARS! I play the Spell Card _Nightmare Steelcage_!"

The ground erupted around Clive, Peter, and their Monsters, and a dome-like cage formed around them, studded with spikes!

"Hey!" shouted Peter.

"That will keep you and your Monsters from attacking us for two full turns, which should be long enough for us to implement our ultimate strategy!" laughed Flint.

"First," he continued, "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a grey, stone warrior with a sword and shield, decorated with magnets, came forth. (1,400/1,700)

"Your turn, Clive, not like it will matter," laughed Flint.

"Peter, I know what they're planning!" whispered Clive. "That Medulla Oblongata woman used this trick on Yugi in the Labyrinth!"

"I know!" assured Peter. "Calm down!"

Clive drew. He looked at his card.

"I order Dark Blade and Kiryu to separate, and shift them into Defense Mode," said Clive.

Dark Blade dismounted his steed. He kneeled in Defense, and Kiryu curled up. Dark Blade's Attack returned to 1,800.

"And I also summon Cliff the Trap Remover, also in Defense Mode," he continued, "ending my turn."

The trap-master of the Dark Scorpions appeared, and knelt in Defense. (1,200/1,000)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Steel, drawing. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a cute yellow creature with a magnet on his head appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"And I'll place one card facedown," he continued.

The facedown card appeared.

"Your move, curls," chuckled Steel.

"Stop calling me that!" yelled Peter, drawing.

"I'll shift all my offensive Monsters into Defense Mode," he said, "and end my turn."

Terrorking Archfiend and Shadowknight Archfiend knelt in Defense and folded their wings.

"And I'll end my turn," said Peter.

Flint drew.

"I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior, in Attack Mode!" he shouted, slapping the card down. Another Magnet Warrior appeared, this one red with a blocky body and wings. (1,500/1,800)

"Clive, this is looking bad…" muttered Clive.

"Don't panic yet," whispered Peter.

"Your turn, Clifford," laughed Flint.

Clive drew.

"I'm just going to pass for this turn," he said.

Steel drew.

"Then it's time to meet the rocky face of defeat," he smiled.

He put a card down.

"I command all three of the Magnet Warriors to come together! Unite!"

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma clasped their left hands and leapt into the sky in a spinning pattern. A huge burst of light flashed overhead…

And a huge form leapt down. It was another Magnet Warrior, twice the size as the others, combining all the features of the first three.

"Presenting," yelled Flint and Steel, _"Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!"_

(3,500/3,850)

"And since we both contributed to building this creature," continued Steel, "we can both attack with him! Of course, just as you can't attack until the Nightmare Steelcage vanishes, which it will after Peter's next turn, we can't attack you until then either. But I can prepare for that time…"

He hit a button on his Disk and his facedown card appeared.

"I play the Spell Card Destroy Defense!"

And with that, all six of the Monsters on Peter and Clive's side leapt up into Attack Mode!

"This forces all your Monsters into Attack Mode, and prevents anything you summon from defending itself for three full turns!" laughed Steel. "But I doubt you'll even last that long!"

"Now can we panic?" asked Clive.

"No!" shouted Peter.

_I know I have a guy in here that can defeat Valkyrion,_ thought Peter, _but first I have to draw him._

He drew.

_And this isn't it!_

"I pass this turn," he said.

The Nightmare Steelcage crumbled and fell.

Flint chuckled. "I doubt you lightweights can do anything that can threaten Valkyrion," he said. "But just in case… I summon Battle Footballer, in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and the armored football player appeared, crouching down in Defense. (1,000/2,100)

"Now, who to chose?" pondered Flint. "I'll start out with that Warrior of yours who brought down our Labyrinth Wall. Valkyrion, attack Dark Blade with magnetic sword slash!"

Valkyrion flew forward and cleaved Dark Blade in two! Clive's Life Points fell to 4,875.

Clive drew.

"I'll play the Pot of Greed!" he said, inserting the card into the slot.

The smiling jar appeared on the field.

"Oh sure, like that will help," laughed Flint.

Clive made two draws. He looked at one of the cards strangely.

_This might just work,_ he thought. _What did he say about those two Spell Cards he used?_

Got it!

"I place one card facedown," said Clive, "and I end my turn."

The card appeared in front of him.

"Trying to fool us with a bluff, huh?" laughed Steel. "You'd try anything now! I'm going after you next, curls! Valkyrion, attack Darkbishop Archfiend!"

Valkyrion flew forward, and swung! Darkbishop Archfiend dissolved into a puddle of water. Peter's Life Points fell to 3,600.

"Why don't you two just give up?" chuckled Flint.

"Yeah," laughed Steel. "Our Magna Warrior is indestructible!"

Peter drew. He glared at the card.

"Nothing is indestructible," growled Peter. "And I'm going to prove it right now! Behold!"

He held up a Spell Card.

"Contract With The Dark Master?" asked Steel. "What the Hell is that?"

"Interesting choice of words, my friendless friend," grinned Peter. "It's a Ritual Card, which I can use to bring out the mightiest Fiend in my deck!"

He fit it into the slot.

"To invoke its great summoning power, I offer as sacrifice my Terrorking and my Shadowknight!"

Fierce lightning struck over the skies of Pandemonium, and the sky grew black as pitch. The two Archfiends stood back-to-back, and suddenly, a mass of black, wiry ribbons started to wrap around them.

"Steel, this is creepy," muttered Flint.

The two Archfiends were encased in a cocoon… after a few seconds, the cocoon burst, and a huge form stepped out. He looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with slimy hair and huge wings. The winds in the fiendish city started to pick up.

"I give you… the undisputed ruler of all things fiendish, Dark Master Zorc!" said Peter.

(2,700/1,500)

Flint and Steel looked at the creature. Then they laughed out loud.

"Dark Master?" chuckled Steel, sarcastically. "Names mean nothing. That Fiend may be powerful, but Valkyrion is still stronger!"

"Want a bet?" smiled Peter. "I'm activating Zorc's effect right now!"

The ground behind Dark Master Zorc erupted, and a huge, fiendish grandfather clock burst out of the ground. It was decorated by hideous gargoyles, and its black face had the numbers one through six on it, with a sharp pointer resting on the one.

"Huh?" said Flint.

"You won't find this kind of clock in any antique store!" said Peter. "Here's how it will work. When the hand on the Demon Clock goes for a spin, if it stops on the one or two, Zorc can destroy both your Monsters. Three, four, or five, and he can destroy one Monster, and I'll bet you can guess which one he'll aim for!"

"And if it lands on the six?" gasped Steel, starting to sweat.

"Then all our Monsters will be destroyed, and you'll likely win this duel," said Peter. "But you must admit, the odds are against you! Dark Master Zorc, Demon Roulette now!"

The hand on the Demon Clock started to spin. All four of the duelists started to sweat. Every pair of eyes in the crowd was on the clock…

It slowed…

And it landed… on the four!

"Not bad!" smiled Peter.

The gargoyles on the clock breathed forth tremendous flames, roasting Valkyrion the Magna Warrior! Within seconds, he was reduced to ashes!

"NOOO!" shouted Flint and Steel.

"And since that Monster counted as belonging to both of you," said Peter. "You both take damage from his destruction!

"And I can still make a normal attack with Zorc! Time to destroy your last line of defense! Dark Master Zorc, destroy Battle Footballer with unholy blight attack!"

Zorc raised his arms and shot a beam of pure darkness at Battle Footballer, obliterating him.

Now Flint's Life Points stood at 975, while Steel's stood at 2,425.

"That ends my turn," smiled Peter.

"Do something you big jerk!" yelled Steel to his partner.

Flint's hand shook as he drew.

"I summon Rock Ogre Grotto in Defense Mode!" he said, placing a card down.

A blocky humanoid made of stone appeared. (800/1,200)

"I meant something better than _that_!" yelled Steel.

Clive drew. He smiled as he looked at the card.

"It really wouldn't have mattered, guys," said Clive. "Activate Trap… Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

The card revealed itself.

"This Trap allows any member of the Dark Scorpions, like Cliff the Trap Remover there," grinned Clive, "to steal from either of your Graveyards any Spell or Trap Card that he wants!"

A card appeared in Cliff's hands.

"And it looks like he just swiped your Smashing Ground card, Flint," he continued.

The card magically appeared in Clive's hand, and he placed it into his slot.

"So this card destroys the opposing Monster with the highest Defense, right? Doesn't really matter, because your Rock Ogre Grotto is the only Monster you guys have there."

The ground shook again, and Rock Ogre Grotto was smashed into rubble. Flint's Life Points fell to 575.

"Now to finish the both of you off!" yelled Clive. "I Tribute both Cliff the Trap Remover and Kiryu to summon the mightiest Monster in MY deck!"

He placed a card down, and his two Monsters vanished.

"Meet her royal majesty, Crescent Moon Queen!"

She came out of the darkness, a lovely but dark female warrior dressed in armor and a cloak that resembled the night sky. On her head of flowing dark hair was an obsidian crown set with a white diamond. She drew two curved scimitars. (2,600/1,700)

"With her two Crescent Blades, she can attack twice, not once," said Clive. "And she packs enough power to finish the both of you off!

"Crescent Moon Queen, attack those two louts with crescent sword slash!"

The two of them screamed as the Queen charged at them. She cut down both Flint and Steel with two savage swipes! They collapsed, and their Life Point scores both fell to zero.

The crowd cheered. Crescent Moon Queen sheathed her swords. She and Dark Master Zorc looked at each other.

The two Monsters clasped hands, just as Clive and Peter clasped theirs.

As the city of Pandemonium faded away, they looked at their Disks. Both had been upgraded to Green.

"Well folks," smiled Penelope, coming up to them, "that was one Hell of a duel. Literally."

"Uh huh," said Peter.

He and Clive went up to Flint and Steel who were cowering and shivering on the ground in fear.

"And you muscle-bound jerks had best keep your end of the bargain," demanded Clive. "Leave this juice bar alone."

"You'd better," warned Penelope. "In Duelatopia, not honoring a wager is considered cheating. Show up in my place again, and I'll have the Centurions on you faster than that Queen was!"

She turned to Clive and Peter.

"So how about some complimentary chocolate malteds?" she asked.

"Sure," said Peter, "But we have to leave in forty minutes. We're meeting some friends at two."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried turned off the main screen.

"I'll be back in an hour, everyone," he said. "I'm going for lunch. Be sure to keep me posted on any significant changes in what I wanted monitored."

"Yes Master of Games," they said.

Siegfried sighed.

"So many duels going on," he said. "I wish I could participate in a few, rather than just watch. But I can't compromise my identity to anyone but those I've already trusted."

He took from his armor his deck and leafed through it. His three favorite cards, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards, the only three in world, were in front of him.

"It will be revealed eventually," he said. "But until then, I have to hide behind this stifling armor and special machinery. It is a necessity… and in little more than a week or two, it will be over…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**QUICKSAND (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A warrior sinking in a dark mire.

**Card Description: **All opposing face-up Monsters on the field when this card is activated cannot attack, change their battle position, or be used as a Tribute. On your opponent's third End Phase after this card is activated, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GREAT ESCAPE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A laughing Meanae the Thorn carrying a bag of loot escaping from angry guards with a grappling hook.

**Card Description: **Select one "Dark Scorpion" Monster you control, or one that is named "Don Zaloog" or "Cliff the Trap Remover". Remove the selected Monster from play until the End Phase of the current turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LABYRINTH DEFENSE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **Several Monsters wandering through a labyrinth.

**Card Description: **Activate when you control a face-up "Labyrinth Wall". Select one Monster you control, except "Labyrinth Wall". The selected Monster cannot be targeted by an attack. If you do not control a "Labyrinth Wall", or the selected Monster leaves the field, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BONES OF THE EARTH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An earthen burial ground.

**Card Description: **Increase your Life Points by 400 for each EARTH Monster in your Graveyard.


	11. Rivalry of Warlords

_No-one ever forced me to follow the strict and disciplined Code of Bushido… I chose to follow it via my own free will._

_And some would say that I was insane to do so. It is a hard, tiring, demanding life, one that would make the life of a U.S. Marine seem tame._

_And there are few tangible rewards. The Samurai cannot look forward to wealth, material goods, or great fame. The rewards that the Samurai does receive are satisfaction, honor, and spiritual perfection – to most folks like me, those are the greatest of rewards. _

_But to some few who choose to follow the path, they find such rewards unsatisfactory, and decide to take shortcuts, throwing away their honorable methods and disgracing themselves by using their skills for evil. These people, these _failures_, can never know the true meaning of _bushido_._

_I know one of the worst of the lot. I had hoped Yugi would never have had to meet him… but it is too late now…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chapter Ten**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Rivalry of Warlords**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

An hour after Mary's and Peter and Clive's duels had finished, the clock struck two. Ten minutes later, the four members of the Team Supreme met up again. They were all happy to see that most of them had advanced.

As they walked towards the east part of Duelatopia, they began discussing the duels they had fought.

"You're kidding," laughed Mary. "You two in a tag-team duel? Well, what team could have done better?"

"Thanks," answered Peter. "And this Minerva character used an Amazon Deck? Man, I'd wish I had been there to see it!"

"Only one who hasn't dueled yet today is Yugi!" chuckled Clive.

"I'm still one level ahead of all of you," noted Yugi. "You still need to catch up."

"Maybe," assured Mary. "But we're all on a roll!"

"STOP, PLEASE!" shouted a girl's voice suddenly.

At that moment, a tall teenager in punk-like attire wearing a Duel Disk nearly ran into them. He was clutching a card in his hand. He skidded when he saw them, and made a sharp turn, fleeing in another direction.

A younger girl, also wearing a Dueling Disk, came into view. She stopped, almost out of breath.

"Please!" she begged. "My father gave me that card!"

"Come and get it!" mocked the punk.

The girl tried to run after him, but she was much slower than him.

"Hey!" shouted Mary. "Give it back!"

"Who's gonna make me?" dared the punk.

As if to respond, a dark shape appeared out of the corner of a building.

"Open fire!" said an amplified voice.

Two Duelatopian Centurions appeared from the corner, one of them carrying a strange looking rifle. He fired, and a blast resembling blue energy struck the punk. He screamed and fell over.

The two Centurions walked over to him.

"He'll be all right," said one of them. "Inform Central Command that we have a thief."

Yugi, his friends, and the girl stared with amazement.

The Centurion handcuffed the thief's hands behind him, and picked up the stolen card from the ground. Yugi could see what card it was – the secret-rare Spell Card Diffusion Wave-Motion.

The Centurion went over to the somewhat frightened girl, and handed it back.

"I believe this is yours," he said.

"Th-thank you," she stammered. "This was my father's prize card… I don't know what I would have done if…"

"No thanks are necessary ma'am," assured the armored man. "The Duelatopian Centurions exist to protect and serve."

As the Centurions led the dazed thief away, Yugi and his friends started talking quietly amongst themselves.

"I guess the 'no stealing, fighting, or cheating' rule is pretty much non-negotiable," mumbled Peter.

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. "Siegfried means business."

"Well," muttered Mary, "let's see if at least one of us can find a challenge."

Yugi smiled as he saw the girl walk away. He never told Persephone when she offered to trade a Diffusion Wave-Motion for his Guardian Angel Joan, but he already had that card. It was good to see someone else who played decks that centered on Spellcasters.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they entered the east part of Duelatopia, they stopped in front of a large place. They had not been in this area before.

They were standing before a large park, but not one like the park where Peter had dueled Brick. The trees, shrubs, and architecture of the monuments gave the place a serene Japanese feel. A large structure that looked like a Shinto temple stood far away beyond the trees (they'd later learn that it was a fancy Japanese restaurant). A babbling stream with a wooden bridge spanning it was before them, amid the hanging trees. The whole place looked peaceful and idyllic.

Curious, they walked into the park, crossed the bridge and followed the river. This beautiful place obviously was a great place for romantic couples. Many teenagers were in the process of spreading picnic lunches out on blankets, their Duel Disks put aside for now.

They noticed a group of people watching something in an area up ahead. Curious, they went to join them.

The first thing they saw was Amber, trying to hold the people back and motioning for them to be quiet. Then they saw the main attraction. Jade was standing in the center of the gathering, with her katana out. She made a dramatic swing with it, cutting the air as if she were fighting an invisible opponent. Her Duel Disk was on the ground. Yugi could see from the gemstone that she was at Green Status.

"Amber," whispered Yugi. "What's going on?"

"Jade came here to practice," whispered Amber. "Our hotel was a little cramped. But she seems to have obtained quite a fan following. She doesn't like it… Samurai aren't show-offs."

Jade continued, and swung her sword through the air deftly. Again and again, she thrust, swung, and parried.

Finally, she held it silently in front of her. She leapt and made one more dramatic swing, and the crowd gasped.

She slowly sheathed the sword. The crowd clapped. Jade made a polite bow.

She removed her helmet and Amber brought up a handkerchief and a bottle of water.

"Killer moves, Jade," commented Mary.

"Killer," stated Clive.

"Thank you, old friends," answered Jade, drinking from the water bottle. "How goes the tournament for you?"

"See for yourself," answered Peter. They all lifted their Disks.

"Yes," said Jade, strapping her own Disk on. "I might have had more luck, if so many duelists were not intimidated by my armor and sword. They often simply run from me."

"Well, you could just leave them at your hotel…" suggested Mary.

"No, I would feel naked without them," sighed Jade. "Anyway, I…"

"VALENTINE!" screamed a voice.

"What the…?" said Yugi.

A rustling in the trees came from above, and a black shape darted overhead.

"Oh, no," moaned Jade.

Suddenly, a dark form leapt down from the trees. He wore a suit of armor similar to Jade's, but it was black and glossy, and covered with sharp edges. He carried a similar sword on his back, and a Duel Disk, which was also of Green Status, on his left arm.

He glared at Jade. Then he removed his helmet. He was a young man, with long black hair, tied in a long ponytail. He also had the darkest eyebrows they had ever seen.

"Naga…" sneered Jade, obviously somewhat angry.

"So, you remember me Jade," he growled. "Then you obviously remember that I told you it wasn't over…"

"They invited you to Duelatopia?" frowned Jade. "Someone obviously made an error in the registration…"

"I have been winning dozens of tournaments in China since we last met," said Naga. "Obviously Kaiba recognizes my skill."

"You know this guy, Jade?" asked Mary.

"Do you remember my letter telling you about the crisis at my dojo?" she frowned. "It was this one's fault…

"Naga was another of my sensei's pupils, one which I never liked. He was brutal and condescending, and always tried to take shortcuts. He understood the physical aspects of the teachings, but not the mental or spiritual ones. I knew he would ultimately become nothing but a failure. And I think you knew that too, did you not Naga?"

Naga scowled.

"Eventually, Naga decided to abandon the order in a most dishonorable way. One night, he broke into the sensei's main chambers, and attempted to steal an ancient katana – that weapon had been in my sensei's family for centuries, but Naga cared only for how much money it was worth. Luckily, I had stayed up late to train, and saw him sneaking in – I caught him in the act.

"Naga was disgraced, and expelled from the order. I would have suggested prison for you Naga, but fortunately for you, that is not how the master did such things."

"And like I told you the day I was expelled," scowled Naga, "this is not over. I will avenge my disgrace here and now!"

He lowered his helmet over his head, and drew his sword.

"Truly you are a sad case, Naga," said Jade, drawing her own sword. "Attacking me out of revenge will only bring you more dishonor…"

The two warriors raised their swords…

"WAIT!" yelled Mary.

She ran between them. They halted.

"Stand aside, girl!" demanded Naga.

"Don't you two remember what the Master of Games said?" she yelled. "Fighting is forbidden in Duelatopia. Trust me, you do NOT want to mess with those Centurions!"

"I see no Centurions here," snarled Naga.

"Half of them are undercover," stated Peter. "And there might be some watching right now!"

"I have to agree with Mary and Peter on this, Jade," warned Yugi. "It would break my heart if you were arrested and had to spend the rest of this tournament in Duelatopia's prison."

Jade looked at Naga. Naga slowly sheathed his sword.

"In that case," he sneered. "Our true duel will have to wait. But I will not be denied a chance to avenge myself. I challenge you Jade, to a battle of Duel Monsters!"

"I accept!" responded Jade, sheathing her sword.

"Aw man," said an onlooker. "Dueling Samurai! This I gotta see!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The crowd which had watched Jade practice gathered again. Amber stood beside Yugi, Mary, Clive, and Peter, as the two duelists readied their decks.

"Think Jade can beat this guy?" asked Amber.

"Come on!" assured Clive. "Jade came in second in the Duelist Labyrinth! No way this guy can beat her!"

"I hope you are ready for a more public humiliation this time, Naga," smiled Jade.

"Less talking, more dueling," scowled Naga.

The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks swung into position. The numbers set to 8,000 apiece.

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

Jade made her draws.

"For my first move," she said, "I summon Water Magician, in Attack Mode."

Jade put the card down, and a pretty young female Spellcaster dressed in blue with a long cape and porkpie hat with feather, carrying a staff appeared. (1,400/1,000)

_Hmm!_ thought Yugi. _Jade must be planning something. Water Magician isn't exactly a powerful Monster..._

Naga drew.

"If that's your best opening move, I'll have this duel won sooner than I thought!" he laughed. "Strike Ninja, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a black-garbed ninja armed with two daggers appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Figures," muttered Yugi.

"Huh?" asked Mary.

"The Samurai are warriors of virtue, justice, and righteousness," explained Yugi. "They are motivated by honor and loyalty. Ninja, however, are thieves and assassins whose only motivations are greed. They have no honor. Naga has turned his back on [I]bushido[/I] in a vile way by putting that Monster in his deck…

"And I'd wager that isn't the worst of it…"

"Attack, my Ninja!" shouted Naga. "Strike daggers attack!"

The Strike Ninja blazed forward and cut down Water Magician. He flipped back into position. Jade's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"Sorry Naga," said Jade, drawing, "But Water Magician was just a decoy to fool you into bringing out a stronger Monster. She will be honored for her sacrifice, but now your Ninja will go down. Shugenja Sorceress in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a different Spellcaster appeared. She was wearing a white _gi_ with a straw hat; several scroll tubes appeared on her belt, and her feet were bare. (1,900/800)

"Shugenja Sorceress, attack the Ninja!" shouted Jade. "Ki magic attack!"

The Shugenja Sorceress let lose a blast of brilliant light, which vaporized Strike Ninja. Naga's Life Points fell to 7,800.

"What?" gasped Naga. "No fair!"

"Your move," said Jade.

Naga drew.

_Good,_ he thought. _I may not be able to destroy that Sorceress, but she can't destroy this!_

"I summon Serpentine Princess in Defense Mode!" he announced.

He put the card down, and an evil looking woman with a long snaky tail in place of legs appeared, reclining on her coils. (1,400/2,000)

"There," smiled Naga. "Her Defense is stronger than your Sorceress's Attack."

"Not for long," said Jade, drawing.

She looked at the card, and smiled.

"I first summon Goddess of Whim, in Attack Mode," she said, putting it down.

A beautiful woman covered with leaves and ivy appeared. (950/700)

_I remember that one!_ thought Yugi. _She used Goddess of Whim against me…_

"And now," continued Jade, "I Equip Shugenja Sorceress with Sacred Bow!"

She put a card in a slot, and a golden bow and arrow appeared in the Sorceress's hands. Her attack went up to 2,300.

"What? No!" gasped Naga.

"Shugenja Sorceress," ordered Jade, "attack with sacred arrow attack!"

The Sorceress pulled back the bowstring and fired, hitting Serpentine Princess in the chest. She hissed and fell dead.

"Now, my Goddess of Whim…" said Jade.

"No!" screamed Naga. "I'm wide open for a direct attack!"

The Goddess walked up to him with a smile.

"My Goddess is going to attack you all right," said Jade, "but you can lower the intensity of the attack if you are lucky."

The Goddess raised her fist. She was only five feet from Naga.

"What to you mean?" asked Naga. He didn't like the look in the Goddess's eyes.

"A little game of _ro-sham-bo_," exclaimed Jade. "If you win this toss, her Attack power will be halved. If you lose, it will be doubled. Simple enough?"

Naga hesitated.

"Come now, Naga," said Jade. "She is waiting. If you refuse, she wins automatically."

Naga snarled and raised his fist. They shook.

One, two, three…

Their hands both stayed closed, rock.

"Again!" ordered Jade.

One, two, three…

Naga's hand opened, paper. The Goddess's fingers jutted out, scissors!

"Scissors cuts paper!" smiled Jade. "My Goddess wins!"

The Goddess of Whim's attack score doubled to 1,900!

"No!" gasped Naga, as she reached for him.

"You had best pucker up, Naga!" grinned Jade.

The Goddess seized him and planted a deep wet one on his lips. Naga screamed as best he could, and when she let go, he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His Life Points plummeted to 5,900.

Everyone laughed at Naga as he gasped for air and the Goddess backed up.

"What was wrong, Naga?" asked Jade. "Did you not like my Goddess's Kiss of Whim?"

"You will pay for this humiliation…" sneered Naga, drawing.

He looked at his card.

"I play the Spell Card Soul Exchange!" he said, placing it into the slot.

Goddess of Whim screamed and vanished.

"This Spell Card lets me Tribute one of your Monsters in place of one of mine," he said. "So I'll Tribute your Goddess of Whim to bring out the dreaded Hebi-No-Ona, in Attack Mode!"

A woman in a fancy kimono and exotic hairstyle appeared in front of him. She lifted up her long sleeves, and they saw that, in place of arms, she had huge snakes, asps to be specific. (1,900/1,200)

"That… doesn't look good," muttered Clive.

"Of course, since I just used Soul Exchange, I must end my turn there," he said. "But you must admit, it was clever."

"Clever?" said Jade. "More like _stupid_. That Hebi-No-Ona thing might look scary, but my Sorceress outranks her by 400 Attack points with the Sacred Bow. Plus, if that Monster is a Dark Monster, and I am guessing it is, the Bow grants the Sorceress a further 500 point bonus."

Naga sighed.

"Looks like you got me!" he shrugged.

"Indeed," said Jade, drawing. "Beautiful Headhuntress, in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and a lovely young girl dressed in a kimono and carrying an executioner's cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

"Just a warning," warned Jade. "Once my Sorceress disposes of your Hebi-No-Ona, my Headhuntress's blade will come down on _your_ neck.

"Shugenja Sorceress, sacred arrow attack!"

The Sorceress pulled back her bow…

And at that moment, the Hebi-No-Ona's two snake like mouths and her true mouth – which was fanged – opened, and her eyes glowed red. Shugenja Sorceress froze in place.

Naga chuckled. "Did I mention the Hebi-No-Ona's special Effect?" he laughed. "While she is on the field, she can hypnotize one Monster of my choice, and keep that Monster from making any attacks! She may not be strong enough to defeat your Sorceress, but she can keep her from attacking!"

"I was right," mumbled Clive. "That isn't good."

Jade paused. _So he is not so stupid,_ she thought.

"I will end my turn," she said.

"Good," said Naga, drawing.

_Hmm,_ he thought. _This will be good for "insurance"…_

"I'll first play one card facedown," he said, fitting a card into a slot.

"Now, despite the fact that my Hebi-No-Ona is keeping your Sorceress at bay doesn't mean she has to attack _her_," her said. "Hebi-No-Ona, attack the Beautiful Headhuntress with asp spit attack!"

The Hebi-No-Ona raised her "arms" and spit a stream of venom at the Beautiful Headhuntress; she screamed and was melted into goo. Jade's Life Points fell to 7,400.

"And I'll end my turn by summoning Gagagigo in Attack Mode," he said.

He placed the card down, and a tall, humanoid lizard dressed in a loincloth appeared. (1,850/1,000)

Jade drew. She looked at the card.

_Could this possibly work?_ she thought. _Could there be limits to that thing's powers?_

_One way to find out…_

"I Tribute my Sorceress to summon Robo-Ronin, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down. The Shugenja Sorceress vanished, and the large, mechanical Samurai appeared. (2,000/1,000)

"Robo-Ronin," she shouted, "attack the Hebi-No-Ona with energy blade slash!"

The Machine raised his glowing sword.

"Have you forgotten my Hebi-No-Ona's power?" laughed Naga.

The Hebi-No-Ona opened her three sets of jaws again, and her eyes glowed…

But the Robo-Ronin wasn't impressed. It brought its sword down on the creature, obliterating her!

"What?" gasped Naga.

Naga's Life Points fell to 5,800.

"Seems you did not study your Monster's powers fully," said Jade. "Your Hebi-No-Ona was able to entrance and enspell ordinary creatures, but when faced against a soulless, emotionless Machine, her hypnotic gaze was useless."

"You're a bigger fool than I thought, Naga," said Yugi. "You should have known that Machines can't be hypnotized!"

"You be quiet!" snapped Naga.

"I'm ending my turn," said Jade. "But your Gagagigo is next."

"Really?" said Naga. "Think again. I was prepared in case you found a way around my Hebi-No-Ona…"

He drew.

"Ah, perfect!" he chuckled. "I summon Lady Ninja Yae, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a beautiful woman with green hair in a purple leotard, armed with a long knife appeared. (1,100/200).

"And now, I reveal my facedown Spell Card!" exclaimed Naga.

The card revealed itself, and a huge shape appeared over the field. It resembled a huge altar with a circular portal of multicolored lights on top of it.

Lady Ninja Yae screamed as she _and _Robo-Ronin were sucked into it.

"Uh, someone want to explain to me what just happened?" asked Peter.

"It's a Spell Card called Different Dimension Gate," exclaimed Naga. "I play it, and one of your Monsters, and one of mine, is banished to the Different Dimension. And they'll stay there until you find a way to destroy the Spell Card!"

"You would imprison one of your own Monsters to get rid of one of mine?" said Jade. "That is low, Naga."

"I do what it takes," said Naga. "In the meantime, Gagagigo, attack Jade with a direct attack on her Life Points!"

Gagagigo charged forward, punching Jade, and making a huge dent in her armor! She fell over, and her Life Points were reduced to 5,550.

"Jade!" screamed Amber.

"Don't worry," said Jade. "It isn't over yet…"

She got up and drew.

_This will help get rid of that lizard,_ she thought.

"First, one card facedown," she said, putting a card down.

The card appeared in front of her.

"And then, Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode!"

She put the cards down; first the facedown card appeared, and then the rabbit-like Beast-Warrior in a _gi_ materialized. (1,500/1,000)

"My lizard man will make hasenpfeffer out of that rabbit!" said Naga.

"Not when I Equip him with this," said Jade, selecting a card. "The Blade of Bushido!"

She set the card into a slot, and a sword of pure light appeared in Usagi Warrior's hands.

"This special Equip is only usable by Warriors and Beast-Warriors of the Light Attribute," explained Jade. "But it boosts their Attack power by a considerable 800 points!"

Usagi Warrior's Attack Power went up to 2,300.

"Looks like Jade traded in her Ancestral Daisho card for something better," observed Mary.

"Now," said Jade. "Attack, my Warrior! Way of Bushido strike!"

Usagi Warrior leapt up into the air and brought the glowing sword down on Gagagigo, vaporizing him. Naga's Life Points fell to 5,350.

"Alright!" yelled Clive. "It's still close, but Jade has just taken a slight lead."

"Let's hope she can keep it," said Peter.

Naga drew.

_Interesting_ he thought. _With this I can bring out one of my most powerful creatures!_

"I summon Giant Soldier of Stone, in Defense Mode," he said.

The huge stone statue appeared and assumed a sitting, defensive position. (1,300/2,000)

"And I also lay two cards facedown," he said, putting two cards into his slots. They appeared behind the Soldier.

"And that will end my turn," he said.

Jade drew, and looked at the card.

_This creature could come in handy,_ she thought. _Problem is, I need another card to activate his effect._

"Very well," said Jade. "Now I will destroy your Gate! Activate Dust Tornado!"

Her facedown Trap Card revealed itself, and a tornado encircled the Different Dimension Gate. It was blown to pieces!

Naga smiled. Apparently he was waiting for that.

Two forms leapt out of the explosion. Robo-Ronin leapt back to Jade's side, and Lady Ninja Yae leapt back to Naga's side. They were both covered with green slime.

Naga chuckled. "I don't think your robot liked getting Different Dimension goo all over him!" he laughed.

"Your Lady Ninja likely didn't enjoy it either!" snarled Jade. "I would be mad at you if I were her!"

"Right, like a Duel Monster can get mad," chuckled Naga. "It won't matter in a few minutes anyway. Just finish your move!"

_Well, seeing as both of his Monsters are in Defense Mode…_ thought Jade.

"Usagi Warrior," said Jade. "Attack his Giant Soldier of Stone!"

The Beast-Warrior charged forth…

"I don't think so Jade!" laughed Naga, hitting a button on his Disk.

"No!" gasped Jade. "A Trap?"

"A powerful one called Really Eternal Rest!" said Naga, as the Trap revealed itself. "This Trap can destroy all Monsters on the Field who are armed with Equips, such as that Usagi Warrior!"

Usagi Warrior gasped and fell dead. Jade's Life Points fell to 4,975.

"You see, Jade," said Naga. "I knew you used a lot of Equips, so I came prepared!"

Jade looked at his other facedown card.

"Rather than tempt fate, I'll end my turn," she said.

"Good," chuckled Naga. "You really should have attacked, by the way, but since you didn't, I can put my master plan into action!"

"Master plan?" stammered Mary. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"First," said Naga. "I'll shift both my Monsters into Attack Mode!"

Giant Soldier of Stone and Lady Ninja Yae moved up into attack position.

_What's he doing?_ thought Yugi. _Neither of them can defeat Robo-Ronin._

"And now, I reveal my second Trap Card…" he said.

The card lifted. It had the picture of Lady Ninja Yae surrounded by magical energy.

"It's called Ninjitsu Art of Transformation," explained Naga. "As she is, Lady Ninja Yae is a Warrior of Level Three. But with this Trap Card, I can transform her into a ravenous Beast, Winged Beast, or Insect of Level Six or lower!"

At these words, Lady Ninja Yae drew back. She apparently did _not_ approve of Naga's "master plan." She looked back slightly at him with an expression of fear.

"What?" gasped Jade. "That is_ monstrous_, Naga! You'll be stealing her humanity and destroying her mind!"

Yae started to sweat. Naga chuckled.

"A true warrior needs no mind," he laughed. "Just a powerful _body!_ Besides, who cares what befalls my Monsters? All they are are playing cards… they're nothing more than tools!"

"I can see now why you failed as a Samurai, Naga," muttered Yugi, speaking up. "Your soul is too twisted to ever comprehend what the Heart of the Cards means. If you can't master that, you had no chance of mastering _bushido_.

"I'd almost feel sorry for you, but you're such a big piece of walking fertilizer that I simply can't."

"I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me!" yelled Naga. "Ninjitsu Art of Transformation, transform Lady Ninja Yae!"

Lady Ninja Yae screamed and keeled over. She started to grow and her clothes burst. Within a minute, she grew fur, a tail, and huge wings. After about a minute, she had transformed into a huge, lion-like beast with vast, feathered wings, huge jaws, and razor sharp claws! The Beast roared.

"The Manticore of Darkness!" gasped Mary.

(2,300/1,000)

"Manticore of Darkness," said Naga. "Destroy Robo-Ronin with primal rage attack!"

The Manticore breathed forth a wave of fiery energy, melting the Robo-Ronin.

"Now my Giant Soldier of Stone," said Naga. "Make a direct attack on Jade's Life Points!"

The Giant Soldier raised his giant sword and smashed it down on Jade, sending her falling to the ground.

Jade's score stood at 3,375

"Man, now what?" gasped Amber, somewhat scared. "Jade will never bring down that thing!"

"Give your sister some credit," assured Yugi. "You didn't see most of what happened in New York."

"Hang in there, Jade!" called Mary. "You can beat this creep!"

Jade drew.

_Finally,_ she thought. _Just what I needed._

"I summon Avatar of the Pot, in Defense Mode!" she said.

She lay down the card, and a large green genie appeared, sitting in the lotus position. He wore a brown breechcloth, and his head resembled the Pot of Greed. He let out a throaty chuckle. (1,200/1,300)

"What are you going to do with _that_ joker?" laughed Naga.

Jade showed him the card she had just drawn – the Pot of Greed.

"With him on the Field, I can send the Pot of Greed to the Graveyard…" she said.

She did so.

"…and in return, I can draw three new cards."

She made three draws.

_Excellent,_ she thought.

"I will end my turn by laying one card facedown," she said, putting one of the new cards into a slot. It appeared behind the Avatar.

"You don't scare me, Jade," said Naga. "Manticore of Darkness, destroy the Avatar!"

Manticore of Darkness breathed forth his deadly energy… Jade pressed a button on her Disk.

"Ancient master says, look before you leap," said Jade. "The Avatar was also bait for my Trap!"

The Manticore halted. It was snared in the Spellbinding Circle!

"All right!" shouted Mary.

The Manticore's Attack went down to 1,600.

Naga growled.

"I'll switch my Giant Soldier back into Defense Mode," he said. "And end my turn."

Giant Soldier of Stone knelt in Defense.

Jade drew.

"I'll Tribute my Avatar of the Pot," said Jade. "Prepare to meet the driving force of my deck…"

The Avatar chuckled again and vanished; a beam of light struck from the heavens. A form materialized. He stepped out of the light, a powerful Samurai clad in golden armor and wielding a mighty katana blade…

Standing ready to attack was Yamoto the Noble Samurai! (2,200/2,000)

"All right!" smiled Peter. "It's about time she brought out the heavy artillery!"

"Yamoto," shouted Jade. "Demolish his Giant Soldier of Stone with katana blade slash!"

Yamoto hollered a war cry and brought his sword down on the Giant Soldier, reducing it to pebbles.

"It's your move, Naga," said Jade.

_Now why didn't she attack the Manticore?_ thought Naga.

He drew.

_Well, if she waits another round, I'll be able to shatter her Spellbinding Circle! _

"For my move, I will simply place one Monster facedown in Defense Mode," said Naga.

He put the card down, and it appeared next to the Manticore.

Jade drew.

"Time to put your poor transformed ninja out of her misery," said Jade. "I summon the eager young pupil of Yamoto, Sashia the Samurai Squire, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and another beam of light struck. A young girl dressed in leather armor, holding a short sword and wearing a bow and a quiver of arrows, appeared next to Yamoto. (1,700/1,500)

The two Warriors nodded to each other, and turned to face Naga.

"These two Samurai believe in the one thing you could never comprehend, Naga," said Jade. "Loyalty. Yamoto is such a powerful influence on Sashia, that her Attack power goes up by 300 while he is on the field."

Sashia's Attack went up to 2,000.

"And furthermore," said Jade. "While together, they can forgo both of their attacks to make a cooperative attack at a 2,600-point intensity!

"Yamoto! Sashia!" ordered Jade. "Combine your attacks! Destroy Manticore of Darkness with ki energy blast attack!"

Yamoto and Sashia clashed their swords together and a beam of light flashed from them, enveloping the Manticore. It howled, and was obliterated.

Naga's Life Points fell to 4,350

"And I will end by laying one card facedown," said Jade.

She put the card into the slot, and it appeared behind her warriors.

Naga snarled, and he drew.

"That facedown card had better not be a Trap Card, Jade," he said, "because if it is, I'm about to destroy it! I'll flip-summon my facedown Monster, Crimson Ninja!"

He pressed a button on his Disk, and a sword-wielding ninja dressed in scarlet emerged. (300/300)

And at the same time, Jade's facedown card shattered.

"Crimson Ninja, when flipped, can destroy any Trap Card," said Naga. "I was going to use it to destroy your Spellbinding Circle, but now I'll make do. I'll just Tribute the weak Crimson Ninja to summon the powerful Ghostfaced Ninja, in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and Crimson Ninja vanished. In his place arose a frightening figure in a dark robe, with tangled white hair, wearing a frightening oriental mask. He was carrying a large Japanese spear. (2,000/1,500)

"Eesh, what is _that_?" gasped Mary.

He looks like something out of bad kung-fu movie," said Clive.

"And I'll end my turn there," said Naga.

"That Ghostfaced Ninja might look tough," said Jade, drawing. "But my Warriors will make short work of him!"

"That depends entirely on how lucky they are!" dared Naga.

_Now what does he mean by that?_ thought Jade.

She put a card down.

"Nin-Ken Dog, in Attack Mode," she said.

A gust of wind appeared in front of her, and a dog-like beast-warrior in a red kimono appeared, holding a shining katana. (1,800/1,000).

"Once Yamoto destroys your Ghostfaced Ninja," said Jade, "Sashia and Nin-Ken can both attack _you._"

"Bring it on," dared Naga.

"Yamoto," ordered Jade. "Destroy his Ghostfaced Ninja! Katana blade slash!"

Yamoto charged. Naga gritted his teeth…

As Yamoto swung his sword, Ghostfaced Ninja vanished in a puff of smoke. As Yamoto passed by, he reappeared in another puff of smoke.

"What?" said Jade.

"What?" said Clive.

Yugi stared at the creature. He kind of expected that the Ninja was hiding a secret…

"Looks like your Samurai… missed!" laughed Naga.

"Duel Monsters do not just 'miss'!" snarled Jade.

"As his name suggests, Ghostfaced Ninja possesses the power to slip in-between this reality and the ethereal plane, like a spirit," explained Naga. "Thus, he has a fifty percent chance of completely avoiding any attack! And your other two Monsters are too weak to try taking him down… well, Sashia could try it, but if she were successful, she'd kill herself in the process."

"I'll end my turn then," said Jade, "by laying one card facedown."

She did so, and the card appeared in front of her.

"In that case, I'll draw," said Naga.

He drew a card.

_Hmm, this might come in handy later,_ he thought, adding it to his hand.

"Now," he said, "I'll use a ninja's favorite Equip card! The Fuhma Shuriken!"

"Yugi, what's that?" asked Amber.

"Fuhma Shuriken is an Equip card that can be used by any Monster with the word 'Ninja' in the name," replied Yugi. "A powerful one."

"You're so right, Yugi," agreed Naga. "And I'll Equip it to my Ghostfaced Ninja!"

The Ninja's spear vanished and a large shuriken appeared in his hand.

"This Equip brings his Attack all the way up to 2,700!" gloated Naga. "Now, he's stronger than all three of your Monsters, and he'll take them down one by one! Ghostfaced Ninja, attack the Nin-Ken Dog with flying shuriken of death attack!"

The Ghostfaced Ninja threw a flurry of shuriken at the Nin-Ken Dog, nearly slicing him apart. Jade's Life Points slipped to 2,475.

"Think I'll end my turn by laying a card facedown," said Naga, placing a card in a slot.

It appeared behind his ninja.

"But how will you defeat my super-charged ninja?"

"It all depends on whether or not he's lucky _twice!_" shouted Jade. "I activate my Trap Card: Book of Tao!"

Her facedown card revealed itself, revealing a Trap Card depicting a glowing book with Chinese writing.

"What on earth?" gasped Naga. "Isn't that..."

"The ancient Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, ignoramus," sneered Jade. "Did you not ever read it? It is kind of required reading for a Samurai! Anyway, its arcane power of wisdom is such that for one round, all Light Monsters on the Field have their Attack Scores doubled! And that means both Yamoto and Sashia!"

The two Samurai on the Field started to glow. Yamoto's Attack score went up to 4,400, and Sashia's went up 4,000!

"Now, let's see if your Ghostfaced Ninja can avoid _both_ of their attacks… but I warn you, if the first one hits, you lose this duel!"

Naga drew back in fright.

"Sashia, attack!" commanded Jade.

Sashia lunged forward with her sword. But again, the Ghostfaced Ninja vanished into mist and reappeared.

"Ha! She missed," laughed Naga.

"Yamoto, attack!" said Jade.

Everyone on Yugi's side started to sweat as Yamoto charged…

Yamoto drove his blade deep into the Ghostfaced Ninja! He screamed and burst.

"Yay! Go Jade!" shouted Amber.

"I knew she'd beat that creepy Ninja!" said Mary.

"Well don't get too self confident," gloated Naga. By destroying the Ghostfaced Ninja, you sent the Fuhma Shuriken to the Graveyard, and by doing that, you lose 700 Life Points!"

"Aw, crud!" moaned Amber. "Can't we ever catch a break?"

Jade's Life Point's now stood at 1,775, while Naga's stood at 2,650.

The Trap Card vanished, and Yamoto's and Sashia's scores returned to normal.

"Make your move," dared Jade.

Naga looked at his cards.

_I have a powerful Monster in my hand,_ he thought, _but it needs a two-Monster Tribute to summon! And with her cooperative attack, two weak Monsters would never last long enough._

He drew.

Then he looked at his facedown card. He looked at the card he just drew.

_Of course,_ he thought. _It's obvious…_

"I play the Spell Card known as… Card Destruction!" he exclaimed.

He placed a card in a slot.

"Now both of us must discard our entire hands and draw new ones!" he laughed.

"I know how Card Destruction works!" snarled Jade.

They each discarded their hands and drew an equal number of cards.

"Now," Naga laughed, "I reveal my facedown card…"

It lifted up…

Monster Reborn.

"And now," he cackled. "I'll use it to summon one of the Monsters I just discarded!"

The sky above them grew dark. A sinister shape appeared on the field. Standing almost seven feet tall, it was a ninja dressed in dark clothing with golden trim, and fiendish raiment, carrying two wicked swords.

"Meet the incredible Ninja King!" shouted Naga.

(2,600/1,900)

"That creature is even stronger than Dark Magician!" gasped Mary.

"Ninja King," commanded Naga, "attack Sashia with Ninjitsu furry attack!"

Sashia screamed as the Ninja King leapt up and brought his swords down on her, cutting her to shreds. Yamoto glared at him and Naga with hate.

Jade's Life Points fell to 1,175

"Well," smiled Naga. "It's your move."

Jade drew. She slowly added the card to her hand.

"Well Naga," she said, taking a different card from her hand, "this card worked for you… so I'm using my own Monster Reborn to bring Sashia back."

She put the card down, and Sashia reappeared, in Attack Mode.

"What good will that do you?" chuckled Naga.

"Remember your Ghostfaced Ninja?" said Jade, choosing a card. "You said that he depended on luck. I don't depend on luck. In matters like that, I depend on faith… the faith that has guided me for so long… the faith that you rejected when you tried to steal via your dishonorable ways."

"Stop talking in riddles!" demanded Naga.

"I have faith that the being I am about to summon will guide me to victory in this duel," said Jade. "I summon Time Wizard!"

She threw the card down, and Time Wizard leapt up, brandishing his staff. (500/400)

"Oh!" gasped Mary.

"It all comes down to this, Naga," said Jade. "If the Time Wizard's spin misses, you will win this duel… if he succeeds, you will lose. Time Wizard, time roulette now!"

The pointer on the Time Wizard's staff started to spin.

"Come on, Time Wizard," pleaded Clive.

"Don't land on a skull," begged Amber.

The spinner slowed…

And it landed with a "ding" on the top crown!

"YES!" cheered Amber.

"_Time Magic!"_ shouted the Wizard. The time warp opened overhead, and the Ninja King gasped. He dropped his swords.

When the warp stopped, the Ninja King's Attack score had been reduced to 1,900.

"A thousand years has passed," said Jade. "The Ninja King has been aged into a crippled old man!"

"Yes," smiled Yugi. "And that isn't the only effect that the Wizard's spell has had."

"Huh?" said Mary.

Yamoto the Noble Samurai started to glow.

"Oh yeah," smiled Mary. "When Yamoto is exposed to Time Magic, he gets stronger!"

Yamoto glowed like a miniature sun. Sashia stepped back, looking overjoyed. After a few seconds, Yamoto stepped out, his eyes glowing golden, his armor a brilliant white, and his sword shining a radiant glow.

Yamoto the Noble Samurai was now Yamoto the Celestial Avatar! (2,800/2,400)

"Now Yamoto," shouted Jade, "smite the Ninja King with burning celestial blade attack!"

The Celestial Avatar ran forward in a blur, and the Ninja King was vaporized. Naga's Life Points fell to 1,950.

"Finish him off Sashia!" shouted Jade. "Show Naga the true power of the Samurai, with a direct attack on his Life Points!"

Sashia raised her sword, and leapt into the air. She brought her blade down on Naga, and he screamed, falling to the ground.

It was over.

Everyone applauded. Jade's busted armor repaired itself. She looked at her Disk, and the gem on it changed color to Blue. She looked at Naga. His Disk was downgraded to Yellow.

"No, no!" shouted Naga. He leapt to his feet.

"This still isn't over Jade," he cursed. "Someday our true duel will commence. Someday soon, you will face my wrath, and you will not survive!"

He bowled through the crowd and fled.

Jade removed her helmet and slowly shook her head.

"I almost pity him," she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jade, Amber, and their friends spent a lot of time talking; mostly about the tournament thus far. It was almost five o'clock when Jade got up.

"I would love to stay longer in these peaceful surroundings, my friends," she said. "But I have to eat… and then I have to take a bath. I'm certain we'll cross paths again. Come along Amber."

As she started to get up, a realization came over Yugi.

"Jade, wait!" he called.

"Yes?" she asked.

"This bath…" he asked. "Would it happen to be the _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual?"

"Um, actually, yes," said Jade. "Why?"

They all knew what that meant. Jade had mentioned the _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual last year when they were in the City of Souls. It was a procedure where a trained Samurai could meditate while immersed in water that had been heated to the boiling point, and could strengthen both the body, mind, and spirit. It was naturally dangerous for a beginner, and for such novices could only be done with the aid of a Samurai who was experienced in it.

Jade had later half-jokingly told them that she was authorized to aid a novice in _mizu-ken-kasai_, and that any of them were welcome to join her in it someday – a proposal which Yugi had become very curious about.

"Um, Jade," muttered Yugi. "Remember when you said that any of us could try it if we wanted? I… well… I might want to take you up on that offer…"

Jade gave him a long look.

"You are certain?" she asked.

Yugi paused.

"Yes," he said.

Jade gave him a long look again.

She took a piece of paper out of her satchel, and started writing down something on it.

"Come to the Wingweaver Hotel at seven-thirty, and give this to the doorman," she said. "I'll be waiting."

"Um, you do have a bathing suit, right?" mentioned Yugi.

Jade smiled. "I will wear one if it will make you feel better," she assured him.

As she and Amber walked off, Clive went over to Yugi.

"Yug', are you nuts?" he asked.

"Dunno," said Yugi. "Maybe I am."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the park, someone was watching as Yugi and his friends exited. One of the strange men dressed in an overcoat and sunglasses watched their every move.

He felt a strange sensation. He raised his hand, and the white sphere appeared in his hand. Again, the fiendish red eyes appeared in it.

"Yes master?" he said.

"I have given the matter some thought," said the form in the sphere. "Perhaps it is time we should test one of Yugi's disciples. Which of them do you believe is the strongest?"

"I would say Mary," answered the cloaked man. "After all, she is the most experienced."

"Very well," said the form. "Wait until she lies down to sleep, and then slip her the special item you procured. We will soon see if she is as brave as her mentor… and if so, if she is anywhere near as powerful…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HEBI-NO-ONA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description: **When this card is Normal Summoned, select one face-up opposing Monster. The selected Monster cannot attack

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GHOSTFACED NINJA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **When this card is attacked by n opposing Monster, toss a coin and call it. If you call correctly, negate the attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NINJA KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **Double the ATK of all "Ninja" Monsters on the field except "Ninja King".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BOOK OF TAO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A leather-bound book with a yin-yang on the cover.

**Card Description: **Double the ATK of all LIGHT Monsters on the field until the End Phase of the turn.


	12. Horn of Heaven

_**Over the past year, I've been incredibly curious about the **_**mizu-ken-kasai**_** ritual that Jade regularly undergoes. Jade has told me that during this special meditative ritual of sensory-deprivation, one might experience visions of the past, present, and even the future, not all of it concerning the participant. Of course, she told me that a beginner shouldn't expect much on his first few attempts.**_

_**Well, I don't have enough time to tell you how wrong Jade was in that last part! Right now, the two of us are experiencing a vision that would likely be the blockbuster event of the summer if it were shown in theaters! I feel like I should be spending a fortune just watching what is happening.**_

_**And since this is a ritual that was designed in ancient times by powerful Samurai, I know I'm supposed to learn from it… exactly what, I'll just have to wait and see…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Horn of Heaven**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In Mary's hotel room, she was watching a movie on the television. Having free premium channels was a good change of pace. She was worried a little about Yugi and what he had gone off to do… and maybe a little a jealous because what he was doing involved bathing with another woman… but she trusted Jade's judgment.

In Clive's room, Peter was working on something with him. He took two slender chains, and threaded them through holes he had punched in the two halves of the Griggle card they had split.

"There," stated Peter, lowering one of them around his neck. "That will keep them from getting lost."

"Wonder how Yugi is doing," wondered Clive, putting his on. "It's almost seven-fifteen…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi was walking down the hotel strip. He wore his bathing suit under his regular clothes.

He walked down the strip until he found the Wingweaver hotel. It was a modest place, with a large mural depicting – who else? – Wingweaver over the front entrance. The sun was slowly setting in the west – it got dark late this time of the year in this region.

Yugi walked up to the doorman. "Can I help you sir?" he asked.

Yugi handed him the note that Jade hade given him.

"Oh, yes, Yugi Mouto," he approved. "Miss Valentine is waiting for you in the main courtyard… just take the second hallway to the left."

"Thank you," said Yugi.

He entered and made his way to the door that entered into a large courtyard. On the door was a sign:

**RESERVED FROM 7:30 to 9:30**

_Okay Yugi,_ he thought. _You've faced things much scarier than this. You aren't going to back out now._

He entered the courtyard.

The first thing he saw startled him – a large cauldron, twice the size of a Jacuzzi, was set up in the center of the courtyard, which was full of trees and exotic plants. The cauldron had a lid which was made up of two pieces, hinged on each side. A short stairway had been set up to reach the lid.

He then saw Amber, who was tending a fire pit underneath it. It was lit by blazing hot coals, and steam was already pouring out of the top.

"Hi," smiled Amber.

"Um, hello," said Yugi.

"You know Yugi," muttered Amber, "I get nervous enough when Jade does this by herself. The thought of her inviting a friend for it…"

"I kind of invited myself," mumbled Yugi. "Say, have you ever…?"

"Tried it once," sighed Amber. "Didn't like it. Didn't get much out of it."

Yugi changed the subject. "How did you set all this up?" he asked.

"Siegfried was very kind," answered Amber. "He provided all the tools… although he did say his insurance didn't cover accidents caused by ancient martial arts rituals… So I guess we're _very_ lucky he's even letting you two do this here.

"You'd best change into your bathing suit."

"It's under my…" started Yugi.

At that point, Jade came in… wearing a green string bikini. Yugi's eyes opened wide.

"Hello Yugi," she said.

Yugi was speechless.

_Not even Naga could have withstood the power of Jade's dynamite body!_ he thought.

"Last chance to reconsider, Yugi," cautioned Jade, "because once the _mizu-ken-kasai_ starts, I cannot stop it until it reaches completion."

"I'm not afraid," stated Yugi.

"That may soon change," warned Jade.

Yugi removed his Puzzle.

"Amber, guard that Puzzle with your life," ordered Jade, as Yugi removed his outer garments. "And do not put it on."

Jade understood the power of the Millennium Puzzle. During the City of Souls incident, Remi had captured Jade and taken over her mind, and had forced her into mortal combat with Yugi. Yugi had freed Jade from his evil control, but Jade sank into depression, feeling that what she had done was unforgivable. She was ready to kill herself with the ritual suicide known as _seppuku_, but Yami instructed Yugi to give her the Puzzle, and he used it to enter Jade's soul chamber, where he was able to talk the Samurai into a more reasonable solution. Much later, Jade realized that the strange and wise Spirit she had encountered was the same one that guided her friend when he dueled. She didn't quite know who Yami was, but she trusted him – and knew that the Puzzle was more powerful than any relic she had ever known.

"Don't worry," assured Amber. "I'll keep it safe."

"Now Yugi," explained Jade, "the first rule is the most important. Once we are submerged, we must _never_ break contact. If that happens, you will likely burn or drown before I can save you.

"Don't try to hold your breath – once the ritual starts, breathing will be unnecessary. The water itself provides all the needed life support.

"Now, during the ritual, one might catch glimpses of things that were, things that are, and things that might be. But since this is your first time, do not expect much.

"Any questions?"

"No," said Yugi.

"The water is at a full boil, sis," said Amber.

"Very well," said Jade. "Take my hand Yugi."

They clasped hands and walked to the stairway.

"If you are going to say anything, you might as well do so now," mentioned Jade. "Usually, words cannot carry in this ritual. Only the mind and the _ki_ can function during this experience for the most part.

"And remember, if you do see anything threatening, don't worry, they are only visions. They may be frightening, but they cannot harm you."

Yugi searched his mind for something to say, but he couldn't find anything.

They ascended the stairs. Yugi saw the boiling pit before him, and his first thought was that he was out of his mind.

_Trust Jade,_ he thought. _She knows what she's doing…_

Jade guided him down. It seemed that the interior of the cauldron had steps inside it as well. At first, Yugi felt a twinge of pain… but it went away in a second or two.

Jade guided him until they were up to their necks… and then fully submerged. The light slowly vanished – Yugi guessed that Amber had closed the lids. They were in total darkness.

Contrary to what Jade had said, Yugi couldn't help but hold his breath. But after a few seconds more, he felt the air slowly leave his lungs. It was a strange sensation – a sensation of no breath at all.

He felt Jade's strong arms wrapping around him. Jade was embracing him. It was likely to keep him safe – at least he hoped that was the only reason.

_Well,_ he thought, after a few minutes. _This is kind of relaxing… tingly. Sort of like a Jacuzzi for your whole body. I just wonder if…_

_Okay,_ he thought, getting his bearings. _Concentrate, focus, find your center…_

He closed his eyes.

And then he saw a light coming at him. It was small at first, but then it started to grow. It grew until the darkness surrounding him was replaced by light…

A void of light.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi turned his head, and before he knew it, he was someplace else. He was in another realm.

The ground below him seemed to be like clouds. Above him was a vast sky, also full of clouds. A shining orb of light was far in the sky, but it didn't seem to be the sun he was used to. Looking at it didn't burn his eyes – it emitted a silvery soft light.

He then saw that he was wearing his normal clothes, Puzzle and all – but he couldn't sense Yami's presence.

Then he noticed Jade next to him, wearing her armor and sword.

"Jade?" he asked. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," she answered. "The ritual has never done something like this before. I think were having a vision of some sort. And we're sharing it. Two people with two minds… sharing the same vision. It is incredible."

Then they noticed that they were not alone. Shapes began to appear around them.

The first thing they saw was what seemed to be a woman. She was beautiful, more gorgeous than anything they had ever seen. She wore a long, white robe… and she had large, brown, feathered wings on her back.

They noticed that similar creatures were in the distance.

"Jade," asked Yugi, "do you suppose these are… angels?"

"It is possible," answered Jade. "But this one looks rather worried…"

They followed the woman, and eventually she came to a large crystal table, where a man was seated. This figure had silvery skin, was dressed in bronze armor, and had pure white wings. He was writing something down with a quill pen.

"What troubles you Shanalla?" he asked in a strong voice.

"Lord Zaphikiel," she stated. "It is what the Archlords said. It worries me… do you think a traitor truly exists among the hosts? Never before has conflict occurred, and if it should come to that…"

A tear started to form in her eye. The male figure stood up to comfort her.

"There, there, Shanalla," he said, comforting her. "The Archlords are seldom wrong. You are my most trusted advisor, and should a traitor exist, you must be strong for what is to come. I assure you, if conflict comes, you will find the strength to combat it. I myself must find my own strength… all of us must. But I swear by the Almighty that no traitorous plans will succeed.

"Now we must remain alert. Continue as the Archlords have commanded. Remain alert."

He turned away, and Shanalla started to weep.

"It's okay… Shanalla was it?" said Yugi, going up to her. "You heard what he said… whatever happens, you can handle it."

Shanalla ignored him.

"Hello?" said Yugi.

She made no notice.

"I'm just trying to help," continued Yugi.

Still no response.

"Okay, fine, be that way!" said Yugi, angrily.

"Yugi," interrupted Jade, "this is only a vision of another time. You cannot interact with the creatures here. It is sort of like we are watching a movie firsthand."

"But… it's so real…" muttered Yugi.

Suddenly, the clouds around them started to rise, and lights started to play.

"Now what?" asked Yugi.

"Like I said," said Jade. "This is like a movie… we are being transferred into the next scene…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When the clouds had lifted, they were in the same place, but the sky was gray. Thunder was rumbling in the distance.

The angel that had been called Lord Zaphikiel was watching the approaching storm.

"So it has started," he pondered. "I hoped it would never have had to come to this… but it sadly has…"

"What?" shouted Yugi, forgetting he couldn't hear him. "What's started?"

Then the clouds parted, and a figure staggered out. It was Shanalla. Her robes were soiled and burned.

"Shanalla!" exclaimed Zaphikiel. "What has…"

"He came to me," stammered Shanalla. "He wanted to… recruit me. I refused, and he tried to use force. I just managed to escape. Oh Zaphikiel, what has happened? He was one of the greatest of the Archlords!"

Zaphikiel hugged her.

"There is no time to worry about reasons now, my friend," he muttered. "The other Archlords have ordered a call to arms…

"And I swear that Lucifer and the rest of his traitorous band will not succeed!

"We must prepare…"

At that moment, the skies began to fill with armed soldiers on wings.

"Come, Shanalla," urged Zaphikiel, "all must stand against the dark tide for victory to be assured!"

And with that, the two rushed off.

"Lucifer?" gasped Yugi, in surprise. "That's another name for… Jade, what this is… what we're seeing…"

"We're seeing the most ancient of ancient history," gasped Jade. "Things that occurred before the birth of humanity. We are before The Beginning. We are seeing the events that led to the fall of Satan and the birth of Evil!"

The two mortals shivered.

"Yugi," stammered Jade. "I fear that whatever we see, we must stay and watch… the ritual _must_ be taken to its termination! We have no choice…"

The clouds surrounded them again.

Act Three was starting.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A fierce lightning storm was now erupting over the realm, and the two mortals were in the middle of a battlefield. This was a larger scale battle than any they had ever seen waged on earth.

It was easy to see the two sides of the struggle. On one side was an army of angels who radiated light and emitted an aura that pierced the darkening sky. The other army was no less handsome than the other angels, but their aura was darkness that seemed to negate the light from around them. Both sides were armed with swords, bows, and other weapons of war.

And Yugi and Jade were right in the middle of them!

"Onward!" shouted a voice from the side of Light. Yugi could see that it came from Zaphikiel, raising his glowing sword high. Shanalla was by his side, her wounds healed and wielding a glowing sword of her own. Her doubts were gone, and determination was on her face.

Yugi turned, and saw that the forces of Darkness were led by an angel with eight glorious wings – but in his beauty was a look that hid great evil. By his side were angels of similar demeanor – handsome and beautiful, but unable to hide the wickedness in their souls.

The two armies charged towards each other.

"Stand firm Yugi," assured Jade. "Just remember that this is just a movie…"

"Fine," stated Yugi. "It's just a movie… it's just a movie…"

War cries came from both sides that split the world apart.

"Aw geeze, we're gonna die!" yelled Yugi, covering his eyes.

The clouds lifted again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi slowly uncovered his eyes. He and Jade were standing in front of a whole host of angels who were kneeling. A lot of them were bruised and battered, and a few of them were outright wounded. He could see Zaphikiel in the front, and his wings were a mess.

They turned around and saw whom they were kneeling before. A council (of sorts) of powerful looking angels with robes of the purest white, golden wings, and shining haloes were overlooking the hosts.

"Gee," said Yugi to Jade. "Maybe we should kneel with them."

"Technically, that isn't necessary," answered Jade. "But given the situation…"

She slowly knelt, and Yugi followed suit.

One who seemed to be the leader of the council came forward.

"Everyone, we have won a great victory," he proclaimed. "Lucifer and his traitorous host has been defeated, and have been banished to the infernal realms. I am proud of all of those who helped turn back the darkness…

"And I implore you all to learn from Lucifer's mistake. The temptation to fall to evil is strong. It would sadden us greatly if another one of you should fall…"

"Yes Archlord," they all answered.

He spoke again.

"We must no longer remain passive. Our hosts must form armies should the Fallen ever decide to strike again. Lord Zaphikiel…"

"Yes, Archlord?" answered Zaphikiel.

"You will be in charge of the first army, at least while we are still developing them."

He chuckled.

"Oh course, we will have to get your wings fixed up first…"

"They will heal themselves," said Zaphikiel. "Save the healing for those who need it most."

"Nonsense," replied the Archlord. "There is plenty to go round. And we may need everyone at full strength as soon as possible…

"Plans are being made… important plans…"

The clouds lifted again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When Yugi and Jade came back to awareness, they saw Zaphikiel – now healed – at a large item that looked like a glass sphere cut in half. He was looking through it, and images were being shown inside it. He rubbed his chin intently.

Yugi and Jade looked into the sphere. He was looking down at the mortal Earth, and evidently, a lot of time had passed. Ancient Egyptian civilization was starting to flourish, and towns were forming on the base on the Nile.

Shanalla walked up to him.

"You find interest in the mortals?" she asked.

"Don't you?" asked Zaphikiel.

"They are… interesting," replied Shanalla. "Delicate. Fragile. They have few cares as yet. Hopefully, this plan that the Archlords speak of will involve them in some way."

"Isn't it obvious?" smiled Zaphikiel. "Soon we will reveal ourselves… soon the mortal beings will see the glory that is Heaven. We will finally be rewarded for all our work Shanalla. We will exist among the mortals as gods…"

Shanalla drew back in surprise.

"That is… not quite what I imagined," she muttered.

"What else could it be?" said Zaphikiel. "As you said, they are fragile… once they see the strength of ultimate glory, we will be worshipped…"

He turned to her.

"And all our hard work will be appreciated at last…"

"Man," mumbled Yugi. "This guy is getting a little full of himself…"

"I fear that he is succumbing to the same thing that spelled doom for Satan," sighed Jade. "Namely, Pride."

The clouds lifted again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Again, Yugi and the angelic hosts were before the council of Archlords. The leader stood before them as the hosts kneeled.

"My subjects," announced the leader. "The Almighty has decreed that the plan is to enter the first stage, so listen well…

"The mortal beings are advancing more with each cycle. They are growing smarter with each passing year, and are growing more and more curious about their origins. Already, crude yet dedicated faiths are forming among them.

"We have no doubt that the Fallen will attempt to corrupt the poor souls to Evil in order to further their gains. Thus, our duty is clear.

"We must act to serve and protect. To fulfill the ultimate plan, they must be guided. They must not fall into Lucifer's grasp. For each one we lose, Heaven grows weaker, and Hell grows stronger.

"Thus, I ask of you, do your best to protect them. But we must remain silent protectors, working from beyond. Sad as it is to say, the mortals must be given free will. But if we can prevent the Fallen from denying them that, and attempt to spread our word, we can perhaps nudge them away from Evil's grasp…"

Yugi looked upon the crowd of angels and saw Zaphikiel.

A look of discontent crossed his face…

The clouds lifted again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and Jade appeared before Zaphikiel's viewing globe. Time had passed again – the Great Pyramids had been erected, and cities were growing larger.

Zaphikiel had a look of disgust on his face.

Shanalla came up to him from out of the clouds.

"Something troubles you?" she asked.

"It's all a waste," he growled. "We are a thousand times more powerful than they, and yet we must act as servants? Would you ask the Archlords to serve the lowly Cherubim because the Cherubim need aid?"

"It is a whole different situation, Zaphikiel!" exclaimed Shanalla. "The mortals are easily corruptible… they need our aid!"

"We could aid them better with direct leadership," snarled Zaphikiel. "This state the Archlords has put us in is a travesty!"

He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Shanalla.

"Don't you order me about too…" replied Zaphikiel.

"I'm kind of interested in where he's going myself," muttered Yugi.

"Indeed," answered Jade.

The clouds started to lift.

"Guess we'll find out!" said Yugi

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The clouds lifted. They were no longer in the cloudy realm – they seemed to be on terra firma – in an oasis-like area surrounded by palm trees. In the distance, they saw a river, next to which was a large town.

"We seem to be on Earth now," said Jade. "But it's still ancient times…"

Then, Zaphikiel appeared before them in a beam of light. He had a vile look on his face.

"Man," stammered Yugi. "I don't think I like this guy much anymore!"

He started to wander though the oasis. Yugi and Jade followed him.

They came across an old man who wore the trappings of a priest. He was meditating on the ground.

His eyes opened as Zaphikiel approached.

"W-who are you?" stammered the man.

"I am a being of immense power, mortal," growled Zaphikiel. "Something beyond your wildest dreams. Someone who could crush the very life out someone like you with a flick of my thumb!"

The man drew back in fear.

"What do you want?" he gasped.

"Just what I deserve," snarled Zaphikiel in anger. "But it seems I can't get what I deserve. I'll just have to settle for a small iota of satisfaction!"

He approached the old man.

"Mercy, please!" shouted the man.

Zaphikiel grabbed him by the neck.

"Sorry," he said. "Not interested."

There was a loud snap, and the old man fell to the floor, dead.

Yugi and Jade looked on, horrified.

"I know this happened in the past," shouted Yugi, "but I'm starting to get mad right now!"

"As am I," snarled Jade, drawing her sword.

Yugi lunged at the angel, but he fell through him as if he weren't there. Jade slashed with her sword, but had no more luck.

Ignoring them completely, Zaphikiel turned to the town in the distance.

"Get ready, mortals," he sneered. "I'll show you who is fit to serve who!"

He walked off.

At that point, Shanalla appeared, a look of horror on her face. She ran up to the dead man, and cradled him in her arms.

"Why, Zaphikiel, why?" she gasped, starting to cry. "He never did you any harm! He couldn't have! How could you strike him down in cold blood?

"I never dreamed that you of all people, even with your arrogance, could have actually…"

At that moment, an explosion erupted in the town nearby.

"NOOO!" shouted Shanalla.

"What's happening?" gasped Yugi.

"It has already happened," whispered Jade. "It is all history now. We can only now see how it turned out…"

The clouds began to rise again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Within a moment, they were back in the cloudy realm, and the council of Archlords was again before the hosts of angels. But the Archlords did not look very happy, and neither did anyone else.

As Yugi and Jade watched, Zaphikiel was dragged before him by two other angels, bound in chains. His armor was gone, his clothing reduced to a breechcloth.

The leader of the council came forward. Zaphikiel was thrown on the ground.

"Zaphikiel," muttered the leader. "I knew of your arrogance and resentment a long time ago, but who would have known it would have led to this?"

Thunder rolled in the distance.

"The murderous crimes you have committed among innocent mortals are unforgivable," continued the Archlord, angrily. "Did you actually think you would get away with it?"

Zaphikiel didn't respond. He didn't even raise his head.

"Do you have _anything_ to say at all, murderer?" demanded the Archlord in rage.

The former hero was silent.

"Fine," snarled the Archlord. "Your beautiful form hid a vile one within. Let the hosts see your true shape now, Zaphikiel!"

Zaphikiel screamed. His skin turned coal black, and his wings turned from white to dark grey. Claws grew from his hands. His eyes turned blood red, and finally, large, ram-like horns sprouted from the sides of his skull.

He fell to the ground, gasping.

"Enough!" shouted the Archlord, waving his hand. "Go and join Lucifer and the others to burn for eternity!"

He raised his hand. Zaphikiel screamed, and he vanished in a burst of flame.

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"My friends," sighed the Archlord, "do not mourn for Zaphikiel – he sealed his own fate. Instead, I remind you again, learn from his fall. Never succumb to sin, or you will risk his horrible fate."

He turned to another part of the crowd.

"Shanalla," he urged.

Shanalla came forward, shaking in fear.

"Y-yes, Archlord," she stammered, nervously.

"If not for your brave and selfless acts," continued the Archlord, "Zaphikiel's reign of terror would have lasted much longer before he could have been brought to justice. It was hard for you… you and he were friends for so long, is that not right?"

"Yes Archlord," she said, with tears flowing down her face. "But I couldn't let any more innocents suffer because of him. He had… changed."

"You chose to serve the greater good rather than continue to serve a friend who had turned to evil," sighed the Archlord. "Many in your position would have chosen to share Zaphikiel's horrid destiny, but you accepted Good, and rejected Evil. Do not think of it as betrayal on your part, Shanalla. In truth, he betrayed you. You are to be commended – and you will be rewarded…"

She knelt. He touched Shanalla's shoulder, and a glow enveloped them.

"So now what?" asked Yugi.

"I feel there is one more scene to see," replied Jade.

Indeed. The clouds began to lift…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Before the two mortals knew it, they were on a tropical island. They were surrounded by the council of Archlords, arranged in a circle.

Then they noticed that Shanalla was there too – but her wings were now golden, and she wore a brilliant halo like that of the other Archlords. Yugi assumed that it meant that she was now an Archlord herself. Obviously, a great deal of time had gone by again.

The head of the council stepped forward.

"Fellow council members," he started, "mortal civilization is becoming more advanced than ever. Satan's more ambitious followers will likely become unsatisfied with their attempts to tempt and corrupt mortals, and try the unspeakable…

"I am talking, of course, about an attempt at invasion. That must not happen.

"Thus, we must do what we have been all planning for centuries. We must prevent all chances of invasion. With me now, focus all of your power to create the item…"

The Archlords concentrated, and emitted holy magic from their being. At the center of the circle, a nimbus of light formed, and finally, the nimbus formed into a disk made of platinum.

An ivory chest formed below the disk, and the disk slowly lowered into it. Finally, the chest sank into the ground.

The head of the council spoke up again.

"Let it rest in this hidden location," he pronounced, "where the Fallen cannot find it. No one will know about it's location but us and the greatest of Powers. And when it comes time for us to reach Glorious Union, we will pass on the secret to those among the mortal world who we each choose are most worthy of knowing it."

The Archlords clasped their hands in prayer, and then vanished, leaving Yugi and Jade alone.

And then, time seemed to speed up. Days flew by, and the phases of the moon rushed by. Years seemed to pass within second. The island around them changed. Eventually, the wilderness they were on was cleared, and buildings started to rise.

Soon, they were standing amid the structures of Duelatopia.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi woke up. Jade grabbed hold of him and carried him to the surface of the cauldron. The water was still a little hot, but it was no longer boiling.

"Wow," said Yugi, as they climbed out. "That was… hard to describe."

"Indeed," said Jade, grabbing a pair of towels. "I never imagined something so vivid on your first try."

"What can it mean, Jade?" asked Yugi. "It must mean something, right?"

"All visions of the _mizu-ken-kasai_ mean something," explained Jade. "We saw the Fall of Satan… but who this Zaphikiel creature is, I do not know, nor do I know what our part in it is."

"Have a nice bath, people?" asked Amber.

"You wouldn't believe it," replied Yugi.

After they had dried off and gotten dressed, Amber came up to Yugi.

"Uh, Yugi," she mentioned. "A guy gave me these three cards the other day… I figured they were useless, but if they mean anything, I thought maybe you could use them…"

She handed them to him. Yugi looked at the three cards.

They were strange-looking cards. All three were Monsters Cards, and as far as Monsters went, they were very weak. One was called "People Running About." The second was called "Oppressed People." The third was called "United Resistance." All were very low in Attack power, and only Oppressed People had a decent Defense. None had any Effect.

"I figured they were no more than junk cards," said Amber. "But Jade once told me that no card is worthless. I figure that if any of them had a hidden secret, you could figure it out.

"Uh, sure, thanks Amber," said Yugi.

He opened the pouch where he kept his spare cards and put them in there. He turned to Jade.

"Anyway Jade, maybe we can do it again sometime," he said.

He left. It was almost ten o'clock. He'd have to get some sleep if he wanted to do any serious dueling tomorrow.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At midnight in the Cosmo Queen's Castle, Mary was sleeping peacefully in her room.

The window slowly opened, and a dark shape entered. Mary's dreams began to turn ugly.

Slowly, the dark shape inched towards her bed. It carefully placed an envelope on her, and slowly inched away.

Once out, it closed the window with a slam.

"WHAT?" shouted Mary, waking up with a start. "Who the…"

She turned the light on and noticed the letter. It was sealed with a piece of wax that had been stamped with a signet ring that imprinted the letters GK.

Mary broke the seal, and looked at the letter inside. It had been written in red ink, with a quill pen.

_**Duelist,**_

_**You are strong in skill, strategy, and luck. If you dare to take the ultimate test, I challenge you to meet me for a duel like none other.**_

_**Tomorrow morning, go to the library in front of the place where you first saw Clover. In the basement, you will find a secret door next to the display case on the east wall by pushing a button under it. It will lead you to my sanctuary. **_

_**Come only if you are sure of your capabilities, for as you may know, the punishment for defeat is dire.**_

_**- GK, the Eliminator**_

Mary was certainly surprised. She read the crazed letter several times. Was this for real?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside, one of the strange men in trenchcoats and sunglasses was watching the hotel from an adjoining building.

He gestured with his hand, and the white orb appeared in his hand. The two glowing eyes appeared inside it.

"It is done, master," he said. "Mary has been given the note with the instructions. She'll have no idea that it was someone other than the Eliminator who 'invited' her."

"Very good," came the hissing voice from the sphere. "By noon tomorrow, we'll see just how strong Mary is, and we'll see whether she'll be a threat, or whether she'll be out of the picture…"


	13. Skull Invitation

_**In all my years as a duelist, I've faced some pretty frightening and difficult situations.**_

_**Take the time I faced Panik in the Duelist Labyrinth. A ghost who had mastered the art of intimidation. Winning that duel wasn't easy.**_

_**In the City of Souls, I had to face a mad scientist named Jezebel, and I had to do so while an IV strap was locked to my arm, feeding poison into my bloodstream. That wasn't exactly easy.**_

_**And just a couple of days after that, I had to face the evil sorceress Lady Circe. The rules were quite clear – if I had lost that duel, I'd have to spend God knows how long as a caged animal, and at her mercy. It wasn't what I would call easy.**_

_**But now, I'm about to duel a man in a creepy outfit who looks like a living corpse; we're deep below the surface of Duelatopia, and while I have a cheering section, he has his own, a bunch of guys who look they came out of an old Wes Craven movie.**_

_**And I have a feeling that this is **_**definitely**_** not going to be easy…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Skull Invitation**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The sun rose upon Day Four.

Early the next morning, as he was getting dressed, Yugi silently discussed his vision with his spiritual partner.

"Yugi," said Yami in a sullen voice. "I'm afraid I can be of no help in explaining what you saw. The events that you describe are long before even my time, and I have never even heard of anyone named Zaphikiel. No participant of the ancient Shadow Games ever went by that name, as far as I know."

"Duelatopia was in that vision," sighed Yugi. "I have a feeling that this island has a secret that we're supposed to find… or maybe something that Siegfried wants to find."

"I think it's best we not pester him with this," replied Yami. "I believe we can trust him – at least for now. Like you said, I doubt he'd try to attack us…

"At least, he wouldn't do so on purpose…"

Yugi was very surprised that that council he saw was referred to as "Archlords." He knew of a powerful Duel Monster of the Fairy Type who's name was Archlord Zerato. Could someone who worked for Industrial Illusions have had the same vision (or a similar one) and been inspired to create Zerato?

Yugi finished getting dressed with that on his mind, and went to meet his friends for breakfast.

He was surprised, as were Peter and Clive, when he got there.

Unlike Yugi, Mary was more than willing to share the strange message that had been delivered to her the night before. As she passed it around the table, she explained.

"I don't know how it happened," she explained, "but this was just dropped into my lap!"

"An Eliminator _invited_ you to a duel?" asked Clive.

"Some people have secret admirers," muttered Peter. "You have secret challengers."

"You aren't actually going to try to find this Eliminator, are you?" asked Yugi.

Mary took a long drink from her orange juice.

"Sure," she said. "Why not?"

"_Why not?"_ gasped Clive. "Mary, need I remind you that Shelob threatened to _eat_ Yugi if he lost? Sure, she may have been bluffing, but then again, she may not have! And even if she wasn't, you'll get booted out of the tournament if you fail! Let's not forget that these Eliminators are tough!"

"I'm not afraid," proclaimed Mary. "And just like you did Yugi, I want to make a name for myself while I'm here."

"It's one thing not to be afraid," answered Yugi, "and another thing to be foolish. Your dueling skills are good, but Siegfried has likely chosen these Eliminators from the crème de la crème."

"I've _beaten_ the crème de la crème!" exclaimed Mary. "Remember Lady Circe?"

"Mary, are you certain you want to take this risk?" asked Yugi.

Mary paused for a moment.

"Yes," she said. "It's my choice, and you don't have a right to stop me."

"I guess we don't," sighed Clive.

"Agreed," said Peter. "But we'll all be there to support you."

"You're just as gutsy as your father was," sighed Yugi.

"Thank you," said Mary. "Now pass me that syrup."

As Yugi passed it, Mary changed the subject.

"So, what was it like bathing with Jade?"

Yugi almost choked.

"I think those sausages over there look good," said Clive, getting up.

"Yeah," said Peter, "why don't we get a few…"

As they left the table, Yugi blushed.

"Mary, it was a sensory deprivation tank," he explained. "I couldn't see her most of the time."

"Were you touching?" she asked.

"We had to be," stated Yugi. "Otherwise I couldn't survive it. Mary do you think I have a thing for Jade?"

"I dunno," muttered Mary. "It seems a little kinky to me…"

Yugi sighed.

"So does this," he said.

He moved over to Mary and kissed her on the lips. Deeply.

Mary was surprised at first. She closed her eyes…

Yugi was surprised himself. He had never kissed her like this before.

After about thirty seconds Yugi let go.

Mary giggled. "Well," she said. "Let's find that Eliminator, huh?"

Deep in Yugi's soul chambers, Yami reclined on a chair.

He smiled slightly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, at about nine AM, the Team was walking through the streets of Duelatopia, among duelists who were struggling against one another. They quickly found the large promenade where they had seen the Toon duelist Clover finish off an unlucky opponent.

Standing in front of them was a large library, decorated in Duel Monsters style. Flanking the steps were two marble statues of Leogun, and at the peak was a mosaic depicting the bird-like Spirit of the Books. Yugi had read about this place in the guide – book, video, and DVD rental was available to all guests free of charge here. It naturally contained many copies of Duel Monsters manuals and strategy guides.

They walked inside, past the checkout table. They were surrounded by shelves full of books. A door in front of them led to a stairway with stairs going both up and down.

"I'll say it again," whispered Yugi. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," assured Mary.

They entered the stairway, and proceeded to the lower floor.

The "basement" was actually just another floor where books were kept, but it was dimmer and mustier. This was where more educational books were held, so the average guest didn't come down here too often. After getting their bearings, they went to the east wall, where sure enough, there was a display case by the brick wall. It contained some old books inside – strange books with names like _Libram Malificous_ and _Vacuous Grimoire. _

Mary felt around under the case, and sure enough, there was a button there. She pressed it, and a secret door opened in the wall.

A stone stairway leading down into the darkness appeared before them.

"Well," said Peter to Mary. "This was your idea."

Mary bravely walked forward and started down the staircase. Her friends followed.

The stairway led down, down, and down, deep under the library. Eventually, they came to a door with no apparent knob or hinge.

There was writing in fancy letters on it.

Mary looked up and read:

"_Let your closest comrade in arms lead the way."_

"Well," said Yugi. "I had to use a Monster Card to open Shelob's lair…"

"Comrade in arms, huh?" noted Mary, raising her Disk.

She drew a card from her deck – Flame Swordsman. She slipped it into a slot.

The Disk came to life, and Flame Swordsman appeared before them. He lifted his head and looked at Mary.

"Mary," he pronounced, in a strong, commanding voice. "I've stood by you for some time. But the way ahead from here is deadly and fraught with perils. I can lead you to the place you seek, but I can only help you so much. Are you sure you want to take this risk?"

Very little could have prepared Mary for this. She had summoned Flame Swordsman many times, but talking to him was something else entirely.

"I'm as sure as I'll ever be," she answered.

"Very well," he said.

He gestured, and the door lifted open, revealing a cave-like network beyond.

"Stick close to me," warned the Swordsman. "If you wander off, you could be lost forever."

He walked inside, and the Team followed him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They wandered through a strange cave complex that brought to mind a sort of catacombs. Flame Swordsman led the way, the glow from his blade illuminating the place.

"This is crazy," muttered Peter to Clive. "We're actually following a Duel Monster through some creepy tunnels."

"I dunno," answered Clive. "I think it's kind of fun."

"It won't be 'fun' if Mary doesn't live though this!" whispered Peter.

They entered a darker part of the catacombs, and were shocked to see moldering old skeletons lying in niches! This was like some ancient burial ground!

"I go no further," said Flame Swordsman. "Until the next time you summon me, Mary, good luck."

He vanished.

"He ditched us!" yelled Peter, as Mary put the card back in her deck. "I can't believe he ditched us!"

"That should be the least of your worries," mumbled a sinister voice.

Two glowing eyes appeared in front of them. Mary stood firm, but sweat was starting to run down her face.

A figure appeared out of the shadows. He looked like an incredibly old man, his skin covered with liver spots, and his hair long and stark white. His hands were deformed and withered. He wore an outfit that looked like Skull Knight's, but it was cloth, rather than armor.

"Who is this guy?" muttered Peter. "He looks like he needs a wheelchair."

"That or a hospital bed," agreed Clive.

The old man chuckled a sinister chuckle.

"Don't let my frail appearance fool you, young ones," he warned. His voice was deep and had a lisp and a strange accent. "Many who have come before have made that same mistake, and they paid for it dearly."

He turned to Mary.

"Welcome Mary," he announced. "I am the Gatekeeper."

Mary chuckled a nervous chuckle. "The Gatekeeper, huh?" she replied. "Well if you're looking for the Keymaster, there's an old movie you should rent. It's called _Ghostbusters_."

Her three friends chuckled.

The Gatekeeper sighed. "I hate the living," he said under his breath.

He spoke up. "You must be awfully brave or awfully foolish to make such jokes," he warned. "But then, you don't know the nature of what you face. We Gatekeepers are called such because we exist upon a certain threshold – the gate that bridges the gap between life… and death. I was just the type of man that Kaiba was looking for, as I was the only Gatekeeper who could duel.

"Anyway, with your holographic guide gone, only I can show you the way out of these twisted catacombs, and that won't happen until we duel… of course, if you lose, only your friends will be leaving…"

Mary started to get nervous.

"But this hallway is a little to narrow, wouldn't you say?" he continued. "I know the perfect place. Follow me."

"I suppose you were the one who sent me this 'invitation'," asked Mary, holding up the note.

He gave her a look. "I don't recall sending out invitations to Duelatopia guests," he answered. "Now either follow me or you'll wander these tunnels until you starve."

_He didn't send it?_ thought Mary. _Then who did?_

He turned, and walked forward. Having little choice, they followed him, with Mary in the lead.

"You know," started the Gatekeeper, "I wasn't always the guardian I am now. I used to be the greatest doctor in Switzerland. Dueling was just a hobby. I was great, that is, until I made a breakthrough discovery of a serum that I thought could raise a recently deceased body."

The four friends drew back.

"Thought that might get your attention," he continued. "But when I tried to use the miracle serum, it went horribly wrong – it reanimated the body of the recipient, but it didn't restore true life. What I had was an undead mockery of a true human. I was banished from the establishment for the blasphemous mistake… but it was this new 'skill' that attracted the attention of the Gatekeepers; creatures who guard places that serve as gateways to the great beyond. Some are human, some are… darker creatures.

"Life doesn't interest me any more. Only death keeps me company."

"We found a loony," muttered Peter to Yugi.

_Hmmm,_ thought Yugi. _I'm guessing this guy plays a Zombie deck… but that would be too obvious… he might have some hidden surprises up his sleeve._

_I hope his name doesn't mean he has Gate Guardian somewhere in his deck! That Monster is almost impossible to summon with Mach 3 rules – but if he's an Eliminator, he might find a way…_

They entered a large circular room. Coffins lined the walls, and skulls and bones littered the ground.

"Cozy, isn't it?" asked the Gatekeeper.

"Depends on your definition of 'cozy'," muttered Mary.

"Let's get this started," sneered the Gatekeeper. "The sooner this is over, the sooner I can get my prize."

"The only thing you're going to get is your adult diapers kicked!" shouted Clive.

"Yeah!" yelled Peter. "Mary's going to beat you senseless!"

"So unfair," muttered the Gatekeeper. "You have a cheering section and I don't… Oh wait, yes I do…"

He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.

Five of the coffins opened up, and five forms stepped out they all glared at Mary.

They looked like teenagers – down to the clothing – but their skin was gray and looked like it was starting to decay. Their hair was a mess, their teeth were sharp, and their eyes were blood red.

They grinned at Mary, and walked to gather around the Gatekeeper.

"Good lord!" gasped Mary. "Are those…"

"Yes," answered the Gatekeeper. "Zombies. Formerly they were guests of this tournament who tried to challenge me and lost. Now they serve me loyally and unquestionably.

"You can probably guess what the penalty for losing this duel now is Mary," he continued. "And don't try to get away – they may be undead corpses but they are far stronger and faster than you are."

Mary gulped.

"Yugi," whispered Clive, slowly. "This is even worse than Shelob!"

"Don't panic, Clive," whispered Yugi. "I'd wager that those 'zombies' – and the Gatekeeper himself – are probably just phonies with a lot of makeup.

"At least, I hope so…"

"Sonja!" ordered the Gatekeeper. "My weapon, please."

A female zombie wearing a mini and a tank top handed him a Duel Disk with a deck inserted. He slipped it onto his left hand.

"Good girl," he said, starting to shuffle. "Now then Mary, should we?"

"I think we should!" she responded.

The Duel Disks flipped into position, and the holo-imagers shot out. The scores set to 8,000 apiece. The five zombies groaned.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both yelled.

"Good luck, Mary," whispered Yugi, as he secretly hoped he wasn't wrong.

"You make the first move, Mary," stated the Gatekeeper. "I can at least give you that."

Mary made her draws.

_Hmmm,_ she thought. _Not much. Better defend for now._

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode," she announced, laying a card down.

The Disk whirred, and the toy soldier appeared in front of her and knelt in Defense. (500/1200)

"Humph," said the Gatekeeper drawing. "Childish Monsters won't get you very far against me."

He selected a card.

"I'll set one Monster facedown in Defense Mode and end my turn," he said.

He set the card, and it appeared in front of him.

_Strange,_ thought Mary, drawing. _Don't tell me he didn't have anything that he could have attacked with…_

She looked at the card she had drawn. Giltia the Knight.

_Oh yeah,_ she thought.

"I'll Tribute my toy Swordsman to bring forth the powerful Giltia the Knight, in Attack Mode!" she shouted, putting the card down.

Swordsman of Landstar vanished, and the armored, green-cloaked Warrior appeared, swinging his spear! (1,850/1,500)

"Okay, Giltia, take care of that facedown Monster!" she commanded. "Soul spear attack!"

Giltia pointed his spear and fired. A small creature that looked like a hamster appeared, and exploded.

"Dramatic," smiled the Gatekeeper. "But you just destroyed my Bubonic Vermin. And when it's destroyed, I get to summon another one, in Defense Mode!"

Another hamster-like creature appeared on the Gatekeeper's side. (900/600)

_Nuts,_ thought Mary. _Now he's got something to Tribute._

"Now that it's my turn," said the Gatekeeper, drawing, "I'll lay another Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and it appeared next to Bubonic Vermin.

_Odd,_ thought Mary. _What is he planning?_

She drew.

_Monster Egg,_ she thought.

She looked at her hand.

_And I have Insect Imitation too. Time to test my luck like I did in the Labyrinth…_

"I summon Monster Egg, in Attack Mode," she said.

She put the card down. A huge egg appeared over the field. It sprouted legs and then eyes peered out of it. (600/900).

"And then," continued Mary. "I'll use the Spell Card Insect Imitation! This card can hatch Monster Egg into a random Beast-Warrior! Let's see what turns up this time!"

She fitted the card into the slot, and Monster Egg exploded in a bust of eggshells standing in its place was a huge, wolflike humanoid holding a huge axe. (1,650/1,000)

"Wolf Axwielder, huh?" said Mary. "We'll, could be worse. Wolf Axwielder, attack the Vermin!"

The Beast-Warrior swung his axe and cut the vermin in two!

"Now Giltia," she shouted, "Attack the facedown Monster!"

Giltia aimed his spear, and the Gatekeeper grinned. A strange Monster appeared. It looked like a face with a huge nose and a feathered headdress, with two arms carrying a scythe.

Giltia fired and it was vaporized.

"Sorry, Mary, but you just flipped my Hane-Hane," he smiled. "And when that happens…"

Giltia vanished.

"One of your Monsters is returned to your hand! Never assume a Monster is harmless just because it's facedown!"

Mary sighed.

"Move then!" she snarled.

The Gatekeeper drew.

"Prevent Rat, in Defense Mode," he said.

He placed the card down, and a cross between a rat and an armadillo appeared. (500/2000)

The zombies behind him started to moan, but they were silenced when their master raised his hand.

_This is nuts,_ thought Yugi. _This guy is an Eliminator? All he's done so far is make defensive moves to protect himself. There's got to be something special he's planning… something unpleasant…_

Mary had the same idea.

"All you're doing is hiding behind defenses, Gatekeeper," said Mary. "If you want to beat me, you're going to have to shift into offense eventually."

"Gatekeepers have infinite patience," replied the Gatekeeper. "I will strike when I feel the time is right. In the meantime, it is your move."

Mary drew.

_Alright!_ she thought. _Polymerization!_

"Watch this, buddy," smiled Mary.

She selected a card.

"I tribute Wolf Axwielder to summon the mythical Berfomet!"

She put the card down. Wolf Axwielder vanished, and the hairy, four-armed, horned fiend appeared. (1,400/1,800)

"Now watch what happens," grinned Mary.

Berfomet breathed a gout of flame, and from the flame pounced Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts! (1,500/1,200)

"And now," continued Mary, "Polymerization!"

She threw the card into the slot, and the two Monsters swirled together like brown light. In a flash, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast landed and roared with her two heads! (2,100/1,800)

"Alright!" cheered Peter. "I love that move!"

"Impressive," smiled the Gatekeeper. "But I think you'll have to end your move there."

"Go on…" said Mary.

The Gatekeeper drew.

"Think I'll summon… Grappler, in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the humanoid lizard with blue scales appeared. (1,300/1,200)

_Still doing nothing but defending,_ thought Mary. _What's he up to?_

"Your move," he dared.

Mary drew.

"I summon Alligator's Sword, in Attack Mode!" shouted Mary.

She put the card down, and the gator warrior leapt up holding his sword. (1,500/1,200)

"Alligator's Sword, destroy Grappler!" commanded Mary.

Alligator's Sword swung his blade, cutting Grappler apart.

"Your turn Chimera!" she yelled. "Demolish the Prevent Rat!"

Chimera leapt forward, and smashed the Prevent Rat to pieces.

"You've got no Monsters on your side now," smiled Mary. "I think I've got you right where I want you!"

The five zombies behind the Gatekeeper started to chuckle.

He drew.

"So you'd like to believe," he smiled.

He slid a Spell Card into a slot, and discarded one card.

"I play Tribute to the Doomed!" he shouted. "To destroy your Alligator's Sword!"

A loud moan echoed over the field, and a swarm of wrappings grabbed Alligator's Sword, wrapping him up! A huge hand grabbed him!

Mary's Life Point's fell to 7,625.

"Uh…" stuttered Mary.

"And now I'll play a second Spell Card," said the Gatekeeper. "Megamorph!"

He slid it into the slot.

"Since I'm slightly ahead on points, I'll Equip this card to your Chimera, which will reduce her Attack score from 2,100 to 1,050!"

Chimera roared, as she weakened.

"Now then," continued the Gatekeeper. "I summon Dragon Zombie, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and a rotting undead dragon appeared. (1,600/0)

"Attack Chimera!" ordered the Gatekeeper. "Noxious zombie breath!"

Dragon Zombie exhaled a foul stream of mist, and Chimera was disintegrated.

Mary's Life Points fell to 7,075. The five zombies laughed out loud.

"Silence!" ordered the Gatekeeper.

"I use Chimera's effect!" shouted Mary.

Berfomet appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,800)

"Crud!" gasped Clive. "He just wiped out two of Mary's Monsters in one round!"

"Don't worry," assured Peter. "Dragon Zombie is exactly the most powerful Monster around."

_Maybe not,_ thought Yugi, _but I think that the Gatekeeper has been playing with Mary this whole time… he has a big plan in the works…_

Mary drew.

_This will take a chunk out of his score,_ she thought.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force!" she yelled, putting the card down.

Five goblin Warriors appeared in front of her, waving clubs. (2,300/0)

"Get 'im!" ordered Mary. "Goblin rush attack!"

The goblins charged forward and tackled Dragon Zombie, tearing it apart.

The Gatekeeper's Life Points fell to 7,300.

The Goblins backed up and knelt in Defense.

"Your move," smiled Mary. "So what's it gonna be now?"

The Gatekeeper drew.

He chuckled. And then he laughed out loud.

"I just drew the card that will seal your fate!" he laughed. "The Spell Card known as Restless Souls!"

"Restless Souls?" stammered Clive. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"Let me explain," smiled the Gatekeeper, placing the card into the slot. "I first have to pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card…"

His Life Points fell to 6,300.

"And then," he continued. "Each of us can resurrect as many Monsters from our respective Graveyards as space permits… only their type is changed to Zombies."

_What good will that do him?_ thought Mary. _He only has weaklings in his Graveyard. I'll wipe them out in one round!_

"Since I played the card, I have to send them out first," he said. "First, Dragon Zombie in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and Dragon Zombie reappeared. (1,600/0)

"Then, Prevent Rat in Defense Mode," he continued.

He put another card down, and a rotting, Zombie version of the Prevent Rat appeared. (500/2,000)

"Grappler in Defense Mode."

A Zombie Grappler appeared in Defense. (1,300/1,200)

"Bubonic Vermin, in Defense Mode."

The small vermin, now looking more like a vermin than ever, appeared. (900/600).

The Gatekeeper whipped out one more card.

"And finally," he smiled. "The card I discarded to activate Tribute to the Doomed… Sengenjin, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge, shadowy shape appeared. It was unreal. The huge, ogre-like creature had gray skin, sharp teeth, one eye in the center of its forehead, a mane of red hair, wore boots, trunks, and a spiked harness, and carried a small arsenal of weapons on its back! (2,750/2,500)

The former Beast howled in pure bloodlust, and Mary drew back in fright.

"No!" gasped Peter.

"I've heard of the legendary Sengenjin… but I never thought I'd see it!" gasped Clive.

Yugi was strangely silent.

"Now you can resurrect three Monsters from _your_ Graveyard," dared the Gatekeeper.

Mary's hand shook as she reached for her discard pile.

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode," she started.

She put the card down, and the Swordsman, now a Zombie, appeared. (500/1,200)

"Gazelle, in Defense Mode."

Zombie Gazelle appeared in Defense. (1,500/1,200)

"And Chimera, also in Defense Mode."

Chimera, looking as decayed as the rest, appeared. (2,100/1,800)

_That's all I can do for now,_ thought Mary. _I can only hope I find some way out of this mess…_

"And it's still my turn," smiled the Gatekeeper. "So many possibilities… Sengenjin, destroy Chimera with bestial rage attack!"

The ogre lumbered forward and leveled a punch at Chimera, blowing her away.

"Is it my move yet?" said Mary, sarcastically.

"Uh huh," grinned the Gatekeeper.

Mary drew. She looked at the card carefully.

"My turn will consist solely of laying this card facedown," she said, fitting a card into a slot.

The card appeared behind her Monsters.

The Gatekeeper drew.

"Ah, perfect!" he laughed.

He placed a card down.

"I Tribute my Bubonic Vermin and my Grappler," he shouted, "to summon Despair From The Dark in Attack Mode!"

Grappler and the Vermin vanished in puffs of smoke, and out the darkness, a huge shadow arose! It had claws, teeth, and wicked red eyes! (2,800/3,000)

"Despair From The Dark!" shouted the Gatekeeper. "Obliterate Swordsman of Landstar with dark shadow attack!"

Despair From The Dark fired a blast of dark energy, vaporizing Swordsman of Landstar!

"Sengenjin!" he yelled. "Destroy Gazelle! Bestial rage attack!"

Sengenjin lumbered forward and smashed Gazelle out of existence.

The five real zombies were beside themselves with excitement.

"Calm down, my children, calm down," said the Gatekeeper.

"Oh, Mary's a goner!" gasped Clive.

Even Yugi was getting worried. He didn't know how Mary was going to defeat these two behemoths, outside of using Time Wizard, which was a risky venture in itself. And the Gatekeeper still had another weak Monster to Tribute.

_Come on, deck, be good to me,_ thought Mary.

She drew.

A sly smile came over her face.

_This will be a risk,_ she thought, _but this combo might just do the job…_

"I'm using the Ritual Card Garma Sword Oath!" shouted Mary, throwing the card into the slot. "And I'll sacrifice Berfomet and Goblin Attack Force to do it!"

Goblin Attack Force raised their clubs… Berfomet howled. They both vanished, and a large shape appeared out of a dark cloud.

"I summon Garma Sword, in Attack Mode!" yelled Mary.

The huge Warrior appeared, and drew his six giant scimitars! (2,550/2,150)

"And that will end my turn," said Mary.

_Hope this works,_ she thought.

The Gatekeeper looked at Mary and Garma Sword. And then he and his zombies laughed out loud.

"What's the matter, Mary, can't do math well?" he mocked. "That Warrior may be strong, but both Sengenjin and Despair From The Dark are even stronger! Once one of them destroys your Warrior, the other will be able to attack you directly! And I promise you, it's going to hurt!"

Mary shrugged. "Well, I guess that's what I get for my boneheaded move," she sighed. "Your move, by the way."

"Is Mary crazy?" gasped Peter.

"Shhh!" said Yugi. He pointed towards Mary's side.

"Oh…" said Peter.

The Gatekeeper drew.

_I'll save this,_ he thought.

"Despair From The Dark," ordered the Gatekeeper, "attack Garma Sword!"

Despair From the Dark prepared to fire its blast.

"You wrinkled old worm," laughed Mary, "that's exactly what I wanted you to do! Activate Trap!"

She pressed a button on her Disk, and the facedown card lifted. It was the Skull Dice!

"What?" gasped the Gatekeeper. "Skull Dice?"

The imp with his red dice appeared.

"Forgot all about this card, didja?" smiled Mary. "This dice roll will multiply by one hundred and deduct that total from the Attack and Defense scores of all three of your Monsters… to counter Despair From The Dark's attack, I need a three or higher! And I'm feeling very lucky right now! By the way, I always got A+'s in math!"

The imp threw the dice… it bounced on the floor…

_C'mon,_ thought Mary. _Don't let me down…_

And it came up… a six!

"YES!" said Mary.

Despair From The Dark's stats fell to 2,200/2,400, Sengenjin's to 2,150/1,900, and Dragon Zombie's to 1,000/0.

"Garma Sword, counter-attack!" shouted Mary.

Garma Sword drove three blades through the ghostly shadow, and it vanished with a cry. The Gatekeeper's Life Points fell to 5,950.

The Gatekeeper's zombies moaned.

"Quiet!" he commanded. "I'll end my turn by switching Sengenjin into Defense Mode!"

He growled, as he turned his card and Sengenjin knelt in Defense.

"Lovely," smiled Mary. She drew.

_Heh, my old friend Double Pinaska,_ she thought. _Could have used him before, but I might as well use him now…_

"I summon Double Pinaska, in Attack Mode!" she yelled.

The leather-clad Spaniard leapt up, bearing his twin machetes. (1,500/1,500)

"Garma Sword," yelled Mary, "attack Sengenjin with sextuple scimitar slash!"

Garma Sword raced forward and leapt on Sengenjin! The ogre howled and exploded.

"Double Pinaska, attack Dragon Zombie!" shouted Mary.

Double Pinaska leapt up and cut Dragon Zombie to pieces!

The zombies surrounding the Gatekeeper snarled.

"You're in trouble now, you old geezer," grinned Mary. "I've just sent your best Monsters to the great beyond!"

"Those weren't my best Monsters…" said the Gatekeeper, slowly.

Mary's eyes opened wide as he drew.

"And as for me being in trouble, I wouldn't say so just yet. A good Gatekeeper is always prepared. I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

He fit the card into his slot, and a cage of shimmering blades fell around Mary!

"No!" gasped Mary. "Not the Swords!"

"Better not touch them Mary," warned the Gatekeeper. "they're sharp! And they'll keep your Monsters from attacking me for three full turns.

"And I'll end my turn there."

_He has a Monster even stronger than Sengenjin and Despair From The Dark?_ thought Yugi. _But what? Despair From The Dark is the strongest Zombie in Duel Monsters… it's Level Eight for pete's sake._

_It must be something other than a Zombie… the question is, what is it?_

Mary drew.

Her eyes opened wide at the card that she drew.

"I'll summon Battle Warrior in Attack Mode," she said, "and leave it at that."

She put the card down, and the blue-garbed, helmeted boxer appeared in front of her. (700/1,000)

_Hmm, she's planning something,_ thought the Gatekeeper.

He looked at his hand.

_But it won't matter once I unveil my master strategy. I already have one of the required cards in my hand, and I just need two more… then I'll give Mary a big surprise…_

He drew.

_Ah, the second card!_ he thought. _I could set it up partially now, but with my Swords of Revealing Light still in place, I can afford to wait…_

"I'm going to pass this turn," he said, with a wicked smile.

"I don't like the look in his eye…" muttered Clive.

Mary drew.

"Well, then," smiled Mary, "I'll just use _this_!"

She thrust a Spell Card out.

"It's another Ritual Card, GK," she explained, fitting it into the slot, "one called War Lion Ritual! For this ceremony, I'll just sacrifice Double Pinaska and Battle Warrior!"

A fiery shape appeared on the field, resembling a great beast. The two Warriors were consumed by it. And out from the flames, a huge lion-man with a flaming mane leapt out!

"I summon Super War Lion in Attack Mode!" she shouted.

(2,300/2,100)

"Once your Swords wear off, my two divine creatures can hit you with all they've got!" she mocked.

"My turn is over."

"I think she's gonna do it!" laughed Peter.

"I don't know," muttered Yugi. "For someone with no Monsters at all on his side of the field, the Gatekeeper doesn't seem the least bit worried…"

The Gatekeeper drew.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he said, putting the card into the slot.

The lovely angel appeared, and flew into his deck. He drew three cards.

_Finally,_ he thought.

He discarded two cards.

"I'm laying one card facedown," he said, "and ending my turn."

The card appeared in front of him. His gang of zombies started to chuckle.

"Quiet, dust-for-brains," he ordered.

_Now what could that be?_ thought Mary. _I can't attack anyway with these blasted Swords…_

She drew.

"I'm just going to pass this turn," she said. "But I'll be free to attack next turn, so watch out!"

The Swords vanished. Garma Sword and Super War Lion readied themselves in anticipation.

The Gatekeeper chuckled. "That's what you think," he said. "See if you can guess just what this Trap Card is. Want a hint?"

He pushed a button on his disk, and the card slowly lifted.

"I activate Pyramid of Light!" he yelled.

The strange Trap Card cast a glow over the entire arena. It depicted a golden pyramid radiating light.

"What does it do?" continued the Gatekeeper. "I'll explain. When the Continuous Trap Card Pyramid of Light is activated, I can summon not one, but _two_ of the mightiest Beasts in the Duel Monsters game, without so much as a Tribute!

"I simply pay 1,000 Life Points, 500 for each…"

His score fell down to 4,950.

"…and prepare to meet two of the most legendary Gatekeepers of all time!"

He took two cards from his hand.

"First, Sphinx Teleia, in Defense Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and a huge Beast appeared. She had the body of a lion with grey fur, large eagle's wings, the head of a beautiful woman with flowing red hair, and wore a collar with a chained leash attached. She sat in Defense. (2,500/3,000)

"And secondly," he continued. "Her companion, Andro Sphinx, in Attack Mode!"

A second Beast appeared, this one just as large, but more humanoid in shape. He wore a blue armor and tunic combination, his hands were clawed, and his face was lion-like, and surrounded by a wild mane of golden hair. (3,000/2,500)

"Of course," smiled the Gatekeeper, "these two creatures can't attack on the round in which they are summoned, so you have one round to prepare. Use it wisely…"

The five zombies snickered. The two huge Sphinxes looked at Mary with evil smiles…

"Clive, have you ever seen these… monstrosities?" gasped Peter. He was terrified and he wasn't even the one dueling – these Sphinxes were each four times the size as he was!

"No!" stuttered Clive. "Yugi, have you…"

Yugi didn't answer, but a lot was going on in his mind.

_I'm such a good duelist,_ he thought, _you'd think I'd read up on the game and its additions more. I had no idea that Industrial Illusions ever decided to make real cards based on the ones that the demon Anubis created in that horrible Shadow Game he and Seto Kaiba had with my father. I wonder who decided to greenlight these cards? Was it Maximillion, or Anastasia?_

He sighed.

_I'd warn Mary about what those creatures can do, but telling her would be outright cheating! I can only hope she's heard enough about Anubis to figure it out on her own_…

Mary was sweating heavily. This was way out of her league.

She drew.

_Okay..._ she told herself, looking at the two giant Monsters. _Get a grip. Panicking about this is only going to make this worse. I've got nothing in my hand that can defeat those two abominations…._

_I'd better defend…_

"I'm switching Garma Sword and Super War Lion to Defense Mode," she said.

Garma Sword knelt in Defense, and Super War Lion sat the same way.

"Oh, no," muttered Yugi.

The five zombies behind the Gatekeeper laughed more than ever.

"That was a mistake Mary!" he cackled, making a draw. "First, I'll switch Sphinx Teleia into Attack Mode…"

He turned the card, and Teleia sprang up.

"Now…" he ordered. "Andro Sphinx! Attack Garma Sword! Sphinx Teleia! Attack Super War Lion!"

The two Sphinxes roared and pounced, tearing both of Mary's Monsters to shreds!

Mary's Life Points plummeted all the way to 4,950!

"Wha?" gasped Mary. "How? They were in Defense Mode!"

"When a Sphinx destroys a Monster in Defense Mode, the owner loses Life Points equal to half the destroyed Monster's Defense Score!" laughed the Gatekeeper. "You'd have been better off keeping them in Attack Mode!

"Time to make your move."

"Crummy, no good, sonova…" cursed Mary under her breath.

She sighed. He'd made a legal move, and there was no sense complaining about it. Still, she was getting more scared by the minute. She reached for her deck…

_Hold on…_ she thought. _I remember now… Yugi's dad once told me something about Sphinxes… something about a Shadow Game. Boy, he did a lot of those…_

She thought for a minute.

_Yeah..._ she thought. _Their power is tied to that Pyramid of Light. If I could somehow get rid of the Pyramid, I'd get rid of the Sphinxes. But how…_

She drew. She looked at the card.

"I'll play my own Graceful Charity," she said, throwing a card into a slot.

The graceful angel appeared and flew into her deck. She drew three cards.

She looked at them.

_Yes!_ she thought. _So long as he doesn't find a way around Trap Cards, this combo will do the trick!_

She discarded two cards.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said.

She slid the card in the slot, and the facedown card appeared.

"And," she continued, "I'll summon Baby Dragon in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and the cute infant dragon appeared. He squeaked. (1,200/700)

"And I end my turn," she smiled.

The Gatekeeper drew back in surprise. His zombies started murmuring. He raised his hand to silence them.

_I know her strategy,_ he thought. _On her next turn, she'll summon Time Wizard, in an attempt to strengthen that Dragon and weaken my Sphinxes! That facedown card is either a bluff or a Trap designed to protect the Dragon._

He drew.

_Nothing I can use right now,_ he thought. _This will be a risk, but I have to try to stop her!_

"Sphinx Teleia," he ordered, "attack Baby Dragon!"

Teleia roared and pounced forward…

Mary pushed a button on her Disk and the facedown card activated! It was Negate Attack! Teleia bounced off an invisible shield.

"Humph," muttered the Gatekeeper. "Very well Mary, I'm ending my turn. But beware, for Time Wizard's spin is always a matter of luck…"

Mary drew.

"Who ever said I was going to use Time Wizard?" she smiled. "You just _assumed_ that."

"Huh?" said the Gatekeeper.

"I placed Baby Dragon on the field for a _different_ reason," she continued, "so I could Tribute him for a Monster that will blow your Sphinxes away!"

She took a card from her hand and placed it down.

"I Tribute Baby Dragon to summon the legendary Jinzo, in Attack Mode!"

Baby Dragon vanished with a squeak, and a tall shape arose on the field. The large, imposing, armored form of Jinzo appeared in front of Mary and gazed at the Gatekeeper, his optic sensors glowing red! (2,400/1,500)

"When Jinzo is on the field," explained Mary, "the effects of all Trap Cards are instantly negated! Even ones as powerful as your Pyramid of Light!"

A laser beam shot from Jinzo's eyes, and the Pyramid of Light card was incinerated.

"No!" gasped the Gatekeeper. "That means my Sphinxes…"

"Are gone!" smiled Mary.

Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia roared and then burst into fragments. The Gatekeeper's Life Points fell to 3,575.

"All right!" yelled Clive.

"Mary blew those nasty Sphinxes away!" cheered Peter.

Only Yugi looked worried. He held his chin and looked on.

"A foolish choice, lass, very foolish!" the Gatekeeper angrily said. "You know something about the way Sphinxes work, but you apparently don't know all…"

He reached for his deck.

"When both of the lesser Sphinxes are destroyed at the same time," he explained, "I can pay 500 Life Points to summon an even _stronger_ creature from my deck!"

"Stronger?" gulped Mary, aghast.

His Life Points fell to 3,075.

"Prepare to meet the greatest of all Gatekeepers," he shouted. "Theinen the Great Sphinx, come forth!"

He slapped the card down, and a gargantuan Beast appeared on the field. It was beyond belief. Half-again as big as one of the previous Sphinxes, it was centaur-like in shape, with a lower body resembling that of a more muscular Sphinx Teleia (complete with wings), and an upper body of a powerfully muscular man with brown skin. His head had two fierce faces, one on the front and one on the back – the front resembled Andro Sphinx, and the back resembled Sphinx Teleia! (3,500/3,000)

The Great Sphinx roared from its two mouths, and the chamber shook. Even the Gatekeeper's five zombie supporters looked scared. The only creature unnerved in the room was the Gatekeeper himself.

"I…I end my turn…" gulped Mary, who was quivering like a leaf.

"Good…" said her opponent.

"Theinen," commanded the Gatekeeper, "attack Jinzo with Roar of the Sphinx attack!"

The Great Sphinx let out an ear-splitting roar, and Jinzo exploded with such force that Mary fell down on her rump! Her Life Points fell all the way to 3,850.

"My turn is over, Mary," snarled the Gatekeeper. "But unless you have some special card in your deck that can defeat my ultimate Gatekeeper, things don't look good for you…"

Theinen chuckled loudly.

Mary looked at her hand, which only had two cards in it. No Monsters, only Graceful Dice and Monster Reborn.

She had plenty of Monsters to choose from to bring back with Monster Reborn, but even with the maximum boost from Graceful Dice, none of them could stand up to this goliath who was in the same class as Gate Guardian and Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth. And if the Gatekeeper summoned something else on his next turn, he could destroy whatever she summoned and then hit her with a direct attack – she would lose in two turns!

She reached for her deck.

_Whatever I draw next better be the best draw ever..._ she thought.

She drew. She looked at the card.

"Well Mary," said the Gatekeeper, sarcastically, "did you get the card you needed?"

"Actually, yes," smiled Mary, taking a card from her hand.

"I first play Monster Reborn, to bring back Garma Sword, in Attack Mode!" she announced.

Garma Sword arose again, brandishing his six curved blades. (2,550/2,150)

"That's your plan?" laughed the Gatekeeper. "My lesser Sphinxes have already defeated that Monster. That Warrior will never stand up to the Great Sphinx!"

"We'll see," said Mary. "I play a card facedown and end my turn!"

She fit a card into a slot. The facedown card appeared, behind Garma Sword.

"Very well, Mary," he said. "I draw…"

He drew.

"And I activate a Trap!" shouted Mary. "Meet a favorite of my father's – Graverobber!"

Her facedown card activated, and the giggling gremlin appeared.

"What?" gasped the Gatekeeper. "You're going to rob my Graveyard?"

"Uh huh," smiled Mary. "This may cost me 2,000 Life Points…"

Her Life Points went down to 1,850.

"But now I get to swipe a Spell Card from your discard pile and use it right now!" exclaimed Mary.

A card appeared in the Graverobber's hands and he cackled.

"Looks like he just swiped your Tribute to the Doomed card!" chuckled Mary.

"No!" shouted the Gatekeeper.

"Ironic," sighed Mary, "that a guardian of death was done in by a Graverobber…"

She discarded her Graceful Dice card, as the Gatekeeper drew back in fear. A moan emitted over the field, as a blizzard of mummy wrappings entangled Theinen the Great Sphinx! A huge hand grabbed him, and the Gatekeeper's Life Points fell down to 2,250.

"Guess your Great Sphinx isn't so great anymore!" said Mary. "So finish your turn…"

The Gatekeeper looked at his hand…

"Uh…" he stammered. "I uh… I set a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…"

The hidden Monster appeared.

Mary drew.

"Right," she smiled, putting the card down. "That wasn't much of a bluff. Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!"

The mighty Gearfried arose, holding his bladed arm out in front of him. (1,800/1,600)

"Gearfried, attack that facedown Monster!" shouted Mary.

Gearfried charged forth. Armored Zombie appeared, before being cut to pieces.

"Let's finish this Garma Sword! Attack the Gatekeeper with sextuple scimitar slash!"

Garma Sword leapt up, and smote the Gatekeeper! He screamed and fell, his Life Points reduced to zero.

Mary's friends cheered, while Mary wiped sweat from her face. The zombies surrounding the Gatekeeper helped him up, all looking sad and morose.

The Gatekeeper bowed his head. Then he looked up.

"Truly you are a great duelist, Mary." he sighed. "We Gatekeepers surround ourselves with death, but you are fuller of life than any opponent I have yet to see! I do not mind admitting defeat to one as skilled as you."

He raised his hand.

"And so, via the rules of Duelatopia, you are hereby promoted from Green to Violet. Wear the badge well."

The gem on Mary's disk turned to Blue, and then to Violet. Mary smiled.

"And of course," continued the Gatekeeper, "another award is in order. Sonja…"

The zombie who had given him the Disk at the start of the duel produced a small pine box and walked up to Mary. She flinched.

"Don't be scared," assured the Gatekeeper. "She won't bite. This is something to add to your deck. A little memento from the days when I was a doctor…"

Sonja opened the box, and a Monster card was resting inside it on a cushion.

Mary took it. "Injection Fairy Lily?" she said.

"A rare card, and a powerful one, if used right," said the Gatekeeper. "You must pay 2,000 Life Points to activate her mighty effect, but if you do so, it could deliver the finishing blow to your opponent."

He motioned to the five zombies. They retreated back to their coffins and closed the lids.

"But Mary, remember the rules," he said. "You are no longer allowed to confront any more Eliminators. I'll think you'll agree that one was indeed enough."

He turned to Yugi, Clive, and Peter.

"And I must remind the three of you that you are no longer welcome here," he said. "I will not duel you now that you know my strategy. The doors to these catacombs will no longer open for you. But as you no doubt know, other Eliminators lurk in hidden places of this city… find them if you dare."

He motioned, and a doorway opened, revealing a stairway.

"Those stairs will take you back up to street level," he said. "Now go. I do not think we will meet again."

"You don't have to tell me twice," muttered Clive.

As they started to climb the stairs, Yugi put his arm around Mary.

"Good work Mary," he said. "Just when I think I have you all figured out, you surprise me all over again. I hope those Beasts didn't scare you too badly."

"Scared?" sighed Mary. "I wasn't scared…

"Well, okay, maybe I was scared… okay, I was petrified!"

"Mary…" said Yugi. "Remember what I said at breakfast about not being afraid? Let me tell you something. True courage is when you're scared, but you act anyway. My father knew that only too well. It is a lesson that a true duelist must learn if he or she is to succeed."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they ascended the last of the steps, they opened a set of doors, and walked into the city proper.

"Ah, fresh air!" exclaimed Peter.

"You rock, Mary!" shouted Clive. "Keep dueling like that, and you'll be in the finals before you know it."

"Indeed," said Yugi. "I think now she's ahead of all three of us!"

"Why don't we all go to lunch and celebrate?" asked Mary.

They looked around, and saw a restaurant called Slice of the Pie down the street.

"How about some pizza?" she suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" approved Clive.

As they walked down the street, two of the figures in trenchcoats and sunglasses walked out of the alley.

One of them gestured, and the globe of light appeared in her hand. The two red eyes appeared in it.

"Master," she said. "Mary has proven triumphant. She has defeated the Eliminator."

"That is dire news indeed," said the hissing voice from the sphere.

"What should we do?" said the figure.

"Nothing, yet," said the voice. "We will all continue to watch Yugi and his disciples. The time is not right to strike. Let this silly game continue as it is, and await further instructions."

The sphere vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends entered the restaurant, another shadowy figure appeared in another alley. It peeked around and looked towards them.

"I must gather Yugi and Mary," it said, "but I must wait until nightfall to do so…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RESTLESS SOULS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A dark cemetery with zombies crawling out of the ground.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Both players Special Summon as many Monsters as possible from their respective Graveyards. The Special Summoned Monsters are treated as Zombie-Type Monsters and their effects are negated.


	14. Archfiend's Oath

_**When I first decided to construct a deck, I knew I had to decide on a theme, so I decided on an Archfiend deck – not because I'm at heart an evil or sinister person (as some might think, due to that choice), but because the Archfiend cards are so exotic and artistic. I always like things that are works of art. It's the way I am.**_

_**Yugi at first warned me about my choice, telling me that Archfiends were some of the most complicated Monsters in the game, and are hard to handle. But I never said no to a challenge. When I started, I lost more often than I won… but with Yugi's help, I eventually got the hang of it, and became a true master of this unique brand of Fiends. And I've used them to defeat some skilled duelists, like Mantra, and the Evil Spirit of the Ring.**_

_**A wise man once said that no matter how good at a thing you get, there's always going to be someone who wants to prove he's better. I knew from the start that someone would eventually want to challenge me with a Fiend deck of his own…**_

_**I say, bring it on!**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Archfiend's Oath**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As the team walked into the restaurant, they saw a sign that said, "PLEASE SEAT YOURSELF." The pizza place was a cozy affair, with Italian artwork adorning the walls. The smells of tomatoes and garlic filled the place.

As they walked to a table near the center of the dining room, they failed to see a figure at a table in the corner, watching them.

_Well, well,_ thought Persephone Amore, eyeing them. _Yugi Mouto and his team of twerps._

She examined their Disks. When she saw Mary's she grinned.

_Your girlfriend is ahead of you, Yugi?_ she thought. _Hilarious. You're going to have to step up a little if you want to get any further._

She looked at her own Disk (which was also Violet), and then looked at Yugi. She rubbed her chin.

_No,_ she thought, _not yet. I'll take him on when I'm good and ready. And I'm not ready now. I'll save him for a special occasion._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends were looking at the menus.

"So many toppings they have here," sighed Mary. "Can you really put artichoke hearts on pizza?"

"How about pepperoni and green peppers?" suggested Clive.

"Green peppers give me gas," muttered Peter. "I don't want to get gas in the middle of a duel!"

"Mushrooms?" asked Mary.

"I don't eat fungus," said Clive. "Why don't we just get double pepperoni?"

"Are you _asking_ for heartburn?" sighed Mary. "How about onions?"

"Onions give me bad breath in the morning," said Clive.

"You _always_ have bad breath in the morning!" moaned Peter. "I should know! You ever consider using a different mouthwash?"

"People," complained Yugi. "In the entire history of Italy, has there _ever_ been a group of people who could decide on pizza toppings?"

They all looked at each other for a minute.

"That's what I figured," frowned Yugi.

He looked at the specialty pizzas.

"How about this?" he suggested. "The bacon cheeseburger pizza – three types of cheeses, beef topping, and bacon, with spicy sauce, on a deep dish crust."

They all looked at the entry.

"Sounds good to me," approved Clive.

The other two nodded.

"Okay," said Yugi. "You guys order. I've got to go do number one."

He got up and headed for the rest rooms.

Once there, he passed by the door to the ladies room, which had an "Out of Order" sign on it.

A chill passed down his spine. He paused.

"Did you feel that?" he said.

Yami appeared before him.

"Yes," said the Spirit. "Something strange is happening here… something is not right…"

Yugi pushed on the ladies room door, but it seemed locked tight.

"I can't just break it down," he muttered.

"Well, the feeling is gone now anyway," said Yami. "Maybe it was a fluke."

"Maybe…" said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A little while later, the pizza came to the table.

"Everyone eat slow, people," said Yugi. "Like Peter said, we don't want to be sick when we're dueling."

At that point, the door to the restaurant opened, and a teenager walked in.

He looked bizarre.

He had straight blonde hair and large, sea green eyes, but what really set him apart was his clothes. He was dressed all in black – not Goth-black, more like the type of outfit evil sorcerers from fantasy movies wore. He even had a cape, which was green. His Dueling Disk registered his status as Blue.

He strut in and spoke in an accent that suggested Irish: "Where's the jerk who calls himself Peter Ramset?"

"I am that jerk," announced Peter, standing up. "I mean, who the hell are you?"

"Call me Maligno," answered the boy. "Word has gotten around, Peter. People are saying you have a powerful Fiend deck."

"Archfiend deck, pal," corrected Peter. "They're special Fiends."

"All Fiends are special," smiled Maligno. "I should know. My own Fiend deck made me the national champion of Ireland. And I'm willing to bet that my Fiends can beat yours any day of the week!"

"Are you challenging me?" asked Peter.

"Doesn't it look that way?" replied Maligno.

"Fine," answered Peter. "Just let my friends and I finish lunch first."

"I have nowhere to go," shrugged Maligno. "And when you finish, the ultimate battle of Fiends will begin!"

He said it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. He went to a table to sit down.

"You'd best watch it," warned Mary. "If he is the national champion of Ireland…"

"Ireland is a small country," said Peter, reaching for a slice. "Besides, I always wondered what it would be like to try out my deck against another Fiend deck."

Secretly, though, he was worried. Mantra had been a tough opponent, but his deck didn't really have a theme aside from Gate Guardian. This Maligno guy was a national champion, who had likely made a powerful deck from a more solid theme.

But if there was one thing he wasn't, it was a coward.

In the corner, Persephone pondered.

_This might be fun to watch,_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After the pizza was finished, a small crowd gathered outside the restaurant. The idea of two Fiend decks going against each other had caught a lot of interest.

Persephone was careful to hide herself in the crowd. She had every right to watch, but no sense in letting Yugi know she was spying on them.

And in the alley next to the restaurant, the shadowy figure silently viewed.

"Scared, Peter?" warned Maligno.

"Don't count on it, Damien," answered Peter. "I hope you aren't counting on the Luck of the Irish to help you win this duel!"

"We'll soon see," replied Maligno. "But don't expect this to be a friendly competition. This will be a match made in Hell – literally!

"Activate!"

The holo-imagers shot out of his Disk, and the two sides snapped into place. Peter did the same with his own Disk.

"DUEL!" they both yelled.

"What do you think?" asked Mary. "Can Peter do it?"

"Well," answered Yugi, "on one hand, Peter's Archfiends have some powerful effects that give him a slight edge. But on the other hand, all Fiends tend to be powerful in general, and I'll wager Maligno knows how to use them well. We'll just have to see how well Maligno has put together his deck…"

"I'll start this off," said Maligno, making his draws. "And for my first move, I'll summon Malice Doll of Demise, in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a cackling noise erupted over the Field. An evil-looking puppet materialized, holding a huge axe. (1,600/1,700)

"Now that's creepy," shuddered Mary.

Peter drew.

_Creepy, maybe,_ he thought, looking at his cards, _but easily taken care of…_

"I summon Thunder Nyan Nyan, in Attack Mode!" he announced.

Thunder struck, and a cat-like woman with red hair and horns appeared, dressed in a leopard-skin pelt, sitting behind a set of drums. (1,900/800)

"Thunder Nyan Nyan," shouted Peter. "Attack the Doll! Drum solo of death attack!"

Thunder Nyan Nyan beat on her drums, and when she hit the cymbal, a bolt of lightning blasted forward, blowing Malice Doll of Demise to pieces!

Maligno's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"All right!" cheered Clive. "Thunder Nyan Nyan plays a mean percussion section!"

Maligno drew.

_Thunder Nyan Nyan is a powerful Monster,_ he thought, _but I know her weakness – she'll be destroyed if Peter summons a non-Light Monster… and there are precious few Light Monsters in Fiend decks. Given that, I think I'm safe defending for now…_

"I summon Witty Phantom in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The tall gentleman Fiend in a purple tuxedo appeared in front of Maligno. (1,400/1,300).

_Hmmm,_ thought Peter.

He drew.

_Desrook Archfiend!_ he thought. _Desrook is a Light Monster, so Nyan Nyan can fight alongside him!_

_This might cost me some Life Points until I draw a Pandemonium card, but I can't give up this chance to get an early lead…_

"Desrook Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he shouted, putting the card down.

A beam of light stuck the field, and the demonic chess rook with tentacles appeared. (1,100/1,800)

"What?" gasped Maligno. "That Fiend is Light?"

"The major Archfiends represent ALL Attributes!" smiled Peter. "Light included! Thunder Nyan Nyan, destroy the Phantom!"

Nyan Nyan pounded on her drums, and the lightning bolt blasted towards the Witty Phantom! He screamed and burst.

"Now, Desrook Archfiend, attack Maligno Directly with king's castling attack!" ordered Peter.

Desrook shot one of his sharp tentacles forward and struck Maligno! He screamed and fell over.

Maligno got up, his chest bleeding from a deep wound. His Life Points had been reduced to 6,600.

"All right!" yelled Mary. "Peter nailed him good!"

"Yeah, but he took a risk sending out that Desrook without Pandemonium," warned Clive. "Next time it's his turn, the Desrook will nail _him._"

Maligno drew.

_Well,_ he thought. _Let's see if luck is with me._

"Now here's a Monster that's very popular in my country, Peter," he stated. "I summon Wailing Banshee, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a beautiful, ghostly woman in a green dress with a look of anguish on her face appeared. (1,200/1,100)

"That doesn't look very impressive," said Peter.

"What she lacks in power, she makes up for in effect," smiled Maligno. "Every Battle Phase, starting with this one, Wailing Banshee wails, which destroys one random Monster on the field other than herself. Since I have no other Monsters on the field other than her, that means one of _yours_ is doomed!"

At that, Wailing Banshee let out a bloodcurdling scream! Thunder Nyan Nyan covered her ears, and she burst! Her drums fell in a broken pile.

"Well, how fortunate," grinned Maligno. "Now she can make her normal attack – Wailing Banshee, attack Desrook with fiendish scream!"

Wailing Banshee screamed again, and Desrook Archfiend exploded.

Peter's Life Points were now at 7,425.

Peter looked at his cards.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _If I don't draw something that can defeat that Banshee, he might be able to attack ME next!_

He drew.

_Good!_ he thought.

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, in Attack Mode!" he shouted, placing a card down.

A small lamp appeared on the field, and the huge green genie floated out of it. He chucked. (1,800/1,000)

"Attack Wailing Banshee, La Jinn!" yelled Peter. "Mystical magic attack!"

La Jinn cast a spell and shot a bolt of magic forward. The Banshee screamed and was obliterated. Maligno's Life Points fell to 6,000.

_Hmm,_ thought Persephone. _For a guy who uses Fiends, Peter isn't doing half bad. Still, what I've seen is nothing I can't handle._

_Maybe it would be a more crushing defeat to Yugi if I kicked one of his three pals' butts in front of him… that would certainly be fun. _

_I have to know more about all four of them. Study up… the more I know, the better advantage I'll have when I finally choose a victim…_

_And maybe I can get Yugi to wager his Guardian Angel Joan in the process…_

"It's your move, Maligno," stated Peter.

Maligno drew.

"I summon Witch of the Black Forest, in Attack Mode!" he announced.

He put the card down, and a dark woman in a long, black cloak appeared. (1,100/1,200)

"And I end my turn," said Maligno.

"Uh oh," said Mary.

"Sorry, Mal," said Peter. "But I know what happens when Witch of the Black Forest is sent to the Graveyard, and I'm not ready to meet whatever low-Defense Monster you have lurking in your deck."

He drew.

"So for my turn, I'll simply change the terrain, and play the Field card Pandemonium!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the streets around them changed. The sky turned red and hazy, and the buildings turned horrid and fiendish. Wisps of smoke floated through the street.

"All right!" yelled Clive. "Now he can really break out the Archfiends!"

"I hate this place…" sighed Mary.

_You aren't the only one,_ thought Persephone. _This Field doesn't hold a candle to The Sanctuary in the Sky! At least there they have a nice smell…_

Maligno chuckled.

_Sorry Peter,_ he thought, drawing, _but I knew you knew how Witch of the Black Forest works…_

He placed a card down.

"I'll first summon Sangan, in Attack Mode!" he said.

The spherical, three-eyed, four-clawed Fiend with a toothy mouth appeared. (1,000/600)

"If you think I'm attacking either of them…" snarled Peter.

"Don't need you to!" smiled Maligno. "Because I have THIS!"

He held a card out.

"A Polymerization card?" gasped Peter.

"Indubitably," said Maligno, fitting it into his slot.

Witch of the Black Forest and Sangan melted together and formed a swirl of dark energy.

"Fused together," explained Maligno, "they form the deli-counter combination known as… Sanwitch! In Attack Mode."

A strange Spellcaster stepped out of the swirl. He was dressed in a white robe with a built in veil and brown pants, and wore a hat which seemed a cross between a turban and an Arabian headdress. He held a crooked staff. The only part of his face you could see were his eyes surrounded by green skin, and his eyes resembled Sangan's. (2,100/1,800)

"And the best part is," said Maligno, "since I sent both Monsters to the Graveyard to create Sanwitch, I get to enact both their Effects, and search for two Monsters, one with low Attack, and one with low Defense!"

He got the cards he needed and plugged his deck back in. The Disk whirred and reshuffled it.

"There," he smiled. "Unfortunately, since my Fusion Monster can't attack on the round he is created, I'll end my turn now."

"That WAS a clever strategy," sighed Mary.

"Don't worry," said Yugi. "Peter can handle it."

Peter was surprised. He'd never even heard of Sanwitch. He drew.

"I'll shift La Jinn to Defense Mode," he said.

La Jinn folded his arms.

And I'll summon Baron of the Fiend Sword, also in Defense Mode," he said.

A Fiend with a demonic yellow face, wearing a grey tuxedo and carrying a sword made of red crystal appeared. (1,550/800)

He knelt and leaned on his sword.

"That's all I can do," he said.

Maligno drew.

"Now I'll summon Sangan's contribution," he smiled. "You liked Wailing Banshee? Say hello to Leprechaun Thief, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a vicious little leprechaun in a green suit carrying a sack on his shoulder appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"What the…" said Yugi.

"That's something you don't see in every duel," said Mary.

"Now, Sanwitch, turn that genie into lunchmeat!" laughed Maligno.

Sanwitch aimed his staff and fired a beam of rainbow-colored light, blowing La Jinn away.

"Go, Leprechaun Thief!" yelled Maligno. "Attack the Baron with gold rush attack!"

Leprechaun Thief reached into his sack and hurled a fistful of gold coins at Baron of the Fiend Sword. Peter's Fiend moaned and was eroded into dust.

"Man, that's expensive ammunition," muttered Clive.

"Come on, guys, Peter's in trouble!" exclaimed Mary.

A light flashed on Peter's Disk.

"More than you know," smiled Maligno. "Because when Leprechaun Thief destroys one of Peter's Monsters, I get to take one card at random from his hand!"

Peter looked down at his Disk. Maligno was right.

"Okay, fine, come here," he growled, holding his cards out.

Maligno's two Monsters stepped aside so he could move forward. Maligno came up to Peter and deftly snatched a card.

"Ha, ha!" he laughed, looking at it. "A Dark Energy Equip card! You could have Equipped this to La Jinn and stood up to Sanwitch, stupid!"

"I didn't want to waste it on La Jinn," snarled Peter.

"Well, too late now," chuckled Maligno, walking back. "Your move now."

Peter drew.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed.

He placed the card, and the large jar appeared in front of him with a chuckle.

He drew two more cards and looked at them carefully.

"I place one card facedown," he said. "And then I summon Vilepawn Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

The ground rumbled, and Vilepawn crawled out of the ground, raising his sword and claw high. (1,200/200)

The facedown card appeared behind him.

"Vilepawn Archfiend," shouted Peter. "Attack Leprechaun Thief with en passant strike attack!"

Vilepawn charged forward and the leprechaun covered its eyes. The Archfiend smote Leprechaun Thief, and coins flew all over the place. Maligno's Life Points fell to 5,800.

"I'll end my turn," smiled Peter.

Maligno drew.

_He's up to something,_ thought Maligno. _That Overfiend, or whatever it is, is weak. He knows Sanwitch can blow him away. That facedown card must be something dangerous… can't risk it…_

"I'll summon Feral Imp in Defense Mode and end my turn," said Maligno.

The little green imp appeared next to Sanwitch and squatted in Defense. (1,300/1,400)

"Okay," said Peter, drawing.

"Infernalqueen Archfiend, in Defense Mode!" he pronounced.

He put down the card, and Infernalqueen appeared in a burst of flame. (900/1,500)

_Oh, I see Peter,_ thought Persephone. _Clever._

"Your move, Maligno," announced Peter.

Maligno drew.

_Wait a minute,_ he thought. _I've heard about that Infernalqueen! She has the power to strengthen other Fiends!_

_Trap or no Trap, I've got to try to take her out!_

"Sanwitch!" he ordered, "attack Infernalqueen!"

Sanwitch fired his colored blast… Infernalqueen screamed and covered her eyes…

But then Vilepawn reached out with his claw and halted it. Infernalqueen wiped her brow.

"What?" stammered Maligno. "How the… your other Fiend protected her?"

"I told you, Maligno," explained Peter. "Archfiends are special Fiends. They're meant to work together as a team. So long as Vilepawn is on the field, he protects all other Archfiends, so you can't touch my Infernalqueen!

"If you hadn't been in such a rush, you could have attacked Vilepawn with that Imp, but it's too late to shift him into Attack Mode now."

"Fine," growled Maligno. "Your turn."

"Then here's another example of teamwork," said Peter. "Infernalqueen, cast your spell on Vilepawn!"

Infernalqueen gestured, and flames enshrouded Vilepawn. His Attack went up to 2,200.

"Vilepawn, attack Sanwitch!" said Peter. "En passant strike attack!"

Vilepawn charged forward and smote Sanwitch with his sword. The strange Spellcaster was vanquished.

The score stood at Peter: 7,425, Maligno: 5,700.

"Peter's got a good lead," said Mary.

"I don't know," said Yugi. "I have a feeling that the hellfire is about to get a lot more hellish…"

Maligno drew.

_Hmm,_ he thought, looking at the card. _This will be a risk, but I have to take the chance…_

"Peter!" he exclaimed. "Remember how you said you hoped I wasn't counting on the Luck of the Irish? Well there's a chance that right now, that's what's going to help me out!"

"Meaning?" asked Peter.

"I just drew a Spell Card," said Maligno. "The powerful Lucky Shamrock!"

"Huh?" said Peter.

"It's a risky card to play," said Maligno, "but if you're lucky, it pays off…"

He slid it into the slot, and a huge three leaf clover appeared over him, with one orange leaf, one purple leaf, and one green leaf.

"To activate this card, I need to first pay 1,000 Life Points," he explained.

His Life Points fell to 4,700.

"Then," he continued. "I'm allowed three draws from my deck. Now, as even a novice duelist knows, there are three types of cards in this game, Monster, Spell, and Trap.

"If the three cards I draw happen to be of all three types, I get the 1,000 Life Points back, plus an extra 1,000 added to my score!"

He reached for his deck.

"One, two, three," he said drawing.

He looked at the three cards. Everyone looked at him.

"Well look at that!" he smiled, holding them up. "Lucky me!"

The orange, purple, and green borders of the cards proved that he had been successful.

"Crud," snarled Peter.

Maligno's score went up to 6,700.

"Man, Mary," gasped Clive. "I don't think even you could have lucked out that much!"

"And it's still my turn," chuckled Maligno. "I'll Tribute my Feral Imp to summon the mighty Summoned Skull, in Attack Mode!"

The Feral Imp vanished, and lightning erupted in front of Maligno. Yugi's favorite Fiend rose up into Attack position. (2,500/1,200)

"And now," smiled Maligno, "I'll Equip my Skull with the Dark Energy I took from you!"

He put the card into the slot, and a hand appeared on the field, holding a dark sphere. It hurled the sphere at Summoned Skull, and his attack rose to 2,800.

"Good lord," gasped Mary.

"And now that I know who to attack," said Maligno, "Summoned Skull, attack the Vilepawn with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skull howled, and shot forth his lightning at Vilepawn!

"Not this round!" said Peter, pressing a button on his Disk.

His facedown card rose up, and the three Waboku priests sprang up, blocking the blast.

"Forgot all about _that,_ did you?" asked Peter, as they vanished.

"Then I'll end my turn by laying a card facedown," stated Maligno.

_And next round I'll have a big surprise for you,_ he thought. _And I emphasize "big."_

Peter drew.

_Careful, Peter,_ thought Yugi. _Don't get too full of yourself._

"Infernalqueen Archfiend," ordered Peter. "Cast your spell on Vilepawn _again_!"

Infernalqueen gestured, and flames erupted around Vilepawn, raising his Attack score to 3,200.

"Vilepawn Archfiend," ordered Peter. "Destroy his Summoned Skull!"

Vilepawn charged…

"You dumb bloke," said Maligno, pressing a button on his Disk. "You _knew_ that I had drawn a Trap card…"

The facedown card rose, and a Spellbinding Circle snagged Vilepawn! His attack score fell to 2,500.

"Nuts," snarled Peter. He looked at his hand.

_You should be ashamed of yourself Peter, _thought Persephone. _I saw a Trap coming a mile away. I'm surprised you're even at Green status._

"I'll end by laying one Monster facedown in Defense Mode," said Peter.

He put the card down, and the card appeared, facedown.

"Good," smiled Maligno drawing. "Now I'm going to Tribute my Summoned Skull. Has he gone insane, you might all ask? Tributing a Monster who has 2,800 Attack points? No! The Monster I'm about to summon is going to be almost _twice_ as powerful!"

_He doesn't mean…_ thought Peter.

He put a card down, and Summoned Skull vanished with a howl. A large, dark shape arose in front of Maligno. It came into the light, revealed to be a hulking, horned fiend in purple armor, covered with patches of hair. (00/00)

"Great Maju Garzett!" yelled Peter, in shock.

"So you've heard of him," grinned Maligno. "Then there's still hope for you. This lovable bloke's Attack score becomes twice the original Attack score of the Monster I used as a Tribute to summon him! And since Summoned Skull's original score was 2,500…"

"Maju's score is now 5,000…" muttered Peter.

"You got it," grinned Maligno.

"_Five-thousand Attack points?_" gasped Mary. "That's even more than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"Tell me about it," said Yugi. "Like I said, Fiends can be powerful…"

"Great Maju Garzett," cackled Maligno. "Obliterate Vilepawn with hellfire blast attack!"

A ball of flames appeared in Maju's hand and he threw it, blowing Vilepawn to atoms! Peter's Life Points took a nosedive to 4,925.

_Damn,_ thought Peter. _I have a way to get rid of that thing, but first I have to draw it…_

He drew.

_Not the right card, but this might help…_

"I'll flip-summon my facedown Monster," shouted Peter. "The Mask of Darkness!"

A frayed, yellow mask appeared where the facedown card was. (900/400)

"That lets retrieve one Trap Card from my Graveyard," said Peter, as his discard pile became accessible.

He got what he wanted, and added it to his hand.

"Now," he continued, "I'll Tribute the Mask to summon another Monster, which I'll put facedown in Defense Mode."

The Mask of Darkness vanished, and was replaced by a facedown Monster.

"And I'll end my turn," he said.

_Hmm,_ thought Persephone. _An odd strategy if I've ever seen one. But seeing how much he likes Fiends, I think I know what that facedown Monster is…_

Maligno was thinking.

_He only had one Trap Card in his Graveyard,_ he thought. _Waboku. But why didn't he set it? He could have used it to protect Infernalqueen. And what sort of Tribute Monster do you put in Defense Mode AND try to conceal? It doesn't make sense!_

He drew.

_Cost Down!_ he thought.

"I play the Spell Card Cost Down!" he announced. "Which I'll use to summon my next Monster without a Tribute!"

He slid the card into its slot, and discarded a card.

"Arise, King of Yamimakai!" he shouted.

A large, blocky fiend with claws, huge muscles, a fang-filled mouth, and no eyes appeared. (2,000/1,530)

"King of Yamimakai, destroy Infernalqueen with electroshock attack!" commanded Maligno.

Electricity shot from the demon's hands. Infernalqueen screamed, and vanished in a burst of flame.

"Great Maju Garzett!" said Maligno. "Destroy what he has in Defense Mode! Hellfire blast attack!"

Great Maju Garzett shot forth his flames…

On the facedown card, a female fiend with dark skin and feathered wings, dressed in a peasant's outfit appeared. As the flames engulfed her, she screamed, and vanished.

_I was right!_ thought Persephone.

"What?" gasped Maligno. "Marie the Fallen One?"

"Uh huh," smiled Peter. "Since you're such an expert on Fiends, you must know all about Marie the Fallen One! Despite the fact that you destroyed her, she can still help me; now that she's in my Graveyard, she'll raise my Life Points by 200 on each of my turns."

"Ha!" laughed Maligno. "Doesn't matter. There's nothing you can summon now that my King of Yamimakai can't destroy. And then a 5,000-point Direct Attack from Great Maju Garzett will end this duel!"

_We'll see,_ thought Peter, drawing.

_Gotcha!_

His score rose to 5,125.

"I summon one Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said, placing the card down. "And also, two cards facedown. And I'll end my turn."

The three facedown cards appeared, two behind the Monster card.

Maligno drew back in surprise.

_One of them HAS to be Waboku,_ he thought. _But what the heck is the other one?_

Yugi pondered

_Peter can't destroy that Great Maju Garzett in a frontal attack,_ he thought. _He must have some other idea to get rid of him… and I think I see his plan…_

Maligno drew.

"Giant Orc, in Attack Mode!" he said.

The huge, white-skinned giant carrying his bone club appeared. (2,200/0)

"King of Yamimakai," ordered Maligno, "attack the facedown Monster!"

Sparks flew from King of Yamimakai's hands.

"I don't think so…" said Peter, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

The Waboku appeared again, and when the blast shot forward, they intercepted it.

"Okay fine," said Maligno. "I end my turn. But what are you going to do now?"

Peter's score went up to 5,325.

"I'll show you," smiled Peter. "Prepare to meet the most beautiful of all the Archfiends… I flip-summon my Shadow Tamer!"

A beautiful woman with an exotic white costume, long blue hair, and fancy makeup, holding a whip appeared where the facedown card was. (800/700)

"NO!" screamed Maligno. "Her flip-effect lets you seize control of one opposing Fiend for one round!"

"You do know a lot about Fiends," said Peter. "Shadow Tamer, take control of Great Maju Garzett!"

Shadow Tamer cracked her whip, and Great Maju Garzett's eyes glowed blue. He lumbered over to Peter's side.

"Now let's see how you like it," chuckled Peter. "Great Maju Garzett, attack King of Yamimakai with hellfire blast attack!"

Great Maju Garzett threw his mighty fireball and reduced King of Yamimakai to ashes! Maligno screamed as his Life Points fell to 3,700.

"Now to get rid of him," smiled Peter. "And I'm going to do it in a way that will benefit me greatly. You see, Maligno, you may not know this, but according to the rules of Duel Monsters, Great Maju Garzett is considered an Archfiend, even though I don't have one myself."

"What?" gasped Maligno. "I mean, what good will that do you? It doesn't matter what titles he has. If you're going to Tribute him, just do it!"

"You just don't get it do you?" explained Peter. "My whole deck is designed to take advantage of Archfiends! Take this Trap for instance…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"Altar of the Archfiends!"

The infernal altar appeared, surrounding Great Maju Garzett.

"With this Trap Card, I can sacrifice one Archfiend, and add half of his current Attack points to my Life Points! And since you did such a good job making sure Maju here had an astronomical Attack Score, I can sacrifice him and get a LOT of Life Points! About 2,500 to be exact!"

Great Maju Garzett vanished, and Peter's Life Points went up to 7,825.

"And now, I'm ending my turn," said Peter.

"YES!" cheered Mary. "Go Peter!"

"Show that weasel who the real Master of Fiends is!" yelled Clive.

_I'm going to lose a few Life Points when that Giant Orc attacks,_ thought Peter. _But I have enough to spare, and when he shifts into Defense Mode, I'll destroy him easily._

Persephone slowly rubbed her chin.

_This guy is awfully good,_ she thought. _I personally would have replaced that Trap Card with Mystic Wok, but whatever floats his boat I guess._

Maligno drew.

"I summon Second Goblin in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a _little_ Monster appeared. It was little more than a pipsqueak with a bald head and a wicked grin. (100/100)

_What the…_ thought Peter. _And I thought Kuriboh was the weakest Fiend in the game. That runt has got to have some sort of powerful Effect…_

"Do your stuff, Second Goblin!" shouted Maligno.

Second Goblin leapt up, and landed on Giant Orc's shoulder's riding piggyback on the ogre.

"Huh?" asked Peter. "What's the point of this?"

"Second Goblin is a Union Monster," explained Maligno. "Designed to work specifically with Giant Orc. With the two combined, they are two in one, and with Second Goblin's help, Giant Orc doesn't have to shift into Defense Mode after he attacks!

"Giant Orc, attack Shadow Tamer with bone club bash!"

Shadow Tamer screamed as Giant Orc bore down on her with his club. After a few seconds, she was gone, and both Giant Orc and Second Goblin laughed.

Peter's Life Points fell to 6,625.

"Your move," dared Maligno.

Peter drew; his Life Points rose to 6,825.

_Okay, that was a big bust,_ he thought.

"I summon Archfiend Soldier, in Defense Mode," he said.

The demonic soldier appeared in front of him, and knelt in defense (1,900/1,500)

"That will end my turn," he said.

"Thank you," smiled Maligno, drawing. "You're too kind."

"Huh?" asked Peter.

"I'll first play the Spell Card Dark Blessing!" announced Maligno, placing a card into a slot.

A figure in a dark robe appeared over the field.

"This card heals my Life Points by an amount depending on the Attributes of the Monsters you have on the field," he explained. "And since you have a Dark Monster, I get 1,000!"

His Life Points went up to 4,700.

Yugi gasped. He had seen this card twice before, but this was the first time he _hadn't_ seen it in a Shadow Game. Anastasia had used it against him in the Duelist Labyrinth in a duel on her lethal Pain-Splitter, and the Evil Spirit of the Ring had used it against him and his friends in the City of Souls. That card brought back bad memories.

He guessed he couldn't blame Maligno… he likely had no idea about either event.

"Also, I'll put one card facedown," he said, placing another card in a slot. The facedown card appeared.

"And that will conclude my turn," he said.

_Huh?_ thought Peter. _He didn't attack? What's he up to?_

He drew. His Life Points went up to 7,025.

"I summon Shadowknight Archfiend in Defense Mode," he said.

A gust of wind blew around him, and the armored, winged Shadowknight appeared. He knelt and folded his wings. (2,000/1,600)

"And I'll end my turn there," he said.

His hand moved to his stomach.

_Ooh,_ he thought. _That pizza is really starting to digest. That's the last time I let Clive convince me to take the last piece! I hope I can beat this guy fast…_

"Something wrong pal?" asked Maligno. "The fires of Pandemonium starting to get to you?"

"No," groaned Peter, "just move."

Persephone was smiling from ear to ear. She guessed what was wrong with Peter – after all, she had seen the problem among tourists to her country several times.

_What's the matter, Peter?_ she thought. _Italian food a bit too spicy? Heh, heh, if indigestion is going to be an issue with you, your career in dueling is going to be very short!_

Maligno drew.

"First," he said, "I'll activate my Trap Card…"

He pushed a button on his Disk, and hid facedown card lifted.

"The dreaded Shadow of Eyes!"

A pair of fiendish eyes appeared on the ground, and both of Peter's Monsters leapt up into Attack Mode!

"No!" gasped Peter. "Now I can't summon anything in Defense Mode!"

"Correct!" said Maligno. "And have your Shadowknight try this on for size – the terrible Mask of the Accursed!"

He put a card into a slot, and a beam of energy flew towards Shadowknight! A fiendish black mask materialized on his face.

"With that in place," said Maligno, "he can't attack, and you'll lose 500 Life Points every one of your turns. Of course, with Marie's help, it's only 300."

Peter grimaced.

"Now," laughed Maligno. "I summon Goblin King, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a dark throne arose on the field. Seated on it was a small, green-skinned goblin with a royal robe and a small crown. (00/00)

"Okay…" sighed Peter. "What's this guy's story?"

"Goblin King's Attack score and Defense score is 1,000 for every Fiend on the field aside from himself," said Maligno. "With four fiends on the field, two on my side and two on yours, that gives him an Attack and Defense of 4,000 each! Plus, you can't attack him so long as there are other Fiends on my side of the field. Not that you could, anyway!

"Goblin King, destroy Archfiend Soldier with royal blast attack!"

Goblin King fired a blast of red energy from his hand, and vaporized Archfiend Soldier. Peter's Life Points fell to 4,925.

Goblin King's Attack slipped to 3,000.

"This is crazy!" gasped Clive. "The more Fiends that are summoned, the stronger that creature will become!"

"Don't count our boy out yet," assured Mary.

_Man,_ thought Peter, _the more Monsters I have on the field, the more I'll be helping Maligno! How can I take him down?_

He drew, as his Life Points fell to 4,625.

_Hmm,_ he thought, looking at the card. _Might as well…_

"I first play one card facedown," he said, setting the card.

It appeared before him.

"And now," he continued. "I Tribute my Shadowknight for Skull Archfiend of Lightning, in Attack Mode!"

The Mask of the Accursed shattered, and Shadowknight vanished. A thunderstorm erupted above Pandemonium, and the darker version of Summoned Skull appeared in a rage. (2,500/1,200)

"Eh?" said Maligno.

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning," said Peter. "Attack the Giant Orc with Archfiend lightning attack!"

The Archfiend howled and shot forth a storm of lightning, blasting both the Giant Orc and the Second Goblin out of existence. Maligno's Life Points fell to 4,400.

"Looks like I got both of them," said Peter. "And now, with only one other Fiend on the field, your Goblin King has only 1,000 Attack and Defense points!"

_He's right!_ thought Maligno. _My King is doomed unless I draw something good…_

He drew.

"Ah, perfect!" he laughed. "I play Monster Reborn, to bring back my Summoned Skull!"

He fit the card into the slot, and Skull Archfiend of Lightning's lesser counterpart appeared before Maligno. (2,500/1,200)

"True, this only brings Goblin King's scores up to 2,000," laughed Maligno. "But like I said, he can't be attacked when I have other Fiends on my side of the Field, and if you attacked my Summoned Skull with your Skull Archfiend, all you'd get is a draw."

"Indeed," said Peter. He drew.

His score went up to 4,825.

"With one Archfiend on the field, I am able to summon the mighty king of the Archfiends!" he said. "Terrorking Archfiend, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the huge, royal fiend appeared, and struck a pose. (2,000/1,500)

"Fool," laughed Maligno. "Now my Goblin King's scores are 3,000!"

"Not for long," said Peter. "I activate my Trap. A little thing called Archfiend's Curse!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"To activate Archfiend's Curse, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points," he explained. "But in return, the Attack score of all opposing Monsters is cut in half!"

His Life Points fell to 3,625, while the Summoned Skull's Attack power fell to 1,250, and the Goblin King's fell to 1,500!

Maligno gasped.

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning," said Peter, "attack Summoned Skull! Archfiend lightning attack!"

The Archfiend crackled with electricity and shot it forward, obliterating his counterpart.

"And now," smiled Peter, "your Goblin King's Attack score is a measly 1,000 again! Terrorking Archfiend, destroy Goblin King with charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking flew forward and punched Goblin King, smashing him and his throne to pieces.

Maligno's Life Points now stood at 2,350.

"When did Peter get that card?" asked Mary.

"I dunno," shrugged Clive.

Peter clutched his stomach. No doubt about it. He was getting a bad case of heartburn. He hoped he could finish this soon. But he wasn't about to quit because of a tummy-ache.

Maligno was starting to panic. Some of is best Monsters had all been taken out, and he was facing some of Peter's best. He had never dreamed that Archfiends could be so formidable.

He drew.

And then he laughed. He laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" asked Peter.

"I just drew my trump card," laughed Maligno. "The rarest card in my deck! Oh, I had to fight to get this one… but it was worth it. The Ritual Card known as Zera Ritual!"

He put the card in the slot, and a man in strange, dark armor, seated on a horrible, evil throne appeared before him, shaped like a gaseous fiend with glowing eyes.

"To complete this ceremony," said Maligno. "I offer as sacrifice from my hand a second King of Yamimakai, and a second Giant Orc…"

The two Fiends appeared on the Field. Two beams from the throne's eyes struck them, and they vanished.

"Yugi," asked Mary. "What does this Ritual summon?"

"Something bad," replied Yugi. "Something really bad…"

The throne disappeared.

"And now," cackled Maligno, "the skies will darken, the storm will commence, and the face of ultimate Evil will show itself! Look into the face of… Zera the Mant!"

A storm erupted over Pandemonium, and a dark shape arose. It looked like a cross between a skeleton and a humanoid crocodile, with sharp horns, a toothy mouth, and a long red cape with a very high collar. (2,800/2,300)

Zera the Mant roared, and lightning flashed.

"Zera the Mant," laughed Maligno. "Attack Terrorking Archfiend with jagged claws attack!"

Zera leapt forward and swiped at Terrorking, cutting him to pieces. Peter's Life Points fell to 2,825.

"Your move," smiled Maligno.

_All right,_ thought Peter, _now what? I can't even shift into defense thanks to his Shadow of Eyes…_

He drew. His Life Points rose to 3,025

_Monster Reborn,_ he thought. _A fat lot of good THAT will do me. There's nothing to resurrect that can defeat Zera._

"I pass this turn," he said.

"Heh, heh," cackled Maligno. "Thought you might. Zera, destroy Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

Zera struck, and tore Skull Archfiend of Lightning apart. Peter's Life Points fell to 2,725.

"Your move again," smiled Maligno. "So what will you summon next?"

Peter drew, as his Life Points went up to 2,925.

His eyes opened wide!

"I first summon Darkbishop Archfiend, in Defense Mode," he said.

A column of water erupted on field. The demonic bishop appeared. (300/1,400)

And now I play Monster Reborn," he proclaimed, "to bring back Terrorking Archfiend!"

He put the card down, and Terrorking Archfiend reappeared. (2,000/1,500)

"What?" asked Maligno.

"And now," shouted Peter. "I Equip him with an Archfiend's favorite weapon… Axe of Despair!"

He fit the card into the slot; the big ugly axe appeared and Terrorking grabbed it. His Attack power rose to 3,000.

Maligno drew back in fright.

"Now my Terrorking," ordered Peter, "destroy Zera the Mant!"

Terrorking charged forward and brought his axe down on Zera the Mant, cutting him in two!

Maligno's Life Points fell to 2,150.

"Yes!" cheered Mary. "Peter's going to do it! Maligno _can't_ have another Monster that powerful, and he can't use Monster Reborn again!"

Maligno reached for his deck.

_He's going to beat me if I don't draw the right card now…_

He drew.

_Premature Burial!_ he thought. _This will be risky, but it may just do the job._

"First," he announced, "I'll play the Spell Card Heavy Storm!"

He fit the card into the slot, and a storm erupted over the field.

"This card destroys every Magic and Trap card on the field," said Maligno. That includes Pandemonium and your Axe of Despair! It includes my Shadow of Eyes too, but it's a small price to pay!"

The Axe of Despair flew from Terrorking's hands, and the streets around them changed back to Duelatopia's normal form. The fiendish eyes vanished.

_Phew,_ thought Persephone. _I was getting sick of that place._

"Now," continued Maligno. "I play the Equip Spell Card Premature Burial!"

He slid the card into a slot.

"I have to pay 800 Life Points," he said, "but I get to bring back Zera the Mant for one more go!"

His Life Points slipped to 1,350, as Zera the Mant reappeared! (2,800/2,300)

"Zera the Mant," ordered Maligno. "destroy Terrorking _again_!"

Zera slashed forward with his claws, and Terrorking Archfiend was eradicated. Peter's Life Points fell to 2,125.

"Aw, no," moaned Mary. "Peter's a goner…"

"And that Darkbishop is going to drain him every round now that Pandemonium is gone!" gasped Clive.

Peter drew. His Life Points went up to 2,325. Darkbishop turned to him and raised his staff, sucking red energy out of his body. His Life Points fell to 1,825.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he panted.

He fitted it into the slot, and the angel appeared. She flew into his deck.

He drew three cards.

_Huh..._ he thought.

A strategy started to form.

_I was able to fool Mantra with this trick,_ he thought. _This is going to be very risky. If this doesn't work, I'll lose the duel for sure…_

He discarded two cards.

"I play two cards facedown," said Peter.

He set the last cards in his hand. The two facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

"He's crazy!" gasped Clive. "Even if Maligno doesn't attack… Without Pandemonium, that Darkbishop will keep draining his Life Points every turn, and his score is already low enough as it is!"

"Quiet!" ordered Yugi.

_This strategy is strangely familiar,_ he thought.

Maligno started to sweat as he drew.

_Two cards facedown,_ he thought. _If I lose Zera again, I can't bring him back, and he'll be destroyed if my Premature Burial card is destroyed!_

_This is the hardest decision I've had to make this entire duel! To attack, or not to attack?_

He looked at Peter. Despite the pains in his stomach, Peter was stone-faced.

"Zera the Mant…" started Maligno.

Zera raised his claws.

"No, wait!" shouted Maligno.

Zera lowered them.

"I'm just going to pass this turn," said Maligno.

Peter smiled, and drew. His score went up to 2,025.

Then Darkbishop Archfiend turned to him again and waved his staff. Peter gritted his teeth as his energy was sucked out of him. His Life Points fell to 1,525.

"Why is your own Monster attacking you?" asked Maligno.

"None of your business," gasped Peter, sweating. "You really should have attacked me there, pal; you would have won."

"But your Traps…" started Maligno.

"With _this_ Trap Card/Spell Card combo, you would have _benefited_ from attacking the Darkbishop," explained Peter. "First, I use the Trap Card – Archfiend's Roar!"

The Trap Card revealed itself.

"I have to pay 500 more Life Points," explained Peter, "and in return, I get to Special Summon one Archfiend from the Graveyard for the duration of this turn. So I'll choose Terrorking!"

His Life Points fell to 1,025, and Terrorking reappeared, in Attack Mode. (2,000/1,500)

"Now," yelled Peter. "My Spell Card – Checkmate!"

The Spell Card lifted.

"To activate this card, I have to send one Archfiend other than the Terrorking to the Graveyard, so I'll send my Darkbishop."

The Darkbishop vanished.

"If I had attacked," said Maligno, aghast, "you'd have had no one to use!"

"Bingo!" smiled Peter. "And by using Checkmate, my Terrorking can bypass your Monster, and hit you for a direct attack!"

Terrorking Archfiend roared!

"Terrorking Archfiend," ordered Peter. "Attack Maligno with ultimate charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking sped forward, and hit Maligno with a savage uppercut! Maligno gave a cry, and flew backwards, as his Life Points fell to zero.

The spectators cheered, as the holographic platforms slowly shut down.

_Hmph,_ thought Persephone. _Peter may have been able to defeat that Fiend duelist, but he'll never be able to defeat me._

She gave her cape a twirl and walked off, but she would be back soon…

Back at the center of the excitement, Peter eyed his Disk; it had been upgraded to Blue. His friends rushed around him. Clive grabbed him in a headlock.

"Way to go, Pete!" yelled Clive, giving him a noogie. "Who's the master of Fiends?"

Then they heard laughter. It was coming from Maligno, who was still on the ground.

"Maligno?" asked Peter. "You all right?"

"Yes!" laughed Maligno. "That was an excellent duel! You showed me things about Fiends that I had never even imagined. Come, let's go in and discuss this further!"

"Uh, sure," groaned Peter. "But before that, does anyone have an Alka-Seltzer?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the restaurant, over sodas, Peter and Maligno had a brief discussion over Archfiends and their talents.

"So if the Terrorking is destroyed, the Desrook can restore him?" asked Maligno.

"Yes," answered Peter. "But you have to send Desrook to the Graveyard. Like I said, the Archfiends work as a team."

"Perhaps once the tournament is over I should study up on Archfiends," pondered Maligno. "Maybe I could make them into a strong deck of my own."

"I warn you," said Yugi. "Archfiends decks are among the hardest decks to manage. They take a good deal of smarts and strategy."

"Yes," said Maligno. He opened up a pouch. "Say, Peter, would you be interested in an even trade?"

He took out a card. "I have a spare Great Maju Garzett, and you said he is an Archfiend."

Peter thought for a minute. He knew that the card would make a good addition to his own deck…

He took out the pouch where he kept his own extra cards and leafed through them.

"Sure Maligno," he said. "Let's see…

"I have a spare Marie the Fallen One, in case you're interested in that."

"Okay," smiled Maligno, "It's a deal!"

They swapped cards.

"Well, so long," smiled Maligno, finishing his soda. "If either of us gets to the finals, let's hope the other is there to cheer for him."

"Count on it," grinned Peter.

When the team started out again, it was two PM. They were in search of more challenges, and didn't know that they had picked up two stragglers.

One, Persephone, who was interested in studying them.

And two, a shadowy figure who's interests were entirely different…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WAILING BANSHEE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,100

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase, mark each space in your opponent's Monster Zone with a number between 1 and 5. Roll one die. If there is a Monster in the space designated with the result, destroy that Monster. If the result is a 6, destroy one Monster you control, except this one.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LEPRECHAUN THIEF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster by battle, take one card at random from your opponent's hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LUCKY SHAMROCK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A shamrock with one green leaf, on orange leaf, and one purple leaf.

**Card Description: **Pay 1,000 Life Points. Draw three cards. If the drawn cards consist of 1 Monster Card, 1 Spell Card, and 1 Trap Card, increase your Life Points by 2,000.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARCHFIEND'S CURSE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A laughing Infernalqueen Archfiend casting a spell on hapless foes.

**Card Description: **You can only activate this card when you have at least one Archfiend Monster face-up on your side of the field. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Cut the ATK of all opposing Monsters face-up on the field in half.


	15. Tremendous Fire

_**Anastasia's Duelist Labyrinth may have been a mad trap meant to lure us to our doom, but I have to admit, it was fun for most of the time. I saw a lot of great dueling action and met a lot of interesting duelists.**_

_**One duelist tended to stick out. She was certainly interesting.**_

_**She was insulting, condescending, egotistical, vain, an exhibitionist, and probably missing a few marbles, but she sure was interesting.**_

_**Mary defeated her then, and now I have to do the same thing now or I'm never going to hear the end of it. **_

_**And just listening to her, she's gotten a whole lot more interesting, but other than that, she hasn't changed a bit…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Tremendous Fire**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

It started to get unusually warm over Duelatopia. The team rested by a large fountain, which was dominated by a statue of Water Omotics spilling water from her jar into the large basin.

The team sat down. Mary took a coin from her pocket and tossed it into the fountain.

"So what did you wish for?" asked Clive.

"Uh, uh!" smiled Peter. "Don't tell anyone, or it won't come true!"

Mary grinned.

Yugi glanced over his shoulder for the third time in the past half hour. Persephone may not have known it, but he knew she was following them. He didn't know exactly why.

_If she's going to throw the gauntlet,_ he thought, _why doesn't she do it already?_

But that wasn't all he was concerned about.

A couple of times, he was almost certain that someone else was following him… some strange and mysterious presence. He sensed a source of power – not the evil power he had sometimes sensed when he was in the City of Souls or the Duelist Labyrinth. It was just something powerful. But whoever this mysterious tracker was, he or she was too elusive to be seen.

He had consulted with his soul-partner on it once or twice, but Yami was clueless.

"I sense it too, Yugi," pondered Yami, "but it's different than anything I've ever encountered. Something so strange and alien that I can't even picture it, let alone locate it."

"Is their any risk?" asked Yugi.

"I don't know," replied Yami. "It may well be that this being means us no good, but can we be sure of it?"

"Should we tell the others?"

"Let's wait," answered Yami. "Wait until I can at least see this phantasm and try to deduct what it is. Then we may know whether it is a threat or not."

As they were sitting by the fountain, a duelist passed by. She turned to them in shock.

She was a bizarre looking figure. She had black hair tied in a very long braid, and olive-green eyes. Her skin was a rich tan. She was well-endowed, and wore a red halter that showed off a lot of cleavage, a short red skirt, gilded sandals and a red bandana.

She gazed at Mary with an angry look.

"Yes?" asked Mary.

"Mary Wheeler?" she sneered, in a thick Mediterranean accent. "I should have figured you'd be here…"

"Do I know you?" asked Mary.

"Have you so soon forgotten the great Etna Prometheus?" she snarled.

"Etna Pro…" started Mary. "Oh… wait… From Duelist Labyrinth right? The Fire duelist… The nutcase from Sicily who thought that Mount Etna was her father. Right… Didn't recognize you without the string bikini!"

"Nutcase?" growled Etna. "You doubt my origin? Mount Etna erupted hours after I was born! It erupted again on my fifth birthday, killing all within two miles except for me! My skin is completely fireproof. The volcano WAS the one who spawned me!"

"Uh huh," said Peter with a nervous chuckle. "So when do the men in white coats come to take you to the happy hotel?"

Etna snarled.

"I haven't forgotten how you humiliated me, Mary!" she shouted.

"What's wrong with you, anyway?" asked Clive. "Do you have one of those strange 'female problems'?"

Etna raised her Disk. It was at Red status.

"I've had a bad day," she snarled. "Three defeats in a row by three Orange-status duelists who got lucky. And I'm going to take it out on you, Mary."

Mary whistled, and held up her Disk.

"Violet?" yelled Etna, in shock.

"Uh huh," smiled Mary. "I'll duel you if you want; I'd love to get to Silver. But if you want to get booted out of the tournament over some crazy thoughts of revenge, I'd say that you're even more nuts than I used to think."

Etna seethed in rage. But then she calmed down. She looked over the other three of them and their Disks.

She noticed Clive was only Green.

"You!" she exclaimed, pointing to Clive. "You in the leather jacket! I'll take the path of least resistance and duel you! I'll save Mary for later!"

"Huh?" said Clive. "Hey, just because I'm not as experienced as they are in this particular tournament, doesn't mean I'm unskilled."

"Do you accept or don't you? dared Etna.

Clive sighed. "Fine," he said. "But only to teach you a lesson."

_How tough can this psychopath be?_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Across the street from where they were standing, Persephone was watching the whole thing.

_Oh, Etna Prometheus?_ she thought. _What was Kaiba thinking inviting that kook?_

She had met Etna several times, most recently in a small tournament in Rome. They had even faced off a couple of times, and Persephone knew that Etna was a few noodles short of a full lasagna. She may have been the Southern European champion at one time, but after the Duelist Labyrinth she had gotten more eccentric and had lost her touch. Persephone had kicked her butt good in their brief encounter.

_I can't believe this,_ she thought, _but now I hope Clive mops the floor with that screwball._

_Besides, this will give me a chance to study up on Clive a bit…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The holo-imagers were in place, and Clive and Etna stood face to face.

"Okay Clive," warned Etna. "Prepare to feel the fury, as this volcano erupts!"

She made her draws.

"I'm going to render you extinct," growled Clive, making his.

_Not bad,_ thought Clive, looking at his cards. _I got the Scorpion's Den Field Card on my first draw! That should tip the advantage._

"You make the first move, gorgeous," he smiled, sarcastically.

"Whatever you say," she said.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both yelled.

"For my first move," she said. "I'll play a Spell Card… Yellow Luster Shield!"

She fit it into her slot, and the card appeared in mid-air.

_Huh?_ thought Clive. _That increases the Defense of all her Monsters by 300 points. But why?_

"And now?" continued Etna. "I summon Bronze Sentinel in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a huge, hulking shape appeared. It looked like a bronze statue in Spartan armor. (00/2,200) –) (00/2,500)

_So that's why,_ thought Clive. _She's set up a wall. But she can't beat me by defending…_

Clive drew.

"I'll play my Field Spell Card," he said, opening the Field slot. "Scorpion's Den!"

The streets around them changed dramatically, forming a cavern-like roof over their heads. Chests, crates, bags, and barrels brimming with treasure appeared around them.

"You're in for it now, Etna!" warned Mary.

"Welcome to the hidden lair of the Dark Scorpion Gang," said Clive. "In this place, these special Warriors gain a 500-point bonus to both their Attack and Defense!

"And I warn you Etna, once they find you here, they won't let you live…"

He took a card from his hand.

"And it looks like one of them has found you already! I summon Chick the Yellow, in Attack Mode!"

The young, blonde-haired, teenage member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, twirling his quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,500)

"If you think I'm scared of some kid with a stick, you're sorely mistaken," mocked Etna.

She drew.

"Besides, I have all the cards I need for a killer combo. I summon Restorative Furnace, in Attack Mode!"

She lay the card down, and a huge furnace with a robotic face taking up the front appeared. It had a smokestack on the side, and flames were roaring inside it. (00/00) –) (00/300)

"What the…" muttered Peter.

"So long as this Machine is in Attack Mode," explained Etna, "my Life Points will be increased by 500 points during each of my Standby Phases!"

"I hate to break this to you," chuckled Clive. "But that thing is in Attack Mode, and has zero Attack points. My Monsters will wreck it without breaking a sweat!"

"Think so?" dared Etna. "Try."

_Okay, _thought Clive, _something's very amiss here._

_She has no facedown cards on the field, only that Yellow Luster Shield. What's to stop me from destroying that Furnace and taking a big chunk out of her Life Points?_

He drew.

_Best find out…_

"Getsu Fuhma, in Attack Mode!" he yelled, putting a card down.

A red-haired, female Warrior with blue armor and a red skirt, holding a long, glowing sword appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Getsu Fuhma, break that Furnace!" shouted Clive. "Whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu Fuhma swung her sword and leapt at Restorative Furnace.

And then, the Bronze Sentinel blocked her path. He landed a punch, sending her flying backwards with a cry.

Etna chuckled as Getsu Fuhma got up. "See?" she smiled. "Bronze Sentinel is a guardian. So long as he's on the field, you can't attack any Fire Monster except him. And seeing as his Defense is now 2,500, that's going to be pretty hard."

_Okay,_ thought Clive. _So she's learned a new trick._

"I'll end my turn," said Clive.

Etna drew.

Fire poured out of the Restorative Furnace, and flowed into Etna! Her Life Points went up to 8,500.

"Mmm!" smiled Etna. "Feels good! Now to complete my three-card combo! I summon Fire Princess in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a beautiful woman in a red dress carrying a wooden staff appeared. (1,300/1,500) –) (1,300/1,800)

"No!" gasped Yugi. "That Princess can hurt Clive every time Etna increases her Life Points!"

"And she can increase them every round with the Furnace!" gasped Peter.

"And Peter can't touch either of them due to the Sentinel!" moaned Mary.

"Now you're getting the picture!" grinned Etna. "Do I know how to combo, or do I know how to combo? You're going down in flames, Clive!

"And it's your move."

Clive frowned. He drew.

"Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

The lovely female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, and cracked her whip. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/2,300)

"Your move," he said.

"Doesn't matter how many Monsters you summon," mocked Etna. "You can't break up my strategy."

She drew.

The Furnace flared again, feeding its flames into Etna. She laughed. Her Life Points went up to 9,000.

"Let him have it, Fire Princess!" cackled Etna.

Fire Princess aimed her staff at Clive, and shot forth a stream of flames, striking him! He screamed, and his Life Points fell to 7,500.

"And I'll just pass for this turn," said Etna.

_Aw, Clive,_ thought Persephone. _Don't tell me you're going to let her beat you with three Monsters? Don't you have a Raigeki or a Dark Hole in that deck of yours? Those Dark Scorpions aren't going to cut it in this business…_

"You're really starting to burn me up," snarled Clive, drawing.

He looked at the card.

_Hey..._ he thought.

"First," he said, "I'll lay this card facedown."

He put the card in the slot, and it appeared behind his three Monsters.

"Then," he continued, "I'll shift all my Monsters into Defense Mode."

Chick the Yellow, Meanae the Thorn, and Getsu Fuhma knelt in Defense.

"And finally," said Clive. "I'll summon Mad Dog of Darkness, also in Defense Mode."

The vicious, orange dog appeared, and sat in Defense. (1,900/1,400)

"Why did you do THAT?" snarled Etna.

"It will become clear in a minute," said Clive.

"Um, Yugi," asked Mary, "why _did_ Clive do that?"

Yugi thought for a minute.

"I think I might have seen a card in Clive's deck at one point that he said was useful for getting rid of defensive walls – maybe this is part of using that card. But as to why he put all his Monsters in Defense Mode to do it, I have no idea."

_He's up to something,_ thought Etna.

She looked at her cards.

_I'd best have my Plan B set up in case something goes wrong…_

She drew.

Restorative Furnace blew its flames at Etna again, raising her Life Points to 9,500.

Again, Fire Princess cast her fiery spell at Clive, and he struggled to remain standing. His Life Points fell to 7,000. Sweat poured down his face.

"I'll play these two cards facedown," stated Etna. "And end my turn."

She put the cards in the slots, and they appeared.

_It's now or never,_ thought Clive.

He pushed a button on his Disk, and his facedown card rose.

"I activate my Trap," he said. "Zero Gravity!"

All of the Monsters on the field moved. All four of Clive's Monsters leapt up, ready to attack. At the same time, Bronze Sentinel and Fire Princess formed attack stances, while Restorative Furnace's flames died down.

"WHAT?" shouted Etna.

"Zero Gravity is a potent Trap in certain situations," said Clive. "It changes the positions of all Monsters on the field, switching those in Defense Mode to Attack Mode, and vice versa!

"Now, my Monsters are all in Attack Mode, while your three Monsters are easy for them to destroy!"

"No…" gasped Etna.

"Meanae the Thorn!" shouted Clive. "Attack Bronze Sentinel with scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae cracked her whip, hitting the Sentinel. It exploded in a burst of flame!

"Chick the Yellow! Attack Fire Princess! Scorpion smash attack!"

Chick twirled his quarterstaff and brought it down on Fire Princess's head. She fell down and blood poured from her skull before she vanished.

"Getsu Fuhma! Destroy Restorative Furnace! Whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu Fuhma leapt up with a cry and brought her sword down on the huge Machine. She leapt back as a huge explosion rocked the field.

Clive grinned.

"Mad Dog of Darkness," he smiled, "attack Etna directly! Jaws of darkness attack!"

"NO!" gasped Etna as Mad Dog of Darkness pounced. The Beast tackled her and sank its fangs into her neck. She screamed.

"That's it, Mad Dog!" shouted Mary. "Go for the jugular!"

Mad Dog of Darkness backed away, as Etna got up, clutching her neck. Her Life Points had dropped to 5,900.

"Okay," growled Etna. "Now I'm steamed!"

_All right!_ thought Persephone. _Chew her up and spit her out, Clive! I'll have to write that strategy down in my logbook later…_

"Well it's still my move," smiled Clive. "Since Chick damaged your Life Points, one of your facedown cards is returned to your hand…"

One of the facedown cards in front of Etna vanished.

"And since Meanae damaged them, I get to search my deck for another member of the Dark Scorpions and add him to my hand."

He reached for his deck, and looked through it.

_Cliff the Trap Remover,_ he thought, taking the card. _He'll come in useful later…_

"Now I reshuffle," he said, as his Disk reshuffled his deck, "and it's your move. But things don't look too good for you Etna. I have four Monsters on my side of Field, and you can probably only summon one."

"One will be more than enough," snarled Etna. "I can still use my other facedown card…

"But first, I'll re-set the one that was sent back to my hand…"

She set the card down, and the card reappeared.

"And then I'll activate this Trap… DNA Transplant!"

The card lifted, and a large, purple double helix appeared over the field. Suddenly, the clothing of all three of Clive's Warrior's and the fur of his Mad Dog of Darkness turned bright red.

"DNA Transplant?" said Mary. "I know what DNA Surgery does, but DNA Transplant?"

"DNA Surgery changes Types," explained Etna. "This Trap changes Attributes. From now on, every Monster on the field will be of the Fire Attribute."

"Uh, I'm guessing this isn't good," muttered Mary.

"Now then…" said Etna, taking a card from her hand.

She looked at Clive and smiled.

"Tell me something, Clive," she said. "You look like the athletic type. When you were small, did you ever play little league sports? Baseball, perhaps?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," sneered Clive. "What's your point?"

"Then the Monster I am about to summon might bring back nostalgic memories…" she said.

"I summon, in Attack Mode, the incredible, unstoppable, _**ULTIMATE BASEBALL KID!"**_

She put the card down, and the most unlikely Monster of all appeared. He looked like a ten-year-old child with freckles and a mean expression, dressed in a red little league outfit and batting helmet. He carried a metal bat covered with spikes. (500/1,000) –) (500/1,300)

Ultimate Baseball Kid tapped his shoe with his bat, spit on the floor, and assumed a batter's stance.

Clive just stared for a minute. And then he burst out laughing. Peter and Mary laughed too, but not Yugi.

"_That's_ a Monster?" said Clive. "He looks like my girlfriend's kid brother! Oh, look out, it's the attack of the sandlot slugger!"

"You won't be laughing for long," said Etna, who was still smiling. "He may not look impressive, but Ultimate Baseball Kid gains an impressive 1,000 Attack Points for every face-up Fire Monster on the field other than himself."

Clive paused.

"You have _no_ other Fire Monsters on the field!" he exclaimed.

"Didn't you hear me correctly?" smiled Etna. "I said _every_ face-up Fire Monster on the field, yours included!"

Clive paused again.

"Your DNA Transplant Trap made all of my Monsters Fire Monsters…" he muttered.

"And you have four of them!" exclaimed Etna. "That brings this little tyke's Attack score all the way up to 4,500! A score matched only by the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"For the love of…" gasped Mary.

"Ultimate Baseball Kid," shouted Etna, "attack that lousy Mad Dog of Darkness with flaming line drive of death attack!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid held out his hand, and a ball of fire appeared on it. He tossed it into the air, and hit it with his bat, sending it towards Mad Dog of Darkness, incinerating it with a deafening explosion!

Clive's Life Points fell all the way to 4,400. Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack score slipped to 3,500, but he didn't seem to care.

"Looks like this game is going to be a total shutout," said Etna. "I'm going to do it! Etna Prometheus will make a comeback in Duelatopia!"

"Yugi!" yelled Mary. "What is Clive going to do? He'll never stop that Monster!"

"Get ahold of yourself Mary!" shouted Yugi. "No Monster is without a flaw. Clive has a chance if he finds it."

_I just wish I could find it…_ he told himself.

Clive drew.

"I play the Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the laughing pot appeared in front of him.

He made two draws.

Negative Energy, and Reinforcement of the Army.

_Oh, those are big helps!_ he thought. _Negative Energy only works on Dark Monsters, and my Monsters aren't Dark anymore! And even if I use Reinforcement of the Army to pull something out of my deck, it will never stand up to that slugger!_

"I'll simply shift all my Monsters to Defense Mode," he said, "and end my turn."

His three Warriors knelt in Defense.

Etna drew.

"Well," she said. "You wisely didn't summon anything to keep my Kid from getting stronger. But I can still summon. Fireyarou in Defense Mode!"

A flame-shrouded man in a loincloth appeared, sitting in the lotus position. (1,300/1,000) –) (1,300/1,300)

Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack rose back to 4,500.

"And secondly," said Etna, pushing a button, "this Continuous Trap will now be in place… Backfire!"

The facedown card lifted.

"Now, even if you do manage to destroy one of my Fire Monsters, doing so will cost you 500 Life Points!" she explained. "But I can safely destroy yours! Ultimate Baseball Kid, attack Meanae the Thorn!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid batted forth his fiery line drive, and struck Meanae. She screamed, and was vaporized. The batter's Attack score lowered to 3,500 again.

"We're entering the top of the ninth!" smiled Etna.

"But we're going into extra innings," sneered Clive. "You can count on it!"

He drew.

_Giant Spitting Cobra,_ he thought, looking at the card. _It can intimidate a Monster and lower its Attack score, but with that kind of firepower it would barely matter…_

"I'm going to pass this turn," he said.

"What else can you do?" laughed Etna, drawing.

"I summon Flame Dancer, in Defense Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a weird, one-eyed imp with fire shooting out of a spout on the top of its head appeared. (550/450) –) (550/750)

Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack went back up to 4,500 again.

"Now my flaming batter," ordered Etna, "destroy Chick the Yellow! Flaming line drive of death attack!"

The batter swung, and his fiery baseball obliterated Chick the Yellow.

Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack went down to 3,500 again.

"Your move," said Etna, grinning from ear to ear.

_I'm going to run out of Monsters before she does,_ thought Clive. _And if that Ultimate Baseball Kid hits me with a direct attack at that power level, I've had it. There's got to be something in this deck that can take him down…_

He drew.

_Giant Trunade!_ he thought, looking at the card.

_This Spell Card will return all of her Trap and Spell Cards to her hand, including that DNA Transplant card…_

He looked at his other cards. A strategy started to form.

"Okay, Etna," he stated. "I'm going to send your Ultimate Baseball Kid to the showers!"

"Yeah, how?" she said, mockingly.

"By sending out my relief pitcher!" said Clive. "First, I shift Getsu Fuhma to Attack Mode!"

Getsu Fuhma rose up and prepared to attack.

"What's Clive doing?" gasped Peter. "She won't be able to touch that Kid!"

"Clive knows what he's doing," said Yugi.

_I hope,_ he thought.

"Next," said Clive, "I use the Spell Card Reinforcement of the Army."

He slid the card into the slot.

"This lets me search my deck for one Warrior of Level 4 or lower and add it to my hand."

He reached for his deck and searched through it.

_Good old Don Zaloog,_ he thought, taking the card.

He put his deck back, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"Now," he continued. "Another Spell Card – Giant Trunade!"

He fit the card into the slot, and Etna's Backfire, Yellow Luster Shield, and DNA Transplant vanished. The Defense scores of all of Etna's Monsters returned to their original scores.

"That forces all your Spell and Trap Cards back to your hand," said Clive. "It will also send my Scorpion's Den card back to my hand, but I don't need it for now."

He retrieved his Field Card, and Scorpion's Den vanished from the field.

"And now I summon my relief pitcher, the fearless leader of the Dark Scorpions, Don Zaloog!"

He put the card down, and the white-haired, eyepatched, dagger-wielding bandit appeared, in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,500)

"What good will that do you?" said Etna.

"I'm not done!" said Clive. "Since your DNA Transplant is gone, Don here is his normal Attribute, Dark. That means I can use this third Spell Card on him, Negative Energy!"

He put the card down, and black waves of energy flowed into Don Zaloog.

"Negative Energy doubles the attack of all Dark Monsters on the Field, making Don Zaloog's Attack score 2,800!"

"So?" said Etna. "Ultimate Baseball Kid is still stronger!"

"Not for long," said Clive. "Getsu Fuhma, attack Fireyarou!"

Getsu Fuhma swung her sword, cutting Fireyarou in twain. He vanished. Etna gasped.

"With only two additional Fire Monsters," said Clive. "Your Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack Score is only 2,500, and Don Zaloog is just strong enough to handle him! Don Zaloog, attack Ultimate Baseball Kid with Sting of the Scorpion attack!"

Don Zaloog leapt up, and swiped with his daggers! Ultimate Baseball Kid dropped his bat and fell over… he exploded in a fiery blast!

Etna's Life Points fell to 5,600.

"Your Ultimate Baseball Kid struck out," shouted Clive. And since he damaged your Life Points, Don Zaloog gets to swipe a card from your hand!

Don Zaloog snatched a card from Etna's hand and shoved it into her discard pile. Etna cringed. That had been her Backfire card.

_I've got to admit,_ thought Persephone, _that was a clever bit of strategy. Much as I don't like either of them, I'd feel sorry for Clive if that pipsqueak had beaten him. Still, this duel isn't over yet…_

"You make my blood boil," growled Etna, drawing. "Well, I'm still in the lead, and I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I'm going to burn you to the ground!"

"I play a Spell Card," she said, "the powerful Hammer Shot!"

"Hammer Shot?" said Clive.

Etna slid the card into the slot. "This Spell Card can destroy the Monster with the highest Attack Score on the field!" she cackled.

An enormous hammer materialized out of the air and came down on Don Zaloog, crushing him flat! Etna laughed. Clive's Life Points fell down to 3,700.

"Now," continued Etna. "I Tribute my Flame Dancer for my favorite Monster, Mr. Volcano in Attack Mode!"

The Flame Dancer vanished, and a sorcerer with red hair, blue clothing, and a red cape appeared in his place. Flames appeared in his hands. (2,100/1,300)

"Face it, Clive," smiled Etna, "Getsu Fuhma has nowhere to go but up in smoke!

"Mr. Volcano, attack Getsu Fuhma with volcanic blast attack!"

Mr. Volcano shot forth a stream of flames at the warrior maiden. She screamed and fell to the ground, burning, before vanishing. Etna laughed cruelly.

Clive's Life Points were now at 3,300.

"Come on Clive," muttered Peter. "You can still recover…"

Clive drew.

"I've had enough of your mocking," sneered Clive. "Time to quench this fire.

"First, let's bring Scorpion's Den back!"

He opened his Field slot and re-inserted his Scorpion's Den card. The dark cavern covered the field again.

He put a card down.

"Now, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Mad Dog of Darkness," he said.

The Beast reappeared on the Field. (1,900/1,400)

"Since that counts as a special summon," he continued, "I can now make a normal summon, and Tribute Mad Dog of Darkness for Giant Spitting Cobra!"

He put the card down. Mad Dog of Darkness vanished, and a huge, hooded snake arose in front of him. It hissed and bore its fangs! (2,000/1,900)

"Where did Clive get one of those?" asked Mary.

"Siegfried sent him one last Christmas," replied Peter. "It was awfully nice of him…"

"Sorry, Clive," chuckled Etna, "But Mr. Volcano is still 100 points stronger…"

"Think so?" said Clive. "Giant Spitting Cobra instills fear in its foes, dropping their Attack power by 400 points!"

It was true. Mr. Volcano's Attack dropped to 1,700 as he shivered in fright.

"Now, my Cobra," ordered Clive. "Attack with vile venom spit attack!"

Giant Spitting Cobra opened its jaws and spat forth a stream of venom at Mr. Volcano! The Pyro screamed and was melted into goo. Etna's Life Points fell to 5,300.

_Talk about a pain in the asp,_ thought Persephone.

She chuckled.

_Heh, that was very funny. I wish someone could have heard that…_

Etna drew, and she was starting to get very worried.

_He's taken out both my Plan A and my Plan B,_ she thought. _I have a Plan C, but I have to draw the right cards before he finishes me! If I lose this duel, I'm extinguished for good!_

"Darkfire Soldier, in Defense Mode!" she said, putting a card down.

A bare-chested Warrior holding a flaming scimitar appeared and knelt in defense. (1,700/1,150)

The huge snake hissed and Darkfire Soldier looked up. He drew back, and his Attack fell to 1,300.

"My turn?" asked Clive, drawing.

"I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He placed the card, and the leather-clad Spaniard leapt up, menacingly holding his two blades.

"Go, Double Pinaska!" yelled Clive. "Attack Darkfire Soldier with double machete slash attack!"

The dark highwayman leapt up, and cut Darkfire Soldier down. He vanished in a puff of smoke.

Giant Spitting Cobra hissed. Venom started to drip from its fangs.

"Tell me something, Etna," asked Clive. "Does this guy scare _you_?"

"Uh…" mumbled Etna. It was clear that it did.

"Well, even if he doesn't," continued Clive, "Giant Spitting Cobra…"

"Wait! Don't!" shouted Etna.

"Attack Etna directly!" commanded Clive.

Giant Spitting Cobra spit forth its stream of venom, dousing the Fire duelist! Etna screamed and fell to her knees.

Her Life Points fell to 3,300.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Mary. "How do you like them apples, Etna!"

"The score is tied!" exclaimed Peter. "And Clive has taken control!"

Etna struggled to catch her breath. Toxic vapors rose from her skin and stained clothing.

"And now I smell like snake-spit," she growled.

She reached for her deck.

_He'll have three Monsters on the field next turn,_ she thought, _and if I don't manage to implement Plan C now, he's going to beat me!_

She drew.

_Maybe this will help._

"I play the Spell Card known as… Reload!" she said, fitting it into the slot.

As the card appeared, she reached for her deck.

"I place my hand of cards into my deck, reshuffle, and draw and new hand," she said, doing so.

She looked at her new cards.

She smiled broadly.

"I don't like the look on her face…" muttered Peter.

"That makes two of us," said Yugi.

"This card will win the match for me!" shouted Etna, holding up a Spell Card. "Incandescent Ordeal!"

She threw it into the slot.

The card showed itself, and an immense bonfire erupted on Etna's side of the field, surrounding her.

"What in blazes?" asked Clive.

"Good choice of words," said Etna, picking out two more cards. "Incandescent Ordeal is a Ritual Card that I can use to summon the mightiest Fire Monster the dueling world has ever seen! To summon him, I offer as sacrifice one Blazing Inpachi and one Molten Zombie…"

Two Monsters appeared on the field, one a fiery wooden effigy, and one a lumbering creature made of lava. The great bonfire consumed them.

"…and I summon, in Attack Mode, the master of all fire, Legendary Flame Lord!"

The fires parted, and a tall figure emerged. He was dressed in a purple robe, with a peaked hat, and a red cape. He clutched a staff with a flared end holding three large rubies. Flames surrounded him. (2,400/2,000)

Giant Spitting Cobra hissed, but Legendary Flame Lord seemed more angry than scared. His Attack score went down to 2,000.

"Legendary Flame Lord has exactly the same Attack score as Giant Spitting Cobra!" exclaimed Mary. "It's a standoff!"

"For now," said Yugi. "Things just got hotter for Clive, in more ways than one."

"What do you mean?" asked Peter.

"Legendary Flame Lord can hurt Clive even worse if he isn't careful," said Yugi. "Just hope you won't have to see."

"With your Cobra there, Legendary Flame Lord isn't strong enough to defeat it," smiled Etna, "but he can still attack Double Pinaska!

"Legendary Flame Lord," she shouted, "attack Double Pinaska with raging inferno magic attack!"

Legendary Flame Lord raised his staff, and thrust it forward! He shot a blast of white-hot flame at Double Pinaska!

"Double Pinaska, counter it!" shouted Clive.

Double Pinaska crossed his machetes, and struggled to keep from being knocked down as the blast hit! He sweated and groaned, but finally, the onslaught ended. Steam rose from his two blades.

"Sorry, Etna," said Clive. "But once per duel, there's no assault that Double Pinaska can't repel."

"Maybe," she replied. "But only once. And let me let you in on something… Legendary Flame Lord has a much better effect than _that_. Once the two of us have played a total of three Spell Cards, I can, at any time, order him to cast a spell that will incinerate ever Monster on the field other than himself. After that, he'll blow you into oblivion.

"And I'll even get it started. I play the Pot of Greed."

She placed the card down, and the Pot of Greed appeared. Etna made two draws from her deck, as one of the rubies on Legendary Flame Lord's staff lit up.

"And I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," she said.

She put the card in the slot, and it appeared. She looked at the cards she just drew.

_Hmm..._ she thought. _Best save this in case he pulls something out of his hat that can defeat the Lord. I have the time…_

Clive drew.

_Well, well,_ he thought. _If it isn't my old friend Crescent Moon Queen. Etna may have a Lord, but nobility is no match for true royalty!_

"Okay Etna," he smiled, "take this! I Tribute both Giant Spitting Cobra and Double Pinaska to summon Crescent Moon Queen, in Attack Mode!"

Clive's two Monsters vanished, and a shadow fell across Scorpion's Den. She arose from the darkness, the dark-skinned lady in silver armor, wearing a black cape that sparkled like the night sky and an obsidian crown set with a white diamond. (2,600/1,700)

_Crescent Moon Queen?_ thought Persephone. _Now that's a pretty rare card. Yugi and his friends definitely don't fool around. If I'm ever to beat these guys, I'm going to have to plan some major strategy…_

"Yes!" cheered Mary. "It's about time Clive brought out the heavy artillery!"

"With Giant Spitting Cobra gone, your Legendary Flame Lord gets back the 400 Attack Points he lost," said Clive. "But my Queen is more than a match for him, and she can attack _twice_ That means once she's dealt with him, she can go after _twice_!

"Crescent Moon Queen, double crescent sword slash!"

Crescent Moon Queen drew her two moon-shaped blades, and charged.

"Really?" smiled Etna, hitting a button on her disk.

Her facedown card lifted up, and the three Waboku priests sprang up.

"NO!" shouted Clive. "Crescent Moon Queen! Don't try to attack twice!"

Crescent Moon Queen finished her first attempt, and then stopped. She withdrew.

_Phew,_ thought Clive. _That was close. Waboku reduces the Attack strength of a Monster to zero for a turn. That's only an annoyance if the Monster attacks once, but if she had tried to do it again on the same turn, she'd have been destroyed!_

"Any other move you'd like to make?" asked Etna.

"Now that you mention it…" answered Clive.

He took a card out of his hand.

"One card facedown. And it's your turn."

"Splendid," smiled Etna, drawing. "Now prepare to meet the ultimate Fire accessory! The Equip Spell Card, Blazing Chains!"

She slid a card into a slot.

"Let's see how _these_ look on you, your highness!" she cackled.

Suddenly, flames erupted around Crescent Moon Queen! Red hot chains encircled her torso and bound her arms and legs! She dropped her two swords.

Clive gazed in horror. The Queen was clearly in pain.

"What have you done to her?" he demanded.

"Made her totally useless, and a liability to you," laughed Etna. "When a Monster is inflicted with Blazing Chains, it first loses 700 Attack points."

The Queen's attack score fell to 1,900.

"Also, your Queen can't attack, can't change position, and can't be used as a Tribute.

"And that's not all. She's going to share the pain she's in right now with _you_. Every time your turn starts, you'll take Life Point damage equal to one fourth of her original Attack score, which I believe is 650 points!"

"You're insane!" shouted Clive.

"We're all a little insane, aren't we Clive?" chuckled Etna. "Anyway, since I used that incredibly powerful card, I have to end my turn now. But now that I've played two Spell Cards, take a look at Legendary Flame Lord's staff. One more Spell Card – played by either of us – and he'll be able to destroy her and any other Monster you summon.

"Didn't you hear me? My turn is over."

Flames erupted over Clive's skin, and his Life Points fell to 2,650.

"Man, what is Clive going to do?" gasped Peter. "Crescent Moon Queen is the strongest Monster he's got!"

"And he can't play any Spell Cards now!" stated Mary. "If he does, he's finished!"

Yugi looked at Clive intently.

"How many of his Dark Scorpions does he have left?" he asked.

"Uh…" said Peter. "Gorg the Strong, and Cliff the Trap Remover."

"There might be a way," said Yugi. "It all depends on three things – whether Clive can summon one of them in time, whether he can set the right Trap Card in time, assuming he hasn't already set it, and whether he has the sense to use it correctly."

Clive looked at them. They smiled at him and he smiled back.

He drew, and took another card from his hand.

_I knew this guy would come in handy later,_ he thought.

"I summon, Cliff the Trap Remover, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the Dark Scorpions' master of disarmament appeared, brandishing his dagger. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,500)

"Let's not forget," said Clive. "The magic of Scorpion's Den makes him stronger. And by the way, Etna, since you sent a lot of his friends to the Graveyard, he's going to see to it that you don't survive your trip here."

"How's he gonna do that?" mocked Etna. "He can't harm Legendary Flame Lord."

"He can when I activate this Trap," said Clive. "Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

The Trap Card revealed itself.

"This Trap Card lets any member of the Dark Scorpions rob your Graveyard of any Trap or Spell Card he desires!" explained Clive. "And I think I know what Spell Card Cliff is going to swipe!"

"Fool," mocked Etna. "You know what Legendary Flame Lord can do when you play another Spell Card!"

"He can't do it if he doesn't survive to your turn!" said Clive. "Show her what you've got, Cliff!"

Cliff gestured, and a card appeared in his hands.

"My Hammer Shot card!" shouted Etna.

"That's right," said Clive, as a copy of the card materialized in his hand. "Funny really. You made this strategy work. If you hadn't used Blazing Chains on my Queen, Hammer Shot would have destroyed _her_ if I'd used it. But because she's weakened due to your Spell Card, the Monster with the highest Attack on the field is your Legendary Flame Lord!"

Clive threw the illusory card into the slot, and the huge hammer appeared, smashing Legendary Flame Lord flat with an earthshaking crash!

Etna's Life Points fell to 2,700, and she drew back in fright.

"Cliff the Trap Remover," said Clive, "Attack Etna directly! Scorpion stab attack!"

Cliff the Trap remover raised his dagger and did a flip, burying the weapon in Etna's breast. She screamed in pain and fell over.

She got up, and tried in vain to extract the dagger. Her Life Points were now at 1,000.

"Curse you, Clive," she moaned. "This isn't over yet…"

"Afraid it is," said Clive. "Because when Cliff the Trap Remover damages your Life Points, he can destroy one of your Trap or Spell Cards, including your powerful Blazing Chains!"

The Spell Card in front of Etna shattered, and Crescent Moon Queen busted free from the burning shackles! She picked up her two swords, and her Attack score returned to normal.

"Crescent Moon Queen," yelled Clive. "Finish her off!"

Etna screamed, as the Queen leapt at her, and made a great slash across her torso. Etna fell down, a beaten, bloody mess. The Life Point counter on her Disk fell to zero.

Peter and Mary cheered. Yugi smiled and nodded. Clive's two Monsters turned to him and gave him a thumb's up sign.

The holographic projectors shut down. Cliff the Trap Remover and Crescent Moon Queen slowly vanished, and Scorpion's Den faded away.

_Good work, Clive,_ thought Persephone. _You beat that egotistical lunatic. I'd almost like to shake your hand, but I don't want Yugi to see me._

_But don't think I'm going to support you and your friends like this all the time. I'm going to choose one of you four eventually, and if it's you, kicking your ass is going to be fun._

She turned and walked away.

"Never has a duel that was so hot been so cool!" yelled Peter.

"You really surprised me, Clive," said Yugi. "And I don't surprise easily. In fact, the last time I was genuinely surprised was the time when…"

"No… NO!" shouted Etna.

They looked at her. Her wounds were gone and she was looking at her Disk. The red glow on the gem faded, turning dull black.

"Too bad," shrugged Clive. "Looks like you won't be dueling here any more."

He lifted up his own Disk. "Thanks for helping me reach Blue by the way."

"Clive, Mary, all of you," snarled Etna through her teeth. "You can be sure, that if any of you reach the finals, I will be in the stands, front-row-center, cheering loudly for whoever it is you are dueling against!"

She stormed off in anger.

Yugi shook his head.

"Well guys," he said. "It's almost four-thirty. Maybe we've had enough action for the day, huh? Let's look for a nice place to relax, and then a good dinner."

They walked off, arm in arm.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Etna Prometheus trudged back on the way to her hotel, full of fury. Losing four duels in one day was bad enough, losing the fourth to one of Yugi's gang – being disqualified from the tournament in the process – was unbearable.

"Ooh!" she said aloud. "If those Centurions weren't watching everything, I would have roasted them all on a spit! I'm the daughter of Mount Etna! How dare they!"

"You know, there is another way," said a voice.

"Who's there?" she asked.

A figure stepped out of the shadows. It was one of the men in trenchcoats, with dark glasses.

"You're in the wrong place, buddy," sneered Etna. "This is a Duel Monsters tournament, not a sci-fi convention."

The man chuckled.

"No Etna," he answered. "I do belong here. And I think you may be able to help me – and my employer."

"Your employer?" asked Etna. "Who? The Master of Games?"

"No," replied the man, removing his sunglasses. "But I'll talk about him later. I saw what happened. I also know how Mary humiliated you in the Labyrinth. Cruel. You don't deserve it. You are the child of fiery Etna after all. Yet people only laugh at you. They don't laugh at your father – they respect him. Greatly. Why should you not get respect?"

"I wish I did," sighed Etna. "But respect is something that no-one ever gives me. Every time I tell them of my birth, they say I'm crazy. They call it a fairy tale. It's not a fairy tale! It's the truth!"

"Of course it's the truth," agreed the man. "How else could your flesh be immune to the hottest flames? I can help you get revenge Etna Prometheus. I can make it so that no-one ever laughs at you again."

Etna looked at him.

"Really?" she said.

"My employer is very generous," he assured. "He's always looking for those who can interact with those he can't. And as far as you're concerned, he's looking for those who can duel."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed," snarled Etna, "I can't duel any more."

She raised her Disk, showing the gem at Black Status.

"Well," said the man, "let's fix that."

He gestured, and Etna's Dueling Disk X-5500 began to change. The metal lost its sheen, turning into a substance resembling black steel. The blue Monster Card slots turned bright red, with the image of a triangle in a circle inside them.

Finally, the gem on the Disk shattered, and was replaced by a small symbol – a pentagram, a five-pointed star in a circle.

Etna paused.

"Lead me to him," she said.

"Right away," said the man, putting his arm around her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As soon as Yugi and his friends had left, the shadowy figure that had been following them went up to the spot where Clive had been dueling. He went over to the fountain, where Water Omotics poured forth her cascade.

He waved his arm, and a short rod appeared in his hand. It was topped by a large, perfectly cut sapphire orb, which let out a calm, blue glow.

He looked around, to make sure that nobody was watching, and then waved the rod over the fountain water. Colors swirled in the water.

A pair of eyes appeared in the water. They were a woman's eyes, large, with lashes. They were beautiful, but a hint of sadness was in them.

"Have you gotten them?" asked a female voice from the fountain.

"Not yet, child, not yet," assured the figure. "But night will fall soon, and I'll approach them. Until then, simply have patience."

A sigh came up from the water.

"What if they refuse to come?" asked the voice. "I mean, after all that happened…"

"Do not show pessimism," he responded. "I can be very persuasive. They will have a hard time refusing."

"But…" she moaned.

"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked.

"I guess not," she replied. "But please, hurry. I must tell them. It's important. I can't just…"

"I know it's important," he answered. "That is the only reason we are bending the rules the way we are. You should consider yourself lucky we are giving you this privilege. You know you haven't earned it."

Another sigh came up, followed by a sob.

"Now just relax," he assured. "Think positive. I will bring Yugi and Mary in a matter of hours. You can tell them then."

His rod vanished, and the eyes faded away.

He strode away, in the direction of where Yugi and his team had gone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BRONZE SENTINEL**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description: **When this card is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot attack any FIRE Monsters except a "Bronze Sentinel".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RESTORATIVE FURNACE** **(Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description: **During each of your Standby Phases in which this Monster is on the Field in Attack Mode, increase your Life Points by 500 points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLAZING CHAINS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Image of a demonic figure bound by fiery shackles.

**Card Description: **Activate only during your Main Phase 1 when you control at least 1 face-up FIRE Monster. The Equipped Monster loses 700 Attack Points, cannot change its battle position, and cannot be Tributed. During each Standby Phase of the Equipped Monster's controller, he or she loses Life Points equal to one-fourth of the base ATK of the Equipped Monster. After activating this card, end your turn.


	16. The Sanctuary in the Sky

_**Sometimes, late at night, I tend to wonder, what would have happened if Dad had never succeeded in putting this Millennium Puzzle together? After all, he was first person to manage to do so in three-thousand years.**_

_**He'd never have taken up dueling, and he'd never have gotten into a bunch of troubles that threatened his life. More importantly, as far as I'm concerned, **_**I'd**_** never have taken up dueling and gotten into a bunch of troubles that have threatened **_**my**_** life. I often wonder if he ever thought it was worth it, as I always have.**_

_**But then, if not for the Puzzle, he would never have met the enigmatic Spirit who served as his guide, MY guide now. And some of the things that happen as a result of my owning this thing, well, they're just too wondrous for words. Take the thing that's happening to Mary and I right now. I never expected ever coming to a place like this.**_

_**Whatever the case, I have the Puzzle, and there's no way for me to ever just throw it away. And now that I'm here in this realm, about to find out something that I just know is going to lead to more perilous situations, I know that the time for reconsideration is long past.**_

_**It's truly sink or swim time…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Sanctuary in the Sky**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Dinner was a long, leisurely affair. The group could not have imagined how far they had come.

Only four days had passed in the tournament. Mary was two victories away from being eligible for the finals – her friends only three apiece. They laughed and celebrated over sushi and octopus dumplings, and stopped for banana splits afterwards.

At seven o'clock, the sun was setting, and they made the long walk back. Clive and Peter broke up from Yugi and Mary, saying they were going to check out the Sonic Maid's Nightclub down the street. So Yugi and Mary walked hand in hand back to the hotel.

"So," grinned Mary. "Ready to kick some major butt tomorrow?"

"Am I ever," exclaimed Yugi. "Can't let you guys have all the fun!"

"Next major duelist we meet is all yours, Yugi," she assured.

They chuckled as they walked up to the door to Mary's room.

"Well," said Yugi, "I'll see you…"

He listened.

"Did you leave your television on this morning?" he asked.

She listened to the door.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't," she replied.

A sensation came over Yugi. It was that powerful presence he had felt before, but now it was much closer!

His Puzzle shined, and the change overtook him.

"Mary," warned Yugi, "there might be someone dangerous in there. Give me your key…"

She handed it to him.

Yugi opened the door and threw it open.

Sitting on the armchair was a young man watching the television.

He looked up and saw them. He reached for the remote and turned it off.

"About time you showed up," he stated, in a strong voice.

He stood up, and the two of them could see him clearly. He was nearly six feet tall, with medium build, and richly tanned skin. His hair was shortish and dark brown. He wore a light blue t-shirt and jeans, and a simple gold chain around his neck. He also wore silvery sunglasses.

"Who are you?" demanded Yugi. "How did you get in here?"

"Locked doors are never a problem for folks like me," explained the youth. "My name is Dane, and you have no need to worry. I come as a friend."

"You've been following us all day," frowned Yugi. "What do you want?"

"I'm on a mission," explained Dane. "A mission of importance. And for it, I require the both of you, Yugi and Mary. I realize you have little reason to trust me…"

"You bet we don't!" shouted Mary. "You're trespassing, and…"

Dane took off his shades, revealing large, emerald-green eyes.

"Let me explain in terms you can best understand, Mary," he sighed. "I am of a group that you commonly refer to as… angels."

Yugi and Mary stood with their mouths agape.

"No wings at the moment," he chuckled. "But I can't show my true form right now. If you'll just come with me, all will be explained…"

"Wait," started Mary. "I need a little proof here…"

She held up her Duel Disk and drew a card.

"If you're an angel, what card am I holding up right now?"

"Panther Warrior," said Dane, with no hesitation.

"Okay, maybe that was a lucky guess," she frowned, drawing another one. "What about now?"

"Shield and Sword," said Dane, smiling.

"Now?" stammered Mary, drawing a third.

"Jinzo," responded Dane. "The very same card which I believe your father won from Espa Roba in his first Battle City challenge."

"Whoa," gasped Mary.

"Okay, buddy," accused Yugi. "Who was the first opponent _my_ father faced in Battle City?"

"One of Marik's Rare Hunters who didn't reveal his name," answered Dane. "He used a poorly constructed Exodia deck, and your father challenged him in order to win back Mary's father's Red Eyes Black Dragon card, which the Hunter won from him earlier in an unsanctioned duel – although the guy was a cheater, seeing as his cards were marked."

"I think this guy is serious," muttered Mary, ominously.

"But why?" asked Yugi. "What do you need us for?"

"I'm here," replied Dane, "to take you to see Anastasia."

That truly shocked the two of them.

"Anastasia?" gasped Mary. "I thought she was serving time in some boot camp in Purgatory! I had no idea visitors were allowed!"

"Normally, no," replied Dane. "But a matter of great importance has come up, and you must come see her. All will be explained on the way. I promise you, Anastasia is in no position to harm you, and where we are going, there is nothing dangerous."

Mary shrugged.

"What have we got to lose, Yugi?" she asked.

Yugi was doubtful. This figure claimed to be an angel, but…

"Go ahead," said Yami, suddenly.

"Huh?" he answered.

"This being is radiating holy power like a beacon," said Yami. "That cannot be faked. I think we can trust him."

"Whatever you say," sighed Yugi.

He came back.

"Okay," answered Yugi. "We'll go with you."

"Then lie down," ordered Dane.

They looked at him for a minute.

"Why do I feel like I'm Keanu Reeves about to enter a magic phone booth?" asked Mary.

They removed their Disks, and set them aside. They reclined on the bed.

"Just relax," assured Dane. "Let your muscles go limp. There might be a momentary discomfort…"

His eyes started to glow. And there _was_ a slight discomfort…

But only slight. The next thing Yugi and Mary knew, they were standing up. They looked around, and the first thing they saw was themselves!

They – or rather their bodies, they assumed – were lying on the bed. They were hugging each other in a mild embrace, and seemed to be in a deep sleep.

"What do you do?" demanded Mary.

"Fear not," assured Dane. "I can't take you where we are going physically. Your bodies will be safe. In fact, when you return, you will recover with as much rest as a full night's sleep.

"But we'll worry about that later," he continued.

He replaced his shades.

"My friends," he said. "We're going to the Great Beyond…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Before Mary and Yugi knew it, the whole world seemed to fall apart. The hotel room seemed to melt away, and was replaced by a void of stars. The stars seemed to rush by, and melted into swirls of colors. They didn't know if they were flying or if the strange place was rushing past them.

The colors switched to a blue sky-like void full of strange shapes, and finally, they were in a cloudy realm, with clouds above and below, and a strange, gentle sun in the sky.

Yugi gasped as he remembered this place from his vision in the _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual. Only now this wasn't a vision.

They turned and saw their host. They gasped in surprise!

Dane had certainly changed. He now stood about seven feet tall. His shades were gone, and his piercing green eyes stood out. His hair was blonde, shiny, and down to his shoulders. He wore a cream-colored, tight-fitting, silken robe, tied together with a navy drawstring rope. Most impressively, he had beautiful snow-white feathery wings growing from his back. He clutched in his hand a short rod topped with a perfectly cut sapphire orb. A light blue aura surrounded him.

If there had been any doubts in their minds before that this being was an angel, all of them were gone now. The beauty that he radiated was beyond words.

They looked at Dane for a moment. Finally, Mary ventured to speak.

"Dane…" she asked. "Are we in…"

"Heaven?" said Dane with a chuckle. "No, Mary. No human souls are allowed to enter the bliss that you call Heaven until they are truly ready to do so, until they are completely cleansed of sin. And no living mortal, not even the most noble and righteous, can truly claim that.

"We are in a sort of in-between place, where all new souls go to cleanse themselves before being allowed to make the big step. Call it Purgatory if you like. It doesn't matter."

"So I suppose Anastasia is here?" asked Yugi. "The manifestation of her evil side told me that she was sent to a 'boot camp' of sorts…"

Dane gave a stern look.

"Yes, that creature was a true monster," he frowned. "We don't call it a boot camp, Yugi, and it isn't like that at all. Let me explain to you what truly became of Anastasia, after you saved her soul from oblivion.

"Most sinners come here when they die to cleanse themselves, as has already been said. But with some unfortunate cases, sins are too great. We simply cannot let them in. They are evil, and judged unfit for our company. They are condemned… damned if you may. It is sad really, but with some souls, it is not worth the effort to try to rehabilitate.

"Until the fateful day when she dueled you, Anastasia was on that list – blacklisted, so to speak. We knew of her deal with the Grim Reaper, but we also knew that if she ever found a way out of it – if she had defeated you, for instance – she would have been condemned without a second chance. Her heart had been too blackened by sin. She was a murderer, who had caused a lot of pain and anguish to many people. As you know, you were not the first victim of her horrible Pain-Splitter dueling station.

"But when she actually got here, there were… extenuating circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances?" asked Yugi.

"Repentance at the time of death, and forgiveness by the one who would be her greatest victim," explained Dane. "That would be you, Yugi.

"Those facts didn't excuse what she did, of course, but it warranted a closer look. We had a gathering… something that you might call a hearing."

"Like a trial?" asked Mary.

"In a way," continued Dane. "To be granted a hearing in these cases, you have to gain approval from a group of officials, and you have to have sponsors, willing to defend you."

"Who were…" started Yugi.

Dane smiled. "She had two sponsors," he said. "One was her father, the other… was you."

Yugi stared in astonishment. "I don't remember arguing at any hearing…" he started.

Dane touched his forehead.

"Do you now?" he asked.

Yugi thought for a minute.

"It was…" stammered Yugi. "It was a dream… I had it a few weeks after getting back from the Labyrinth… Yes! I dreamed I was in some sort of court, and she was on trial! It was hard to see who the officials and the jury were, but I remember pleading Anastasia's case… how I thought she had suffered so much…"

"It wasn't a dream, Yugi," replied Dane. "They took you there in your sleep to testify."

"So Maximillion Pegasus was another sponsor?" asked Mary. "He's up here too?"

"A long time ago, he completed the same rehabilitation procedure that Anastasia is going through now," answered Dane. "He had even more sponsors – his wife Cecilia, among them, and your father, Yugi. He granted forgiveness to the elder Pegasus a long time ago.

"But let's get back to Anastasia. The jury's vote was not unanimous, but majority ruled. She was given a chance to prove that she was worthy of rehabilitation… and so she was sent _here_."

The clouds parted, and a huge structure appeared among the clouds. It looked like a palace that would have put the Taj Mahal to shame. It was huge, studded with jewels and precious metals, and windows made of the finest stained glass.

"What the blankety-blank is that?" exclaimed Mary, in awe.

"You might call it a prison," explained Dane, as they walked towards it, "although we don't call it that. Its proper name is the Bastion of the Hopeful. It is where all those who have been given the chance that Anastasia has go, so they can be rehabilitated."

"A prison this beautiful?" gasped Mary. "It would make the King of England envious!"

"Nothing is ugly here," smiled Dane. "Here, everything is beautiful. Besides, beauty encourages inmates to reform. We don't go out of our way to punish like an earthly prison does. Here, rehabilitation is the primary goal.

"You see, it isn't a boot camp, like that demon claimed. Demons are notorious liars and twisters of truths. The treatment here is mostly spiritual. The inmates are taught how to reflect on their past deeds, learn that what they did was completely inexcusable, and repent every sinful act. Most of their time is spent in meditation and practice of art – art is a good way to express themselves, be it literature, painting, sculpture, or anything else. As you might expect, such things are appreciated up here.

"Anastasia was a model prisoner for the first year. She apologized personally to the souls of all her murder victims, and kept doing so until the apologies were accepted. She did all the tasks and trials almost perfectly. It turned out that she had a knack for poetry as well. In fact…"

"How do you know about her so much?" interrupted Mary.

"Because," answered Dane. "I am the counselor who was assigned to her. She's been under my care almost since day one. Why do you think I was sent to get you?"

"I see," said Mary. "I guess you serve as a type of psychologist here."

"In a way," answered Dane. "She isn't my only charge, but we have enough staff to give adequate treatment to everyone. An inmate always has someone to talk to when he or she needs it.

"But all her hard work nearly fell apart last year," sighed Dane. "You remember, Yugi, the time you dueled her evil side in the City of Souls…"

He shuddered a bit when he said that.

"Yes," sighed Yugi. "It was horrible. Remi summoned her, she suspended Siegfried over a pit full of ravenous wolves and made me duel for his life. She claimed that she was the real Anastasia, and that by saving her I had done nothing more than send her to Hell."

"She was a wicked thing," agreed Dane. "Remi's goal was to demoralize you in two ways – the gruesome death of your friend, and the idea that your heroic acts had condemned a soul to eternal damnation. But Remi and the demon underestimated both your willpower and your dueling skills. You saw right though her twisted masquerade.

"Anyway, the real Anastasia knew about it, of course. We were all watching New York at that time. Heaven was in an uproar at the possibility of a demon as powerful as Set being released, and Hell was watching with baited breath. And when Anastasia found out that you were involved and that Remi used her evil side against you… she became a problem.

"She actually started to sneak away during that horrible week, with the intent to try to help you. She felt she owed you something, and maybe in her mind, she did, even though we tried to tell her that it was unnecessary. She had ideas about visiting you in your dreams to give you information, but she never dared stay long, fearing that she'd be caught."

"You let her sneak away?" asked Mary. "Aren't you guys… omniscient?"

"No," smiled Dane. "Only the Almighty himself is truly omniscient. We try hard to watch our charges, but Anastasia, as you both well know, was always crafty.

"Eventually, however, the night before you defeated Remi, she _was_ caught. Normally, such flagrant cases of being AWOL would have resulted in expulsion and being labeled a failure, and you know what that would mean…

"But Anastasia had a very strong argument. She said in no simple terms that she was willing to risk damnation to save you. We had to agree that it was a noble act, so she was allowed to stay. But we still had to punish her…"

"How so?" asked Yugi.

They were now approaching the gates.

"A coating," sighed Dane. "For one month."

"I'm not familiar with what a 'coating' is," said Yugi, with a strange look.

"No, of course you aren't," sighed Dane. "We never like having to do it, and we don't do so often. The subject is made to kneel, and then she is encased in a shell of unbreakable metal, rendering her unable to move in the slightest or use any of her senses. It isn't pleasant, but it leaves the subject's mind free to reach its true potential."

"For a month?" exclaimed Mary. "Poor Anastasia!"

"I think that can be classified as 'cruel and unusual'," accused Yugi, who was a little surprised.

"It isn't as if she hadn't been warned," shrugged Dane. "Or she hadn't seen it done to others. And as for it being 'cruel and unusual', you are forgetting that this is a wholly different system. It would have been far crueler to have thrown her out. Anyway, when she was released, we warned her that any more flagrant misbehavior would result in her being coated for a year. Since then, she's been a model prisoner again. We even gave her an off-grounds assignment recently…"

"Doing what?" asked Yugi.

"Better you didn't know," said Dane. "But like I said, she's been a model prisoner…"

They went through the gates and into a long hallway.

"Until last week," he continued. "While in meditation, she had a vision, a powerful one. It concerned you and your friends, Yugi.

"Now, we could have just delivered the message to you, but she begged to be allowed to tell you personally. When we said that it was impossible, she started to weep, and wouldn't stop. This went on for days. We eventually concluded that she'd never stop crying, and given the… nature of the vision, we finally gave in, and I promised to bring you here.

"Which brings us to the present."

They entered a chamber, where several other angels were writing on clipboards that seemed to be made of glass or crystal, using quill pens. A few other figures were there too, speaking to the angels – they resembled men and women, dressed in long white robes. They also wore metal bands that encircled their necks. Yugi and Mary guessed that they were inmates of this place, because they seemed unwilling to look the angels in the face, and didn't have the same radiance that the celestial beings had.

Dane led them up to an important-looking angel seated at a desk, who was writing something down in a ledger.

"Anastasia," asked Dane. "Where is she now?"

"Where she's been for the past two days," frowned the scribe. "In the east garden crying her eyes out. I take it you've brought them…"

Dane motioned to Yugi and Mary.

"Good," approved the scribe. "Take them to her before she wastes away. This has to stop."

"This way," beckoned Dane. "This place may look big, but getting to any place in here is only a short walk. Distances are different in this realm."

"Well Yami," said Yugi. "We've certainly gotten deep into it this time."

"Deep?" said Yami. "Deep doesn't even begin to describe this."

"What do you think she wants to tell us?" asked Yugi.

"I have a sinking feeling it isn't just to get reacquainted…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They traveled down a series of sparkling-clean hallways, until they finally came to a set of double doors labeled "EAST GARDEN." Dane opened the doors.

They entered what looked like a small Garden of Eden. Flowering bushes, fruit trees, and rows of blossoms surrounded winding walkways. Cool fountains and beautiful marble sculptures decorated the place.

"Anastasia?" called Dane.

He walked forward, and the group saw her.

She was sitting on a marble bench, in front of the largest fountain. She was wearing a pure white robe made of a silken substance, and an iron band around her neck. Her platinum blonde hair was the same, and her eyes, so long hidden behind those creepy sunglasses, were now uncovered and a deep sea green. Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks.

"Anastasia," urged Dane. "Dry your tears, child. I've brought them."

Anastasia looked up. She slowly stood up, as Yugi and Mary approached.

"Yugi!" she said in joy, as she held her arms out. "It's been so long!"

She hugged him.

"Uh, good to see you too, Anne…" muttered Yugi. He was sort of uncomfortable being so close to her. Memories of what happened in the Labyrinth came flooding back.

"Um, you're hugging me…" he protested.

She released him, and turned to Mary.

"Mary, uhm," she mumbled.

Mary looked at her. She fell to her knees.

"Mary, I never got a chance!" she cried. "Please… can you ever forgive me for what I did to you? For what I _meant_ to do? I don't expect you to…"

"Anastasia…" said Mary.

She looked up.

"You're forgiven," said Mary. "At least by me."

Anastasia stood up, and bowed her head.

"Dane," asked Mary. "What's with the thing on her neck?"

"A marker," answered Dane. "It identifies her as a prisoner. Nothing for you to concern yourselves about. I assure you it's painless."

"Yes," replied Anastasia.

"Anne," said Yugi. "I'm sorry you got in trouble because of us…"

"Huh?" asked Anastasia. "Oh, the coating. Nothing big. I used the month to compose a whole epic poem in my head, and commit it to memory. Once I could use my arms again, it was easy to write it down."

"Anastasia," urged Dane. "We only have one of their nights. I suggest you tell them what I brought them here for you to tell them."

"Yes," nodded Anastasia.

She sighed.

"I knew about the Duelatopia tournament for a long time," she started. "I can view things on Earth from here. I asked permission to watch you and your friends compete, and they said I could. I was overjoyed. I guess I never lost my love of Duel Monsters.

"But then, about a week ago, a few days before the tournament started, it happened. I was meditating, as I always do – like I'm supposed to. And I had a terrible vision.

"I saw him. A monstrous creature. I only saw him in shadow, but I knew that he was a Fallen…"

"A Fallen?" asked Mary.

"A fallen angel," explained Dane. "I'll field that one. Very rarely, angels turn to evil, and rebel against us; commit terrible crimes. Satan himself was once one of the council of Archlords that ruled over the hosts, but he succumbed to sin and tried to conquer the celestial realms in what was known as The Great Rebellion. He and his followers became the first Fallen – stricken of their lofty positions and thrown into Hell forever. They believe that they rule the place, but they are as much prisoners of it as the souls of the wicked sinners who go there. Since then, in rare times, other angels have succumbed to the same fate, and been cast out of Heaven. They are our enemies now.

"But continue, Anastasia."

"I saw him, Yugi," shuddered Anastasia. "I saw him eyeing something that I recognized, something that I learned about when I came here…"

Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"He seeks to destroy the Mandate!" she cried.

"The Mandate?" asked Yugi.

"The Mandate of Heaven," sighed Dane. "Let me explain again. Usually, Satan and his minions can only corrupt mortals on a small level, using temptation and the occasional excursion to do their sinister business on the mortal world. But long ago, a council of celestial rulers known as the Archlords knew that some of Satan's minions would get frustrated at this slow method, and attempt a full-scale invasion of the mortal world.

"So the Archlords created the Mandate of Heaven, a powerful artifact. Legend states that it took the form of a simple disk of platinum, that glowed with a soft light. With the Mandate in place in the mortal world, the forces of Hell are incredibly limited to the amount of power they can manifest on Earth. Small groups of moderate power can travel there at certain times, but the Mandate keeps large forces from coming, and makes a full scale invasion impossible.

"But if the Mandate were destroyed, the armies of Hell would be able to overrun the planet, and then… it would be a practical Armageddon. Before we could respond, millions would perish, and the world would be ravaged by hellfire…

"Not a very pleasant thought…"

Yugi and Mary shuddered.

"We have no doubts that if you had failed in your efforts to defeat Set, his first goal would have been to find the Mandate and destroy it. The Mandate is a wrench in the machinery of all demons' plans as far as the mortal world is concerned.

"The forces of Hell are blind to the whereabouts of the Mandate, but they try hard to find it. Possibly, this creature whom Anastasia saw is coming close."

"But there was more, Yugi!" cried Anastasia. "At the end of my vision, I saw you! You were facing the beast, dueling him amid the clouds in a terrible battle! You were both injured and exhausted, but neither of you would yield to the other. Sadly, my trance ended before I could see who the winner was, but I believe that you are the only person who can possibly defeat this creature…

"You are the only one who can save the Mandate…"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Dane," asked Yugi. "Where IS the Mandate?"

"We don't know," said Dane, shaking his head. "Only the Archlords who created it knew – aside from the one who knows all – and they aren't around anymore."

"Aren't around?" asked Mary. "Angels don't die, do they?"

"No," explained Dane. "But when they achieve complete perfection, when their souls are at the epitome of purity, they achieve something called Glorious Union. At that point, they merge with the essence of the core of Heaven itself… the ultimate reward. At that point, they have reached a state where they are unreachable.

"The last remaining Archlord who created the Mandate was Archlord Shanalla, and about thirty of your years ago, it became time for her to achieve Glorious Union…"

Yugi's eyes opened in shock. The angel from his vision! The one who turned in the murderer!

"The Archlords all said that when they had to leave, they would each share the location of the Mandate not with other angels, but with a Chosen One, a mortal being who could be trusted with it, and those mortals would pass on the secret to an heir once they could no longer carry it. However, we have no idea which mortals are carrying the secret now. We can look onto earth and discover most things, but the secrets of the Archlords are beyond our sight."

There was a long pause.

"Dane," mentioned Yugi. "If I may speak…"

"Yes?" he said.

"I believe this Fallen may be one named Zaphikiel."

Dane raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

Yugi hurriedly recounted the vision he has seen when he and Jade partook of the_ mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual. Dane listened carefully, and hung onto every word.

"The vision you had must mean something," pondered Dane. "It lends proof to Anastasia's belief that you are somewhat intertwined with this demon's plans. However, I am far too young to remember a Fallen by the name of Zaphikiel, and I have no way of researching that name. The names of all Fallen have been stricken and erased from celestial records. As far as we are concerned, they no longer deserve the names they once had as angels. Besides, he most likely has a different name now.

"But if what you say is true, and this Fallen was among the hosts who fought against Lucifer in The Great Rebellion, his power may be vast. He'd literally be older than humanity."

"And the other part of the vision I saw," stated Yugi. "The part where the Mandate was… created."

"Indeed," nodded Dane. "If the Mandate is hidden on Duelatopia, the Fallen may be close by. But Duelatopia is a large and complex town. The Mandate may be hidden anywhere – in the sewer system, buried under rock… for all we know, one of the Chosen Ones may have put it in a refrigerator in a candy store."

"That's another point," mentioned Yugi. "Whoever the Chosen Ones are, one of them might have some connection to Duelatopia…"

Mary looked at Yugi.

"Siegfried?" she asked.

"No, he's too young," said Yugi. "Archlord Shanalla passed on the secret thirty years ago, so unless he inherited it from someone we don't know about…"

"Good point," replied Mary.

Anastasia spoke up.

"Yugi," she said. "I have faith in you. You defeated the Reaper. You defeated Set. You can defeat this monster that threatens the world. You aren't a normal duelist – you have unimaginable powers. Up until the point where I dueled you, I never believed in the Heart of the Cards. But I was wrong. You have more Heart than any duelist in the world!"

Dane spoke up again.

"If you have any questions to ask, Yugi," he said. "Ask them now."

Yugi thought for a moment.

"Anne," he said. "You've been watching all our duels in the tournament?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Anastasia. "Although, it was hard for me to enjoy them with the vision on my mind…"

"Then you saw Mary face the Gatekeeper?"

"Um, yeah."

"You used to run Industrial Illusions, Anne," frowned Yugi. "Who the heck had the idea to produce the Sphinx cards?"

"Oh, those," muttered Anastasia, trembling.

"Go on," assured Dane. "It's all right."

"I had the idea myself," she muttered. "After I… killed my father, I read all his journals, and learned about Anubis. I produced the Pyramid of Light and Sphinx cards as part of a limited edition set…"

"Have you any idea what Anubis tried to do to my father?" exclaimed Yugi.

"I… I…" sobbed Anastasia.

"It's all right," assured Dane, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You're forgetting how much I hated your father at the time," stammered Anastasia. "Creating those cards was a little way to get back at him. It was a mistake. Believe me Yugi, if I now had the power to destroy every last copy of those four cards, I would…"

She sighed.

"But sadly, I do not. Besides, they were no match for Mary!"

"You have a point!" agreed Mary.

Dane spoke up again.

"Our time here grows short, child," he said to Anastasia. "Is their anything else?"

"Yugi," sniffed Anastasia. "I wanted Dane to bring Clive, Peter, Jade, and Siegfried too, but he wouldn't hear of it. When you see them again, please, tell them I'm sorry for what I did to them. Tell them that there's a soul here who begs their forgiveness…"

Yugi took her hand.

"I'll be sure to do so," he assured.

"And I'll be watching the tournament, just as I said," she continued. "Tell your friends that any time they duel, they'll have at least one more person in their cheering section."

"Thanks Anne," said Yugi. "I hope you succeed in this place."

She nodded.

"Well," smiled Mary, "when we die, we'll be sure to look you up."

Anastasia smiled.

Dane lifted his rod.

"Yugi," he mentioned. "One more thing. If you do find the Mandate, it would be best to hand it over to us. The current Archlords have greater powers than the ones who created it. If they had the Mandate, they could transform it into a spiritual force which nobody could destroy."

"But how do I contact you if I find it?" asked Yugi.

"Look to the sun, and think of your greatest desire," stated Dane. "And when it is in the front of your mind, speak my name. I will hear, and when I see that you have it, I will come."

A blue glow started to emit from the orb on his rod.

"It is nearly five AM back on your world," he said. "Time to go home. Remember all that has been said here…"

The blue glow enveloped them, and they felt themselves passing out.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Before they knew it they woke up. The sun was rising out of the window in Mary's room. They noticed that their arms were around each other.

They quickly sat up, blushing.

"Um," muttered Mary.

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. "Somehow, things just got a whole lot more complicated…"

"Yugi," exclaimed Mary, "I just had the craziest thought… I think I may know who the Chosen One is… the person who fits the profile who has even the slightest connection to this place."

"Yes?" asked Yugi, confused.

"Who saved the world so many times over three decades ago?" asked Mary. "Who was the noblest spirit the dueling circuit ever knew?"

"I dunno?" asked Yugi. "Who?"

Mary pointed to the Puzzle around his neck.

"You don't mean…" said Yugi.

"Yes," said Mary, quietly. "Who else would an angel trust with such a secret… than your father?"


	17. Mage Power

_**When I first met Terone, two years ago, it was during the Big Apple Duel Monster's tournament. I didn't give him much thought then. He was just another opponent in another tournament. His devotion to the works of J.K. Rowling and his self-appointed title, "The Duelist of Hogwarts" made him stand out a little, but I never expected much to come from him at the time.**_

_**When I next met him, a year later, it was in the City of Souls. Remi had cast a spell on him to turn his latent resentment into blind anger against me, and turn his pipe dreams into mad delusions. We dueled again, and with some help, I managed to save his life, and his sanity. **_

_**Remi is gone now, but you just can't keep a good duelist down. I suppose I was fated to duel Terone again. And now that he's totally lucid and in control of his actions, going up against him might be much harder than last time…**_

_**Especially if what he claims is true…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

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**Mage Power**

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Yugi didn't know what to say.

His father? Chosen by a council of archangels with a sacred duty? Was it even possible? His dad had indeed saved the world many times, but this was too incredible for words.

He spoke to Yami about it, but the Spirit could offer no answer. It was slightly more than thirty years ago that he and Yugi Mouto Sr. parted company and Yami had gone into dormancy.

Yugi had half a mind to make a long distance call to his dad and ask – but then, he reasoned that if his father had never told him before, he likely wouldn't now. He guessed that when the time was right, it would be revealed.

During the continental breakfast, just a couple of hours later, Clive and Peter were shocked to say the least.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," asked Clive. "An angel took you to Purgatory to visit Anastasia?"

"Uh huh," muttered Mary.

"Dare we ask why?" said Peter.

"It's sort of complicated," mumbled Yugi. "She had a message for us that she saw in a vision."

"Visions," sighed Clive. "Those are never good."

"What sort of message?" asked Peter. "We have the time."

"I don't want to worry you…" warned Yugi.

"Look," stated Clive. "If this is something heavy, we're going to have to help you sooner or later. So spill already."

"Fine," said Yugi.

He took a deep breath.

"Millennia ago a council of powerful angels created an artifact called the Mandate of Heaven, which prevents the armies of Hell from invading the mortal world. There's a fallen angel lurking somewhere on Earth who wants to destroy the Mandate so he can conquer the world. Anastasia believes that I'm the only person who can possibly defeat this fallen angel and save the world from complete destruction. And there's a good possibility that the Mandate is hidden here on Duelatopia."

He took a long drink of milk.

"Uh…" muttered Peter. "You want to run that by me again?"

"I was right," said Clive. "That _is_ heavy."

"The point is," sighed Yugi. "We have to be on our guard. This demon may be incredibly powerful, and I'm not even sure if I stand a chance. But if he does choose to strike, I have to try."

"Then we'll help," assured Clive. "We'll show this guy just like we showed Remi!"

"Thanks guys," smiled Yugi. "By the way, Anastasia had a message for the two of you."

Peter and Clive both lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes?" asked Clive.

"She basically said she was sorry," responded Yugi.

There was a long pause.

"Was she sincere?" asked Peter.

"I've never seen more sincerity," affirmed Yugi.

"Fine," stated Peter. "Apology accepted."

"And you, Clive?" said Mary.

Clive sighed. "Well, you know what someone once said," he mused. "To err is human, to forgive divine. Who said that?"

"I think it was Christ himself," answered Yugi.

"I guess I can accept her apology," sighed Clive. "After all, you did."

"Fine," said Yugi, pushing his plate aside.

He strapped his Duel Disk to his arm.

"Now it's Day Five," he said. "Who's ready?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They spent most of the morning exploring the northeast part of Duelatopia, a section that they hadn't spent much time in. Peter and Clive were talking the whole time about the conversation at breakfast.

"Fallen angels?" muttered Clive. "Holy artifacts? This is all so… intense!"

"I know," sighed Peter. "Still, we've seen a good deal of weird things. I still have nightmares about Set sometimes."

"You think Yugi's dad ever had to deal with this stuff?" asked Clive.

"His dad told me a few things about some of the duelists he faced," said Peter. "Like duelists who used the legendary Egyptian God Cards. I've seen old videos of the God Monsters in action… truly terrifying."

"How did those things work, anyway?" asked Clive.

"Well, I had a discussion with Yugi's father about them," explained Peter. "Unlike most high-level Monsters, you needed _three_ Tributes to summon one, and all three of them shared some traits in common: One, they were immune to most Trap Cards, and Monster Effects, and Spell Cards, if they affected them at all, only did so for one turn."

Clive raised an eyebrow.

"Obelisk the Tormentor was likely the least powerful. It had stats of 4,000 over 4,000…"

"That's weak?" gasped Clive.

"I didn't say 'weak', I said 'least powerful'," replied Peter. "Wait until you hear what the others were capable of. Anyway, Obelisk's special ability, known as Fist of Fate, required you to Tribute two other Monsters – if you did that, it could destroy all opposing Monsters, and deliver a set amount of 4,000 points of direct damage to your opponent."

Clive shuddered in fear.

"Then there was Slifer the Sky Dragon. It was even stronger. It's Attack and Defense Score was one thousand for every card in your hand at any given time. That made its strength potential nearly limitless…"

"There's a limit to how many cards you can hold in your hand at one time," mentioned Clive.

"Not if you used the Spell Card called Infinite Cards!" exclaimed Peter. "And when Yugi's dad faced Marik's mindslave Strings, who challenged him with Slifer, that's exactly what Strings did.

"Slifer also had another ability. Every time an opponent summoned a Monster to the field, its second set of jaws would attack, draining the Monster of 2,000 points from whatever Mode it was summoned in, which would be fatal if the score was 2,000 or less."

"How on earth did Yugi's dad defeat it?" gasped Clive.

"A mistake on Marik's part," smiled Peter. "Do you know of the Revival Jam plus Jam Defender Monster-Trap combo?"

"Yeah…" muttered Clive. "A very cheesy way to win."

"Marik took the combo further, adding Card of Safe Return," continued Peter. "So every time Revival Jam revived, Strings got to draw three more cards, increasing Slifer's strength. But Yugi's dad found Slifer's weakness. He used Brain Control to seize Revival Jam. That caused Slifer to attack it with its second mouth, causing Revival Jam to revive, causing Strings to draw three cards, and then causing Slifer to attack again! The cycle repeated itself, over and over, and Strings was trapped. He had to keep drawing cards until he was decked out!"

"No wonder Yugi is so good," muttered Clive in amazement. "He learned from the master!"

"Of course, even this pales in comparison to the Winged Dragon of Ra," continued Peter. "This card is incredibly dangerous to use. Before you could even use it, you had to recite an Egyptian chant written on the card. Only those who had their ancestry in ancient Egypt could do so…!"

Clive gave a quizzical look.

"However, if you succeeded, Ra was powerful to say the least. Its starting Attack Score was the combined score of the Attack Scores of the Monsters you Tributed to summon it. Also, you could spend Life Points to add to its Attack Score, and you could spend up to all but one. Ra's Attack score increased depending on how many Life Points you spent. But Ra didn't need a high Attack score. You could spend 1,000 Life Points to obliterate any Monster, even another God Monster."

"That _is_ powerful," shuddered Clive.

"Marik owned that card too, and he had many ways to raise his Life Points when he used it. And there was another feature of the God Cards that Yugi Senior learned for the brief time when he owned all three… If you can somehow get all three of them on the field at one time – very unlikely, but not impossible – Slifer and Ra could combine with Obelisk to give Obelisk an infinite Attack Score, which would pretty much win you the duel at that point."

Clive was shivering again.

"So who's using these cards now?" he asked.

"No one knows," said Yugi's voice.

"You were listening?" asked Peter.

"Yeah," said Yugi. "The God Cards were lost decades ago. And good riddance is all I can say. There are just some things that man was not meant to tamper with. Maximillion Pegasus created them, but even he was scared of their power, so he gave them to Ishizu Ishtar for safekeeping – she was the holder of the Millennium Necklace, and part of a family in charge of guarding the Pharaoh's tombs. Unfortunately, Marik was also a part of that family – her brother, in fact – and he was driven to madness by the duty. He sought to usurp the Pharaoh's power, which is why he attacked my dad in the first place.

"But it's water under the bridge now… Marik was cured, the God Cards are gone, and neither he nor those three abominations will ever threaten anyone again."

They started to look around, and saw that they were surrounded by trees. The street they were on was made of brick, and the buildings were old-fashioned.

"So where are we now?" asked Peter.

Mary looked at her map.

"According to this, we're in the Village of Green Phantom King," she said. "Seems like a nice place."

"Maybe we can find a pub and knock back a few pints!" laughed Clive.

Peter jostled him.

"Uh, maybe a pub that serves pints of root beer?" he shrugged.

"Siegfried sure knows how to build a good resort," smiled Mary.

"Come on," said Yugi. "Let's look around. We're not going to get very far waiting for someone to challenge us."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At around ten forty-five, a place caught their eye.

It seemed a cross between a bar and a restaurant; the sign out front said "Hogsmeade."

"That looks interesting," muttered Peter.

"Hogsmeade…" pondered Mary. "That was the name of a place in the Harry Potter books – a town where the students went for R&R."

Yugi looked at his watch. "It's a little early for lunch," he said. "But I just can't resist checking such a place out."

They went in, and were certainly impressed. It looked like a tavern from a fantasy novel, with wooden tables, crests adorning the corners, and colorful banners and medieval weapons hanging from the walls.

They went to a table and picked up the menus.

"Ye gods, look at this stuff!" exclaimed Clive. "'Spicy gryphon wings', 'minotaur burgers', mutton lettuce and tomato sandwiches'… This is hilarious!"

"Might I suggest the rib rack with elven sauce," said an accented voice behind them. "They're quite good."

Yugi turned around, and saw a figure wearing a dark cloak with a hood. He was wearing a Duel Disk.

_A Rare Hunter?_ thought Yugi. _Here?_

He leapt off his seat.

"I don't know what your game is," he shouted, "but…"

"Hey, relax, Yugi," smiled the figure, removing the hood. "It's just me."

"TERONE?" exclaimed Yugi. "Shesh, what are you trying to do, scare me half to death?"

"Didn't someone once say intimidation is half of winning?" smiled Terone, giving his glasses a nudge.

He sat down. "Garcon!" he called to the waiter. "Five mugs of butterbeer for me and my friends!" He turned to them. "So, how's the tournament going for all of you?"

"Not bad," said Mary, showing him her Disk. "And you?"

He showed them his. It was Violet.

"Terone, you really should throw away that creepy Death Eater cloak," mumbled Clive. "It may give people the wrong idea…"

"I know," sighed Terone. "But even if Remi gave this thing to me, it makes a good accessory for a J.K. Rowling fan such as myself. And it totally freaks out my opponents. Some of them actually think I'm a Rare Hunter and I'm going to mug them for their cards!"

Terone chuckled inside.

_And having cards as rare as I do doesn't hurt the façade either,_ he thought.

"You have a funny way of using dueling psychology," muttered Mary.

"You should see some of the _other_ costumes I've seen here," said Terone. "This cloak is nothing."

"I guess," replied Yugi. "It's good to see you again Terone."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A light lunch later, Terone insisted on paying the bill.

"You know Yugi," he mentioned. "When we dueled last time, I wasn't myself…"

"I wasn't your fault," assured Yugi. "The Millennium Rod is a very powerful artifact."

"True," agreed Terone. "But I've always wanted to prove that I could do it again… on my own this time, without some evil force controlling me."

Yugi gave a slight smile.

"Is that a challenge, Terone?" he asked.

"Uh huh," smiled Terone. "I have status to spare. You and me Yugi, in a rematch to end all rematches!"

"I accept your challenge," grinned Yugi. "We're taking this outside!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi left the building, he opened the pouch that contained his side deck, and took out a card – his Shield of St. George Trap.

_Terone likely still has that Hungarian Horntail in his deck, and that Dragon is trouble,_ he thought. _Well, sorry Terone, but I'm adding this Trap to my deck right now._

He slipped the card into his deck.

At that point, Yami spoke up.

"Yugi, don't get too confident," he warned. "You have to remember something. When we last dueled Terone, he was misguided and delusional. Now he's completely sane. He can think clearly and control his actions. He'll be difficult to defeat."

"Fine," said Yugi. "We'll take him on and do our best."

The Puzzle glowed, and the two of them merged.

He turned to face Terone.

"Oh Yugi," said Terone, as he shuffled. "Before we begin, I want to tell you something. Remember my Hungarian Horntail the Fierce Dragon card?"

"How could I forget?" said Yugi, sarcastically.

"Well, after the mess in New York, I felt really guilty about owning a stolen card, especially one so valuable. So I located the owner, in order to return it…"

Yugi was a little surprised, but he waited for Terone to continue.

"But the owner was in a coma," continued Terone, "the work of the thief who stole the card. I met his niece, and she was grateful for my attempt to return it…"

He loaded his deck onto his disk.

"So grateful, in fact, that she insisted I take the other three Icons of Popular Culture prototype cards as gifts. They've helped a lot in this tournament thus far."

Yugi was shocked. But he regained his composure.

"From what I've heard about those cards," he mentioned, "each requires two Tributes to summon. You'll have a hard time bringing them out."

"I know the rules, Yugi," replied Terone. "And once you know the rules, you can learn how to bend them to meet your needs.

"Now let's do it, huh? Get ready for a real culture clash!"

He covered his head with the cowl, and activated his Disk. The holo-imagers shot out. Yugi repeated the same move.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both yelled.

"ALL of the Pop Culture cards?" gasped Mary. "Oh, Yugi's really going to have a problem…"

"Mary, you read about those cards," said Clive. "What can they _do_ exactly?"

"I'm not sure," replied Mary. "But I suspect that they're powerful. Hungarian Horntail was powerful, but it had no Effect. The others I'm not sure about…"

Yugi looked at his opponent. Terone's initial strategy was working even on him. Even though he knew Terone meant him no real harm, he couldn't shake the feeling, even subconsciously, that one of the dreaded Rare Hunters was in front of him.

This wouldn't be easy.

Both of them made their draws.

_Excellent,_ thought Terone. _Already I have most of what I need to bring out my first big surprise…_

"Well, since I challenged you," stated Terone. "It's only fair to give you the first move."

"Fine," said Yugi making a draw.

_Not bad,_ he thought, looking at it.

"Skilled Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Yugi, placing a card down.

The dark wizard in his bulky black robe appeared, holding his metal rod. (1,900/1,700)

"And it's your turn."

_Huh, wasn't expecting that,_ thought Terone, drawing.

"Shining Abyss, in Defense Mode," he pronounced.

He put a card down, and a brilliant blue creature that looked like a cross between a fairy and a robot appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"And now, a Spell Card," he continued. "Card Destruction!"

He threw the card into the slot.

"Both of us will have to discard our hands and draw knew ones," said Terone. "And I'll even show you one of the cards I'm discarding!"

He held up a card.

"Marie the Fallen One?" asked Yugi.

"Correct," replied Terone. "Which will heal my Life Points by 200 at the start of each of my turns."

"Maybe so," frowned Yugi, discarding his hand, "but take a look at my Skilled Dark Magician!"

The Magician's rod was now glowing copper.

"That Spell Card empowered him," smiled Yugi. "Two more, and something will happen."

They both drew new hands.

_Yes!_ thought Terone. _I couldn't have asked for better! He might be able to score a hit on me now, but I'll have the last laugh…_

"Your move Yugi," he said.

Yugi drew.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He set down the card, and the black-clad Warrior appeared with his greatsword.

"Skilled Dark Magician," shouted Yugi. "Attack Shining Abyss with dark magic attack!"

Skilled Dark Magician cast forth his spell, and Shining Abyss shattered.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, attack Terone Directly with your steel sword!"

Grepher charged, and slashed at Terone. He yelped and fell backwards.

When he got up, a deep cut was across his chest. His Life Points fell to 6,300.

"All right!" cheered Peter. "Yugi's in the lead!"

"I dunno," muttered Mary. "That seemed a little too easy."

"How so?" asked Peter.

"There has to be a reason Terone played Card Destruction," said Mary. "It couldn't have been only to get Marie in his Graveyard… there's something else."

Terone drew, and his Life Points went up to 6,500.

_Well, now's as good a time as ever,_ he thought.

"Now," he said, putting a card into a slot. "The Spell Card known as… Exchange!"

"What?" gasped Yugi. "Exchange?"

"Come on, Yugi," smiled Terone, "you know the rules…"

Yugi's two Monsters stepped aside, and he walked up to Terone. He held his hand of cards out.

"Aha!" laughed Terone, seeing Yugi's Buster Blader. "I'll be taking that, Yugi. There won't be any summoning Dark Paladin this duel!"

He took the card.

"Yeah, well now I get to take a card from your hand," said Yugi, "and that Lesser Fiend looks like a good one."

He took the card, and went back to his position.

"And lest I forget," continued Yugi. "Since you just played another Spell Card, my Skilled Dark Magician is powered up even further!"

The Magician's rod turned silver.

"Yes!" whispered Clive. "One more Spell Card, and Yugi can bring out his Dark Magician!"

"I hope so," muttered Peter.

Terone drew.

"One card facedown," said Terone, "And I summon Ancient Elf, in Defense Mode."

He put the cards down, and a facedown card appeared, behind an elf in a purple outfit holding a glowing staff appeared. (1,400/1,200)

Yugi drew.

_That facedown card of his concerns me,_ he thought, _but I could get an enormous lead right now if I took a chance..._

He looked at Terone.

_Come on Yugi,_ thought Terone. _Attack me. You know you want to…_

Yugi put a card down.

"I Tribute Warrior Dai Grepher to summon your Lesser Fiend!" he said.

Grepher vanished, and a huge, four armed demon appeared. (2,100/1,000)

"Now, my Skilled Dark Magician," said Yugi. "Attack Ancient Elf!"

Skilled Dark Magician aimed his staff.

"Took the bait, just like I hoped!" laughed Terone, tapping a button on his disk.

"What? Your Trap?" gasped Yugi.

"A powerful one," said Terone, as the card lifted. "Called Dark Renewal!"

A large coffin appeared behind Ancient Elf with a pentagram on its front. Two doors on the front opened, and Ancient Elf and Skilled Dark Magician were sucked inside! The doors slammed shut, and magical energy coursed from it.

"Uh, someone want to tell me what happened?" asked Peter.

"Dark Renewal is a version of Soul Exchange, but somewhat different," explained Terone. "When you declare an attack, I get to Tribute your attacking Monster along with one of mine. And in return, I get to revive a Spellcaster from my Graveyard."

"I knew it!" moaned Mary.

The coffin opened, and a pair of green eyes stared out of it.

"So prepare to meet my first Icon of Popular Culture," smiled Terone. "Star of the video game fantasy world since the early 1990's, I give you… Link, Guardian of Hyrule!"

A large form leapt out from the coffin. He was tall and thin, with facial features (and ears) resembling Celtic Guardian, but the outfit was different – it was all green, medieval style, and came with peaked hat. He bore a long, shining sword. (2,300/2,800)

He held out his sword in Attack Mode, and eyed Yugi.

"That guy's a Spellcaster?" asked Yugi.

"Uh huh," said Terone. "Still your turn, by the way."

"I end it then," said Yugi.

"Good," smiled Terone, drawing.

His Life Points went up to 6,700.

"And Yugi, when I played Exchange, you really should have taken my Monster Reborn, because I'm using it now to retrieve another Monster that I discarded…"

He fit it into the slot.

"Say hello to Fire Princess, in Defense Mode!"

The beautiful Princess in a red dress and a wooden staff appeared (1,300/1,500)

"This fair maiden can deal you 500 points of damage every time I raise my Life points!" exclaimed Terone.

"And Marie is raising them every round!" said Yugi.

"Perceptive," agreed Terone. "Now, Link, destroy Lesser Fiend with mystical elven blade attack!"

Link charged forward, and with a swipe of his magic sword, cut Lesser Fiend down. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,800.

"That's not good," moaned Mary.

"Don't worry," assured Clive. "I'm sure that Yugi can take out that Princess."

"I don't know," muttered Peter. "I don't play many video games, but I seem to remember something about Link and princesses…"

Yugi drew.

_This may cost me some Life Points,_ he said. _But I have to try to get rid of that Princess!_

"Skilled White Magician, in Attack Mode!" he announced, placing a card down.

The sorcerer clothed in white appeared, brandishing his staff. (1,700/1,900)

"Skilled White Magician," shouted Yugi. "Attack Fire Princess! White magic attack!"

Skilled White Magician fired his spell… There was a huge explosion…

And when it died down, Link was standing in front of Fire Princess, holding her in a gentle embrace, with steam rising from his sword.

"Huh?" gasped Yugi. "Link intercepted the attack?"

"Don't know much about video games, do you, Yugi?" said Terone. "In the _Legend of Zelda_ series, Link is always rescuing and protecting Zelda. In his Duel Monsters incarnation, he protects any Monster with the word 'Princess' in her name from harm. If you want to get a crack at Fire Princess, you're going to have to get though him first!"

Yugi sighed.

_How do I beat him when he has Monsters which I know nothing about?_ he thought.

"I end my turn," he said.

"And I'll start mine," said Terone, drawing. His Life Points went up to 6,900.

Fire Princess waved her staff, and a blast of fire shot at Yugi, scorching him! His Life Points fell to 7,300.

"Link, destroy the Skilled White Magician with your mystic sword!" shouted Terone.

Link charged, and made short work of Skilled White Magician. Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,700.

"Crud," gasped Mary. "Terone just gained the lead!"

"Yugi can recover," muttered Clive. "I hope."

Yugi drew.

"I play Pot of Greed," he said.

He inserted the card, and the laughing jar appeared.

He drew two cards and looked at them.

"Now I can take away your edge, Terone!" he said.

"Huh?" asked Terone.

"See this Spell Card?" smiled Yugi. "It's called Soul Release! With it, I can remove five cards from my Graveyard, or yours! And I'm going to use it to wipe out Marie the Fallen One and any other Monster that's there!"

"No!" shouted Terone. The discard pile on his Disk opened and a mechanism moved the cards to the removal pile.

"Now that you can't benefit from Marie," said Yugi, "Fire Princess can't hurt me. And I found a way to get rid of Link, too…"

He fit a Spell Card into the slot.

"When you used Card Destruction, I also had to discard a powerful Monster," he said. "But now I'm bringing him back with Monster Reborn! Arise, Summoned Skull!"

A howl erupted on the field, and Summoned Skull appeared in Attack Mode! (2,500/1,200)

"Summoned Skull," yelled Yugi, "attack Link with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skull summoned forth his lightning storm, and Link, Guardian of Hyrule, was vanquished.

"Looks like it's game over for your elf," smiled Yugi.

Terone's Life Point's dropped to 6,700.

"So you defeated Link," sighed Terone. "He was only one of my powerful Monsters. I have more waiting in the wings. Is that your turn?"

"Uh huh," affirmed Yugi.

Terone drew.

"Perfect," he said. "I play the Spell Card Cost Down, which will allow me to summon our next special guest with only one Tribute – and I fortunately have one available on the field!"

He discarded a card. Mary, Clive, and Peter gasped.

"Thus, I Tribute my Fire Princess," laughed Terone, "and another Icon of Popular Culture arises!"

Fire Princess vanished, and a figure in a dark robe appeared before Terone.

"I give you," exclaimed Terone. "The star of _The Phantom Menace_, the Dark Warrior known as Darth Maul, Lord of the Sith!"

The figure threw his robe aside, revealing a more agile black outfit. His face was red with black tattoos, and his bald head was covered with small horns.

He reached out with his hand, and the long hilt of a sword flew into it. He made a dramatic gesture, and two long, red energy blades ignited out of each end.

(2,500/2,300)

"Looks like this duel just became a Duel of the Fates!" laughed Terone.

"Impressive," said Yugi. "But while your Sith Lord is powerful, he has exactly the same Attack score as Summoned Skull. You can't defeat him as he is."

"Think so?" smiled Terone. "You should watch more movies, Yugi. Like any good Sith, Darth Maul draws power from dark forces. Thus, for every Dark Monster on the field, aside from himself, he gains a 500 point bonus to his Attack and Defense. So due to your Summoned Skull, his score becomes 3,000 over 2,800!"

Energy surrounded Darth Maul, and his score went up. Yugi drew back.

"Darth Maul," said Terone. "Attack Summoned Skull with twin-bladed energy saber slash!"

The Sith leapt up and brought his lightsaber down on Summoned Skull, cutting the Fiend in half! Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,200.

Darth Maul's score fell back to 2,500/2,300.

"Good lord!" shouted Mary. "Yugi will never summon something stronger without a Tribute!"

"Yugi's been in tighter spots," said Clive.

Yugi drew.

_The card Shelob gave me,_ he thought. _Powerful, but not enough unless I manage to weaken Darth Maul._

He looked at his hand.

_And I might have a way to do that._

"I set one card facedown," said Yugi, placing it in the slot. "And also a Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

The two cards appeared, one in front of the other.

"And I'll turn it over to you."

Terone rubbed his chin.

_Okay,_ he thought. _Darth Maul is pretty powerful, and there's few things Yugi can do with one Monster to stop him. Knowing Yugi, that's likely a Trap Card under there._

He thought for a moment.

_But then, he knows I'm not an idiot, so maybe he's bluffing. But then again, he knows I'd suspect he was bluffing, so maybe it IS a Trap. But then I know he knows I'd suspect it… but then HE knows that I know that he knows I..._

He stopped short.

_Where was I?_

He drew.

"I'll summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode, to raise the Attack of Darth Maul again," he announced.

He put the card down, and a cackling laughter echoed across the field. The black-clad jester materialized. (600/1,500)

"Now, Darth Maul, attack that facedown Monster!"

Darth Maul twirled his lightsaber and charged.

"Wrong move, Terone," smiled Yugi.

He tapped his Disk, and the Trap Card lifted…

Spellbinding Circle!

Darth Maul froze in place, and his attack score went down to 2,300.

"If the Jedi had one of those," smiled Yugi, "Qui-Gon Jinn might have survived to see _Attack of the Clones_!"

"Funny," frowned Terone. "Reee-ly funny."

By now a large crowd had formed. People had been attracted by the two strange Monsters Terone had summoned, and stared at amazement at this creature from the old movie.

Yugi drew.

"Now," said Yugi, "I shift my facedown Monster into Attack Mode…"

He turned the card, and Gemini Elf appeared where the card had been. (1,900/900)

"And also," continued Yugi, "this Monster in Attack Mode – Brown Recluse!"

He put the card down, and an enormous brown spider with huge mandibles appeared. (2,300/0)

"Gemini Elf," shouted Yugi. "Attack Saggi with dual magic attack!"

The twin elves fired forth two beams of energy, and Saggi the Dark Clown was blown to bits.

"And now that there are no more Dark Monsters on the Field," said Yugi, "Darth Maul's reduced score slips to 1,800 over 2,300! Brown Recluse, attack with crushing arachnid bite!"

The spider scuttled forward and seized Darth Maul in its mandibles. The Sith Lord dropped his lightsaber and screamed, and then exploded into fragments. Terone's Life Points dropped to 6,200.

Brown Recluse retreated into Defense Mode.

_Knew I shouldn't have attacked,_ thought Terone.

He drew.

_Not the best draw,_ he thought. _But at least I'll get rid of that spider._

"Great Angus in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a hulking fiery Beast with tusks appeared. (1,800/600)

"Attack Brown Recluse!" yelled Terone. "Flaming fists attack!"

Great Angus raised his fist, and threw a fiery punch at Brown Recluse, incinerating it.

"That will end my turn," sneered Terone.

Yugi drew.

"I'll summon an elf of my own," said Yugi. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode."

The green-armored elf appeared, brandishing his sword. (1,400/1,200)

"Aw nuts," moaned Terone.

"Gemini Elf, attack Great Angus!" shouted Yugi

Gemini Elf shot forth their twin spells, blowing away Great Angus. Terone's Life Points fell to 6,100.

"Go, my Guardian!" yelled Yugi. "Attack his Life Points Directly with silver blade slash!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian smote Terone, and opened a gash across his shoulder. Terone's Life points fell further, to 4,700.

Terone looked hard at the two Monsters in front of him.

_I know that elf's power,_ he said. _He can't be destroyed by anything stronger than 1,900 Attack points. So my options are limited…_

He drew.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, putting the card down.

The charitable angel appeared.

Terone drew three cards.

_Not bad,_ he thought.

He discarded two cards.

"I lay one card facedown," he stated. "And I summon Gagagigo in Attack Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and a tall lizard man appeared in front of him. (1,850/1,000)

"Gagagigo, Attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" yelled Terone.

Gagagigo leapt forward and tore the Guardian to shreds. Yugi's Life Points fell slightly to 6,150.

"Your move," dared Terone.

Yugi drew.

_I could destroy Gagagigo with Gemini Elf,_ he said. _But that would only deduct fifty points from his Life Points. And with that facedown card there, I can't take a risk over such a small gain – that's the mistake Terone made. Better not attack…_

"I summon Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode," said Yugi.

He set the card, and the peaceful, blue-skinned elf appeared, chanting her spell. (800/2,000)

Terone drew.

"Well look at that, Yugi!" he chuckled. "I'll summon my own Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card facedown, and his own set of elf sisters appeared. (1,900/800)

"There are elves all over the place in this duel," muttered Clive. "What is this _The Lord of the Rings_?"

Terone heard him.

_Funny you should say that,_ Clive, he thought.

"Looks like you have a stalemate on your hands, Yugi," said Terone. "What are you going to do now?"

Yugi drew. He didn't have anything that could defeat that Gemini Elf, and there was still the facedown card to consider.

"Nothing," answered Yugi. "I'm going to pass this turn."

"Excellent," replied Terone, drawing.

_Oh, yeah,_ he thought.

"I don't like the look in Terone's eyes," pondered Mary. "I think he just got a good draw."

"First I'll use my facedown card," chuckled Terone. "My own Pot of Greed! I don't believe you fell for that bluff!"

The card lifted and the Pot of Greed appeared. Terone made two more draws.

"Now," laughed Terone, "I Tribute both Gemini Elf and Gagagigo to summon a Monster like none other…"

The two Monsters vanished, and the sky darkened.

"This Monster was inspired by none other than the Father of Modern Fantasy!" exclaimed Terone. "From the mind of the great J.R.R. Tolkien himself, I present The Balrog, in Attack Mode!"

Flames erupted on the field, and a huge demon shrouded in fire formed out of them. The great creature bore a fiery sword and a flaming whip. It roared, and heat wafted across the whole area! (3,000/2500)

"Good lord…" gasped Mary.

"Go, my Balrog!" shouted Terone. "Destroy Gemini Elf with primal sword of destruction!"

The Balrog raised his sword and rushed forward. Gemini Elf screamed before he struck, and they were annihilated.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,850.

Yugi looked hard at his score.

_Strange,_ he thought. _That attack should have done 1,100 points of damage to my Life Points, but it only did 300. There must be a limit to that thing's powers…_

"Oh Yugi," gloated Terone. "In case you're thinking of bringing out your Black Luster Soldier, forget it. I wouldn't try sending out any Warriors right now. The Balrog gains a bonus to his Attack Score against them!"

_So that's it,_ thought Yugi.

"Your move," chuckled Terone.

Yugi drew.

"Swords of Revealing Light!" said Yugi, throwing a card into a slot.

"What?" gasped Terone, as the Swords crashed down around him. "You actually drew that card? How lucky can you get?"

"And now I have three turns to implement my strategy," said Yugi. "I'm ending my turn now."

"Fine," snarled Terone, drawing. "In that case, I pass this turn."

Yugi drew.

"I summon Beaver Warrior, in Attack Mode," said Yugi.

The small Beast-Warrior appeared, holding his sword and shield. (1,200/1,500)

"And I end my turn," said Yugi.

_What's he up to?_ thought Terone. _Does he have Dark Magician in his hand? If he summons that, my Balrog is finished!_

He drew.

"I'll pass again this turn," he said.

"Now," stated Yugi, "I Tribute both my Beaver Warrior and my Mystical Elf to summon a Spellcaster like nothing you've likely ever seen…"

He put a card down, and the two Monsters vanished.

"Behold Dark Magician of Chaos!"

A black portal opened on the field, and a tall, ominous figure stepped out. He looked a great deal like the Magician of Black Chaos from Yugi's old Ritual Card, but with slight changes in the costume. He glared at The Balrog with his dark eyes. (2,800/2,600)

"And by summoning him," said Yugi, "I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard!"

His discard slot opened, and Yugi leafed through it.

"What's Yugi doing?" gasped Mary. "That Spellcaster is strong, sure, but The Balrog is two-hundred points stronger!"

"Terone doesn't seem to think so," said Clive.

Indeed. It was hard to see due to his cowl, but sweat was pouring down Terone's face.

_I hope I'm not wrong,_ thought Yugi, as he retrieved the card he wanted.

"Dark Magician of Chaos," shouted Yugi. "Attack with chaos scepter blast!"

Dark Magician of Chaos spun his scepter and fired at The Balrog! The mighty fiend screamed and exploded in a burst of fire.

Terone's Life Points fell to 4,100. The crowd applauded.

"How did you know?" asked Terone.

"I paid attention," explained Yugi. "When The Balrog attacked my Gemini Elf, I took much less damage than I should have. I didn't know why until you decided to gloat, and tell me what special strength The Balrog had – mainly that he had a bonus to his attack while battling Warriors.

"So I figured that The Balrog must have had a penalty to his Attack while facing a _different_ Monster Type, and since my Gemini Elf is a Spellcaster, I figured that a Spellcaster as strong as Dark Magician of Chaos would be powerful enough to take it down.

"It makes sense, actually. In _Lord of the Rings,_ none of the warriors of the Fellowship could scratch The Balrog, but the wizard Gandalf defeated it."

"Both Spellcasters and Fairies, are strong against it truthfully," sighed Terone.

"And by the way, Terone," said Yugi. "Any Monster that my chaos mage destroys is removed from play, so there'll be no bringing that Balrog back this duel.

"My turn is over."

_Blasted Swords are still in place,_ thought Terone. _Not that it would do me much good._

He drew.

_This could help me bring out my ultimate weapon, but without some way to protect it, Yugi would just blow it away!_

"I play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said.

The Swords of Revealing Light vanished.

Yugi drew.

"Tengu Warrior, in Attack Mode!" yelled Yugi.

He placed the card down, and the kimono-dressed, katana-wielding Winged Beast appeared. (1,800/600)

"Dark Magician of Chaos," shouted Yugi. "Attack what he has in Defense!"

The Magician aimed his staff, and a large ogre appeared where the facedown card was. Dark Magician of Chaos blew it away.

"Ogre of the Black Shadow, Terone?" mocked Yugi. "Couldn't you have done better than that?"

"Frankly, no," sighed Terone.

"Tengu Warrior, attack him directly!" ordered Yugi. "Dive bombing katana slash attack!"

Tengu Warrior spread his wings and took to the air. He dove at Terone and made a savage cut at him with his sword! Terone fell to ground. His Life Points fell to 2,700.

Terone got up. He was covered with cuts, and his cloak was torn.

"Yugi's going to win!" cheered Mary. "Terone will never last against a direct attack from that Spellcaster!"

"Go Yugi!" yelled Peter.

Terone drew.

His eyes narrowed.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense," he said, putting it down.

The facedown card appeared.

"And also, this card facedown," he said, fitting it into a slot.

"And I end my turn."

"I think you're bluffing," sneered Yugi.

"Who knows?" smiled Terone. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

"Well, I think you are," said Yugi. "And once my Tengu destroys your facedown Monster, my chaos mage will finish you off with one thunderous blast!

"Tengu Warrior, attack the facedown Monster!"

The Tengu flew up in the air again…

"Sorry, Yugi," smiled Terone, tapping a button on his Disk, "but it wasn't all a bluff. Negate Attack!"

The card revealed itself, and Tengu Warrior bounced off an invisible shield.

"Well then," growled Yugi. "I end my turn. But I know what you're trying to do. You're hoping to summon your Hungarian Horntail – but to do that you need to Tribute two Monsters – and you'll never keep two alive long enough."

"Actually," smiled Terone, drawing. "I only need one Monster."

"For a Level 8 Monster?" frowned Yugi.

"Like I said before," explained Terone, "once you know the rules, you learn how to bend them to meet your needs.

"I flip-summon my facedown Monster – Double Coston!"

The Monster on the square revealed itself. It was weird – it looked like two globs of black tar with smiling faces tethered together by an energy rope (1,700/1,650)

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"HUH?" exclaimed Mary, Clive, and Peter.

"These two little Zombies may not look like much," explained Terone, "but they exist only to act as a Tribute. So long as I Tribute Double Coston for a Dark Monster, it counts as two Tributes!

"And I Tribute Double Coston for an old friend that I think you're already acquainted with…"

Double Coston vanished, and a huge, dark shape formed on the field. It came into view, a huge Dragon with glossy black scales, piercing yellow eyes, fiendish bronze horns, and similar spiky outcroppings tipping its long tail. Steam poured from its jaws and nostrils!

Yugi remembered this beast from the City of Souls. The creature from _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_, Hungarian Horntail the Fierce Dragon. (3,400/1,800)

"Quite the looker, isn't he?" smiled Terone.

The audience was silent, some by shock, some by awe, some by fear.

"Hungarian Horntail," yelled Terone. "Attack Dark Magician of Chaos with searing stream of fury attack!"

An enormous blast of flame shot out from the great Dragon's jaws; Yugi covered his eyes, and Dark Magician of Chaos was reduced to ashes. Yugi's Life Points fell down to 5,250.

"No!" gasped Mary. "Dark Magician of Chaos was the best Monster Yugi had!"

"And he can't summon Dark Paladin this time!" moaned Peter.

"There's got to be something Yugi has that can defeat that thing…" groaned Clive.

Yugi drew.

_I can beat that monstrosity,_ he thought. _But for now, I can only defend._

"I switch Tengu Warrior to Defense Mode," he said, "and I end my turn."

"Run out of ideas, Yugi?" smiled Terone, drawing. "Horntail, turn that Tengu to toast!"

Hungarian Horntail breathed its flames again, destroying Tengu Warrior.

"Your move," grinned Terone. "As if it will matter."

Yugi drew.

_The Shield of St. George!_ he thought. _Might as well try. _

"First," said Yugi. "I'm playing a Cost Down of my own."

He fit the card into the slot. He discarded a card.

"And I'll use it to summon Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!"

Dark Magician Girl appeared, and winked to Terone and his Dragon. (2,000/1,700)

"And also, one card facedown," said Yugi, fitting it into the slot.

"That will end my turn."

_Oh, Yugi,_ thought Terone. _You don't expect me to fall for that, do you? The card you placed facedown is obviously either The Shield of St. George, or Mirror Force._

He drew.

_Perfect. This time, the odds will be on my side. I'll attack with my Dragon, once I've made a little change to him…_

"Oh Yugi?" smiled Terone. "Remember how I said I got those three cards from the niece of this card's original owner? She was a kind lass. She also hinted at how I could create a Monster that was practically unstoppable… by using Hungarian Horntail, and these two cards."

He held them up. They were Red Eyes Black Dragon and Polymerization.

"What?" gasped Yugi in shock. "You can fuse Horntail with a Red Eyes?"

"Sure seems that way, doesn't it?" smiled Terone, taking some large steps backwards. "Now prepare for a sight that few have ever seen."

He fit the Spell Card into the slot, and the Red Eyes appeared on the field. A vortex of energy consumed both it and Hungarian Horntail, and the vortex blazed with flame!

Then a huge creature stepped out of the vortex. It was an enormous Dragon, even bigger than Hungarian Horntail, with bright red scales, golden horns, a long tail, and huge wings!

"Allow me to introduce," said Terone, "the almighty dragon king known as… INFERNO DRAGON!"

(4,200/3,000)

"Look at the size of that thing!" shouted Peter.

"That facedown card Yugi has had better be a good one!" gasped Clive.

Inferno Dragon glared at Dark Magician Girl, and growled. She shivered in fear.

"Since I created my Dragon via Fusion," smiled Terone. "I'll end my turn now."

_Sorry, Terone,_ said Yugi, _That is a frightening Monster, I'll admit that. But no matter how powerful that thing is, it's still a Dragon – and no match for the Trap I have waiting._

Yugi drew.

"I'm going to pass this turn," said Yugi. "So it's your move."

Terone drew.

"Fine," he smiled. "Inferno Dragon, attack with rage of the Dragon Lord attack!"

Fire started to well up in Inferno Dragon's terrible jaws…

"Sorry Terone," grinned Yugi, hitting a button on his Disk, "but you just activated my Trap… The Shield of St. George!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"I knew you had that card facedown," smiled Terone. "And now it's all up to chance…"

A large red dice materialized in mid-air.

"What the…?" said Yugi.

"Behold the Dragon Dice!" shouted Terone. "Whenever you play a Trap Card when Inferno Dragon is on the field, this dice goes for a roll. A roll of one or two means the Trap is destroyed. A role of three or four means that ALL Trap and Spell Cards you have on the field are destroyed. Anything else, and all Trap and Spell Cards I have on the field are destroyed. So now, anything but a five or six, and your mighty Shield will fail!"

The dice fell and rolled toward Yugi. He bit his lip.

The dice came to rest on a two! The Shield of St. George shattered!

"Aw," mocked Terone. "Too bad for your Dark Magician Girl!"

Dark Magician Girl screamed as she was engulfed by flames. In an instant, she was gone. Yugi's Life Points fell all the way to 3,650.

"Aw no," moaned Clive.

"I hate to say it," muttered Mary, "But I don't think Yugi will be winning this duel."

"Well Yugi," smiled Terone. "That's my move. But you might as well give up… the only Monster in Duel Monsters that can defeat this titan is the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and we all know who the only one is who can summon that!"

"I never give up, Terone," snarled Yugi.

He drew.

His eyes looked at the card in shock!

"Well Terone," smiled Yugi. "I'm afraid that your titan is about to fall. My next Monster will slay your Dragon!"

"What do you mean?" frowned Terone. "Even if you did have a Monster that powerful, you'd never be able to summon it without a Tribute!"

"What did you tell me, twice already?" asked Yugi. "Once you know how the rules work, you learn how to bend them to meet your needs.

"And you're right in a way – rules exist to help people, not hinder them. So now I'm using the rules to my advantage.

"The card I just drew is a powerful Spell Card – Dark Magic Curtain!"

He fit the card into a slot, and a large shape appeared before him. It was a black curtain on a platform, supported by a hanger that resembled a skull and two skeletal arms.

"To play Dark Magic Curtain, I first have to give up half of my current Life Points," explained Yugi.

His Life Points fell to 1,825.

"And in return for that," said Yugi, reaching for his deck, "the Curtain lets me summon one particular Monster from my deck with no Tribute required! Your Monsters may be cultural icons, but this one is a Duel Monsters icon!"

He got the card he needed and slapped it down.

An arm appeared from behind the Curtain, and threw it aside, and the mighty Dark Magician leapt down upon the field! (2,500/2,100)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Terone. "Your favorite Monster, huh? Sorry Yugi, but I don't think he can help you now. Inferno Dragon has 1,700 Attack points more than him."

"He's right," said Clive. "What good will that do?"

"Quiet," whispered Mary. "Dark Magician is full of surprises."

"He isn't going to attack your Dragon with his dark magic attack," explained Yugi, selecting a card. "I also have the Spell Card that I got when I summoned Dark Magician of Chaos."

Terone paused.

"I remember all the Spell Cards you discarded," frowned Terone. "None of them can help him destroy my Dragon…"

"Did you see all of them, Terone?" asked Yugi. "You made my discard my entire hand at the beginning of this duel when you used Card Destruction!"

Terone drew back.

_He's right!_ thought Terone. _That card could be ANYTHING!_

"The card I chose was this Spell Card," stated Yugi. "Thousand Knives!"

"NOOO!" screamed Terone.

"Judging from your expression," smiled Yugi, as he fit it into the slot, "you know that this card allows my Dark Magician to destroy _any_ Monster, regardless of how strong it is!"

Dark Magician waved his staff, and a storm of blades filled the air! They flew into the great Dragon, piercing its hide in a spray of blood. The huge beast howled, and fell to the ground with a crash, dead.

Terone shivered in fright, as his Life Points dropped to 1,650.

"Now Terone," shouted Yugi, "now that all your iconic Monsters are gone, it's time to bring this culture clash to its conclusion!

"Dark Magician, _dark magic attack_!"

Dark Magician twirled his staff and cast his dark spell directly at Terone! He screamed and fell to his knees as the last of his Life Points were wiped out.

The crowd applauded.

"Oh, my achin' everything," moaned Terone.

"Well," smiled Yugi, looking at his Disk. "I've got Violet Status, and it isn't even noon yet."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The holo-generators shut down, and while Terone's wounds healed, he was still a little dizzy. Yugi offered him his hand.

"I've got to hand it to you Yugi," stated Terone. "You know one cardinal rule that exists in every fantasy setting – namely, no matter how grim things look, there's always a way out."

"You didn't do too bad, Terone," smiled Yugi. "You are a good duelist, and part of your success hinges on the fact that you're a good person. Had you selfishly decided to keep that Horntail instead of trying to return it, you'd have never gotten those three powerful cards. But you chose to do the right thing – and were rewarded for it.

"You may be at Blue Status now, but that's still pretty high. I wouldn't be surprised if we see you in the finals."

Terone grinned.

"Well if that's the case, watch out!" he warned. "I'm almost certain _you'll_ be there."

"Anyway, here's your Buster Blader back," he said, handing Yugi back his card.

"Oh, yeah," said Yugi. "And I suppose this is yours…"

He handed back Terone's Lesser Fiend.

Terone got up. "It was good seeing all of you again."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends walked off, and the crowd dispersed, Terone took off his satchel that was under his cloak and sat on a bench.

"I don't dare tell Yugi what I'm suspecting," he said, opening it. "Something evil is definitely lurking around this city. I may not be as experienced as he is in things like this, but…"

He took a shiny object out of the satchel.

"But _you've_ been acting up practically since I've gotten here. The evil on Duelatopia truly outweighs the good right now."

He put it back.

"For now," he said, "all I can do is try to get to the finals, and maybe to do that I have to have something under my belt that will make me as big a name here as Yugi. I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, but…"

He took another item out of the satchel. It looked like a rolled up sheet of parchment.

He unrolled it, and it was blank.

Or so it seemed.

Terone waved his hand over it and said an odd phrase:

"_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK RENEWAL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A coffin with a pentagram on it.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent Normal Summons a Monster. Tribute that Monster and one Monster you control. Special Summon a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Dark Renewal" was first used by Arkana in the original anime episode "Master of Magicians (Part 2)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LINK, GUARDIAN OF HYRULE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,800

**Card Description: **When you control this face-up Monster, "Princess" Monsters you control cannot be targeted for an attack.

_Note: Credit for this card goes to Nintendo of America, creators of "The Legend of Zelda" video game series._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARTH MAUL, LORD OF THE SITH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Card Description: **This card gains 500 Attack and Defense Points for each DARK Monster face-up on the field, except this card. Control of this card cannot switch.

_Note: Credit for this card goes to Lucasfilm Inc. and to Ray Park, who portrayed the character._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**THE BALROG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description: **This card gains 800 Attack Points during the Damage Step only while battling Warrior-Type Monsters. This card loses 800 Attack Points during the Damage Step only while battling Spellcaster-Type and Fairy-Type Monsters.

_Note: Credit for this card goes to the late J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**INFERNO DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 12  
**ATK:** 4,200  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description: **_Hungarian Horntail the Fierce Dragon + Red Eyes B. Dragon_

When your opponent activates a Trap Card, roll one die, and enact one of the following effects depending on the result: 1 or 2: Negate the Trap Card and destroy it. 3 or 4: Negate the Trap Card and destroy it, and destroy all set Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls. 5 or 6: Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards you control.


	18. Dice ReRoll

_**My father never tried to hide anything from me. He told me his whole history as a duelist. All of his victories – and all of his defeats. **_

_**He was rather successful, but the times when he lost, he lost BAD. Some people never seemed to get tired of trying to make a fool out of poor Joey Wheeler. Most of the time, he made them eat their words. He wasn't nearly as stupid or as incompetent as some people seemed to think. But the times when they succeeded… it left scars on him that took a while to heal.**_

_**One particularly humiliating defeat for him caused him – and Yugi's dad – a great deal of trouble, and caused a great deal of pain to his pride in the process.**_

_**I just found out that man who beat him in that conflict begot an heir, who's now sitting in front of me.**_

_**Jade would tell me that a duel motivated by revenge would please only the most shallow of souls. But still, I feel I have to duel. I owe it to my dad to renew the battle that started over three decades ago.**_

_**And I swear to you, dad, I won't lose…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dice Re-Roll**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was only half an hour after Yugi's duel with Terone had ended. The Village of the Green Phantom King was behind them, and much larger buildings were looming above the group. They had entered the heart of Duelatopia, the very hub of the city.

Looming above them was the great tower that powered the holographic systems for their Disks. And they caught sight of the largest building of all amid the others…

The Coliseum! It was a grand arena, which looked more beautiful than the one in which they had last held the Olympics in. And they could only see the outside. They could only imagine what the inside held.

"Well," mentioned Yugi. "The finals are certainly going to be a big event."

After walking a few blocks further, they saw another building that stood out.

The sign above the entrance said:

**TRADING LOUNGE**

**Come To Where A Permanent Ceasefire Is Effect**

"This must be the place that… The Master of Games told us about," said Clive.

"Why don't we see who's here?" suggested Peter. "Might find someone we know."

They entered the doorway, which opened to a flight of stairs. A sign was posted by it:

**ATTENTION**

**No Dueling In This Building**

**Take All Challenges Outside**

They walked up the stairs.

It was indeed a lounge they had entered. Comfy chairs were set up around tables. Computers were set up in a small area. There was a coffee bar with a case full of soft drinks and a rack full of booster packs, manned by a lady at a cashier, at the far end.

They passed by a bulletin board. Yugi checked the notices. They were from people offering to trade cards. One read:

_Need Vampire Lord. Have several Secret Rare cards. Will be in Trading Lounge every day from four to six if anyone's interested._

A note was scrawled in below it.

_I have one. Meet me here at that time on Day Five, and I'll listen to offers._

"Hope they make a deal," muttered Yugi.

Then their eyes caught one of the tables, where a small crowd had gathered. Two teenagers were playing what appeared to be a board game.

Several dice were around the board, and on the board were a series of figurines that looked like action figures. One of the boys rolled, and moved a piece forward.

"What are they playing?" asked Clive.

Mary winced.

"Dungeon… Dice… Monsters…" she snarled through her teeth.

They looked at the two players. One of the boys looked unremarkable. He was just a youth with a t-shirt and jeans – maybe a bit muscular, but otherwise normal.

His opponent was definitely a bit more bizarre. He had spiky hair tied back in a ponytail and held up by a red bandana with a black diamond pattern. His eyes were large and aquamarine. He had two earrings shaped like dice (one red, one blue), and wore a black t-shirt and red vest, and black jeans. He wore a silver cross on a slender sliver chain.

Mary's eyes narrowed. _There's something familiar about that guy,_ she thought.

The strange youth made his move.

"Orgoth, attack!" he shouted.

His opponent's last Heart Point vanished.

"That's game, Abe," he smiled.

"Yeah, what a surprise," sighed the other boy, getting up.

"So," grinned the youth, leaning back. "Who's next?"

"No way," muttered a girl. "You always win, Duke."

_DUKE?_ thought Mary.

Yugi was just as surprised, but before he could say anything, Mary strode up to the table.

"Yes?" asked Duke.

"Uh, did you just say your name was Duke?" asked Mary. "As in Duke Devlin, the guy who invented this game?"

"Indeed," smiled the youth, holding out his hand. "Duke Devlin Jr., at your service. And you are…?"

"Mary Wheeler," snarled Mary, "and forgive me if I don't shake. Your dad caused mine a great deal of embarrassment."

Duke looked shocked.

"Wheeler?" he gasped. "Joey Wheeler's daughter?"

He searched his mind.

"Oh, yeah, that…" he muttered. "Come on Mary, that was so long ago! We weren't even born then!"

"Speak for yourself!" said Mary. "Every time my father sees this game, he wants to throw up!"

"Yugi, what are they talking about?" asked Clive.

"Yeah," asked Peter. "Did their parents get into some kind of fight?"

"You might say that?" sighed Yugi. "When Duke Devlin – the guy who invented Dungeon Dice Monsters – created this game, he couldn't market it, due to copyright reasons. Industrial Illusions owned the necessary rights, but Devlin couldn't obtain them because my dad had put Maximillion Pegasus out of commission.

"Devlin devised a revenge scheme against my dad – one that unfortunately involved Mary's dad. He challenged Joey Wheeler to this game, and won; Joey got mad, and challenged him to a game of Duel Monsters, but because Duke didn't have a real deck, they agreed that both of them would have to build a new deck out a random selection of booster packs. And they made a wager – the loser would have to be the winner's slave for a week. It was a foolish wager on Joey's part, and he lost.

"Devlin knew that if he made Joey's fate particularly painful, it would draw out my father – so he forced Joey to wear a dumb-looking dog suit. It wasn't a high part of Joey Wheeler's career, that was certain. So naturally my dad challenged him to win Joey's freedom. But Devlin had the advantage and he knew it. He stated that they would have to play his own game, Dungeon Dice Monsters, and that if dad lost, he could never duel again.

"Devlin thought he had the advantage there too – after all, he invented this game. But my dad took to new games quickly. It was close, but he defeated Devlin. Soon after, Industrial Illusions called and agreed to market the game, and a truce was made between my dad and Devlin…

"But I repeat, it _wasn't_ a high point in Joey Wheeler's career. Mary's father took the brunt of the whole thing…"

All this time, Mary and Duke were arguing, and in the corner of the lounge, unnoticed, another duelist was sipping a mocha.

_How amusing,_ chuckled Persephone. _Touching how loyal Mary is towards her father. Couldn't care less for my father myself. Stupid alcoholic. My mother kept telling him that if he didn't quit, his liver would blow up in his face…_

_And eventually it did. Served him right. My mom always was pretty smart._

_So how will this conflict end, Mary? Do you have the gumption to try to avenge your father? Or will history repeat itself?_

"Look, Mary," eased Duke. "I can tell you're upset. But if you really want to vindicate your father's name…"

He pulled the game board in front of her.

"…I'll play you any time."

"Please, Duke," snarled Mary. "I don't even know the first thing about this game. Do you think a person like me would ever play it?"

Duke looked at her Duel Disk.

"Well then," he said, with a sly smile. "Then we'll make it fair this time."

He reached down under his chair and put a large duffle bag on the table. He carefully collected all the game pieces and dice in a bag, and placed them and the board in the duffle.

Then he withdrew something else – a Duel Disk.

He quickly put it on, and it shone at Violet Status.

"You stop to wonder for a minute why I'm even here, Mary?" he asked. "My dad may not have been a champion at Duel Monsters, but I'm a great deal better! So since my dad's duel with yours was purely a game of chance, why don't we start it over again, this time with _real_ decks!"

Mary paused.

"You're on!" she shouted.

"Meet you outside in five minutes," he smiled.

Persephone got up.

This is gonna be great, she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, Yugi, Clive, and Peter were outside the Trading Lounge, watching Mary ready her deck.

"I can't believe this," muttered Peter. "A battle that began over three decades ago is about to be renewed by the children of the original combatants… this is like something out of the movies – or a soap opera..."

"What do you think we can expect from Duke?" asked Clive.

"Who knows?" muttered Yugi. "Like I said, his father built a deck entirely at random. He knew a little about Duel Monsters, since he based his board game on it, but he wasn't really a duelist, as far as I know. His makeshift deck used mainly Machines, but that doesn't mean that his son is a Machine duelist. Duke's strategy could be practically anything!"

"So Duke," asked Mary, who had calmed down a little. "What's your dad up to nowadays?"

"CEO of Devlin Toys, working out of Seattle," replied Duke. "Not as big a company as Mattel or Hasbro, but it's reasonably successful."

"You don't say," muttered Mary, loading her deck. "A toy company. Well, that's good, because you might need a teddy bear to cry into when I mop the floor with ya'!"

"Keep dreaming," warned Duke. "Wait until you see the toys this boy has in store for you!"

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

They activated their disks, and the holographic generators flew out.

Persephone watched from a window overlooking the street from the Trading Lounge. She could clearly see and hear everything from where she was.

_So,_ she thought, sipping her mocha, _lets see if Mary has it in her._

They made their draws.

Duke kept a poker face, but inside, he was chuckling softly.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _My trump card on my first hand… this will really make Mary sweat…_

"Why don't you go first, Mary?" he said. "Ladies first, I always say…"

"Fine," said Mary, drawing.

_Ugh, nothing good,_ she thought. _Better defend…_

"I summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, in Defense Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a silver, armored Samurai appeared, and knelt in defense. (1,100/1,100)

"My move?" smiled Duke, drawing. "Well then hold onto your hats people, because opening moves don't get any better than this! I play the Spell Card… **Final Countdown!**"

He threw the card into a slot.

_Final Countdown?_ thought Mary. _That sounds… familiar._

"To use this card," explained Duke. "I have to pay 2,000 Life Points…"

His Life Points went down to 6,000.

"What on earth?" exclaimed Clive.

"Two-thousand Life Points?" gasped Peter. "Is he crazy?"

"And now comes the fun part!" laughed Duke, aiming his Disk at Mary. "Try _this_ on for size, Mary!"

A wave of energy shot forth, and encircled Mary! She screamed, and then saw that something was forming – two long chains locked around her torso!

"HEY!" yelled Mary, trying to pull at them.

Then she noticed something on her chest. Where the two chains crossed was a large black box, with the number "20" shown on a digital screen.

A computerized voice said, _"Final Countdown, initiated."_

"Okay Duke," sneered Mary, now a little pissed. "Want to tell me the point of these chains?"

"The chains are the least of your worries Mary," explained Duke. "Toys like this aren't recommended for children under the age of eight. That box with the number in front of it is a bomb… a time bomb of sorts.

"At the end of every round, starting with this one, the number on it will decrease by one. When it reaches zero, it will blow you up, granting me an automatic win!

"And since the card I used has already left the field, there's no way to reverse the process. The only way you can win this duel is to win before the Countdown runs out."

"Holy…" stuttered Clive.

"So that's Duke's strategy…" pondered Yugi. "Putting a time limit on the whole duel!"

_Clever,_ thought Persephone. _You'd better make the best out of each of your turns, Mary, because time is of the essence!_

"And it's still my move, by the way," mentioned Duke. "Like model airplanes, Mary? I'll summon Gradius, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a whoosh of air was heard. A large silver-colored fighter-jet flew into view. (1,200/800)

"Figures," said Yugi. "That's the Monster that dealt the finishing blow to Mary's dad in their parents' duel. I suspected Duke would have one in his deck."

"He won with that weak thing?" asked Peter.

"When he played it, Joey had Goblin Attack Force in Defense Mode," explained Yugi. "Duke Sr. used Limiter Remover and then Equipped Gradius with Fairy Meteor Crush, and then…"

"Oh," muttered Clive. "That would have been bad."

"And now, a Spell Card," smiled Duke. "Graceful Dice!"

He put the card down, and a teddy bear appeared with a blue dice.

_Should have known he'd have THAT in his deck,_ thought Mary.

The bear rolled the dice, and it bounced. It landed on a three.

"Well, could have been worse," said Duke. Gradius's stats went up to (1,500/1,100).

"Go, Gradius!" he shouted. "Attack with aerial gunfire attack!"

Twin machine guns opened on Gradius's wings, and they blasted forth, obliterating Masaki.

"That ends my turn," smiled Duke. "And as you can see, the Countdown has begun!"

The number on the box switched to 19 with a beep.

Mary drew.

_I've got to work fast,_ she thought. _I'm in the lead, but that won't matter if this bomb goes off…_

_Maybe this combo will help…_

"I place one card facedown," she proclaimed, "And summon Armored Lizard in Attack Mode!"

The facedown card appeared, and the large Reptile sprung up. (1,500/1,200)

"I'm ending my turn, Duke," stated Mary. "And Gradius has exactly the same Attack power as Armored Lizard. We have a standoff!"

Duke drew.

"Not for long," he said.

"I Tribute Gradius to bring forth Dice Armadillo!" he shouted. "In Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and Gradius vanished. A large robot that looked like a humanoid armadillo with thick blue plates appeared. (1,650/1,800)

"Dice Armadillo, attack that lizard with crushing roll attack!"

Dice Armadillo leapt forward and curled up, forming into a huge blue dice. It started to roll forward…

"You like dice so much?" asked Mary, tapping her Disk. "Try THIS dice!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"A Skull Dice?" exclaimed Duke.

"Uh huh," smiled Mary.

The imp appeared and threw his dice. It bounced, and landed on the four!

"That reduces your Armadillo's Attack points to 1,250," laughed Mary. "Low enough for my Armored Lizard to turn to scrap!"

Armored Lizard took a swipe with its claw, and Dice Armadillo exploded. Duke's Life Points fell to 5,750.

"If you can't keep your toys around for longer than that without breaking them," mocked Mary, "your mom isn't going to buy you any new ones!"

"Funny," said Duke. "I end my turn by laying a card facedown."

He put the card down.

"That's Mary for you," sighed Clive. "Nerves of steel. She can even make jokes when there's a bomb strapped to her chest."

"Let's just hope she gets the last laugh," said Yugi.

_**Seventeen rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown.**_

Mary drew.

"I Tribute my Armored Lizard for Flame Swordsman!" she cried.

Armored Lizard vanished, and her favorite Warrior appeared on the field, brandishing his blade! (1,800/1,600)

"Now I'll…" she shouted. "I'll…"

"Yeeeees?" said Duke.

_Wait…_ thought Mary.

She paused.

_His whole strategy relies on his Final Countdown – he'd naturally have a bunch of Traps designed to delay, weaken, or kill Monsters…_

_I could take a big chunk out of his Life Points if this direct attack succeeds, but that facedown card is likely something meant to stop me. I hate to waste a turn, but I can't risk Flame Swordsman…_

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

"Good," smiled Duke, drawing. "And your demise draws one step closer. In the meantime, you aren't afraid of the dark, are you?"

He tapped his Disk and the Field slot opened. He slid a card into it and closed it.

Suddenly, darkness started to cover the entire area!

"My Yami Field card will plunge this field into eternal night," said Duke, "a place where Spellcasters and Fiends thrive!"

Within moments, the darkness had enveloped the whole field.

"Ugh," muttered Peter. "This can't be good."

"Someone once said it is always darkest right before the dawn," said Yugi. "Assuming that dawn comes in this duel."

_Sheesh_ thought Persephone. _I hate that Field card. Fairies suffer when it's used. Still, I wonder what Duke plans to do with it…_

"And now," exclaimed Duke. "Maha Vailo, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a blue-robed Spellcaster sitting with his legs crossed with wing-like appendages coming out of his back materialized. An aura of light surrounded him that stood out in the darkness. (1,550/1,400) –) (1,750/1600)

"Nice try, Duke," frowned Mary. "but even with the bonus from Yami, he can't defeat Flame Swordsman."

"Oh no?" smiled Duke. "I disagree. I always say, what good are toys without accessories?"

He hit a button on his Disk, and his facedown card lifted up.

"The Book of Secret Arts!" exclaimed Duke.

The book appeared in front of Maha Vailo and he read it.

"Normally, this Equip Card raises a Spellcaster's Attack score by 300," said Duke. But Maha Vailo gains an extra 500 Attack Points for every Equip he gets. That brings his Attack power all the way up to 2,550!"

Maha Vailo glowed with light.

"Now, Maha Vailo, destroy Flame Swordsman with sacred lightning!"

Maha Vailo cast a spell, and thunder rolled. Lightning struck from the heavens, vaporizing Flame Swordsman. Mary's Life Points fell to 7,250.

"Great," said Peter. "Just great. Final Countdown was bad enough, now Mary has a charged up Spellcaster to deal with!"

"Your move," said Duke.

_**Fifteen rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown.**_

Mary drew. She sighed.

"I summon Mystical Elf, in Defense Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and the chanting elf appeared. (800/2,000) –) (1,000/2,200)

"And thanks to your Yami Field, her stats are upped," she continued.

"Like that will matter," chuckled Duke. "Is that your turn?"

"Yeah," stated Mary.

Duke drew.

"Then I'll Equip another card to Maha Vailo!" he said. "Shine Castle!"

He put the card down, and a small, shining palace appeared above Maha Vailo.

"This Equip raises the Attack of any Light Monster by 500," exclaimed Duke. "Giving Maha a total Attack value of 3,550!"

Maha Vailo started to glow even brighter.

"Good lord…" gasped Clive. "Now he's even stronger than a Blue-Eyes!"

"Now I'll…" started Duke.

He paused.

"You know," he sighed, "I could easily destroy your Mystical Elf with this, but that wouldn't get at your Life Points… And seeing how Maha Vailo is pretty much indestructible now… And seeing how it would be so much _fun_ seeing you get blown to bits, I'm not going to attack. I'm just going to end my turn now."

He chuckled.

Mary drew.

"I play Pot of Greed!" she said.

She put the card down, and the colorful jar appeared.

She made two draws and looked at them.

She grinned at Duke.

"What?" said Duke.

"Duke," smiled Mary. "My father taught me everything he knew about dueling. He may have lost to your dad, but he was a great duelist – he never would have lost that duel had he been using his actual deck.

"Anyway, he gave me a lot of advice about dueling, and there was one bit of advice he couldn't tell me enough times.

"'Mary,' he used to say, 'no matter how much you think you have an advantage, never assume for a minute that you're truly invincible, because then you start making careless mistakes.'"

"Are you saying I made a careless mistake?" sneered Duke.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying, Duke," smiled Mary. "Had you attacked my Elf, I'd never be able to pull off the combo that I'm about to pull off that's going to cause you a world of hurt!

"First, I switch Mystical Elf into Attack Mode!" she said, turning the card. The Elf opened her eyes, and held her palms out.

"Now, I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight, also in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and the black, metal Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"And now, a Spell Card," she exclaimed, throwing a card into the slot. "Shield and Sword!"

"What?" asked Duke.

"This card swaps the Attack and Defense of all Monsters on the field for the remainder of my turn," exclaimed Mary. "It's a benefit for Mystical Elf, because it raises her Attack to 2,200. It's a small liability for Gearfried, because it lowers his Attack to 1,600. But it's a HUGE liability for Maha Vailo, because it makes his Attack a measly 1,600!"

"NOOOO!" shouted Duke.

"Mystical Elf, attack Maha Vailo!" yelled Mary.

Mystical Elf cast a spell, sending sparkling magic at Maha. He burst.

"Gearfried, your turn!" said Mary. "Attack Duke with a direct attack! Iron blade slash!"

Gearfried closed in on Duke, and made a furious swipe with his blade! Blood flew and Duke fell over with a scream.

Duke's score now stood at 3,550.

"How do you like that?" chuckled Mary. "And that's my turn."

_**Twelve rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown.**_

"All right!" yelled Clive. "If Mary keeps this up, she'll take him down before he knows what hit him!"

"I hope," said Yugi. "She has only twelve rounds left, and only six of them are hers."

Duke got up, gasping for breath.

_Mary was right,_ he thought. _I did make a careless mistake. Final Countdown won't be enough – in order to win, I'm going to have to fight back._

He looked at his hand.

_Let's see... I already have the right cards to make a good combo… one more card and it would be perfect…_

He drew.

_Well,_ he thought. _Seems like I just rolled double-boxcars!_

"First," started Duke, "I summon Witch of the Black Forest in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a cackling noise appeared over the field. The sinister witch in her black robe appeared.

"And second," he said, fitting a card into a slot, "I'm using Polymerization to fuse her with Lady of Faith!"

A peaceful holy woman appeared on the field, her hands folded in prayer. The two Spellcasters formed into two glowing spheres, one light, and one dark, and they melded together, and music resembling that of an electric guitar started to play.

"Bonded together, they form the mighty Musician King!" shouted Duke.

A tall figure with jeans, no shirt, and blonde hair held up by a bandana appeared, armed with a bass guitar. (1,750/1,500)

"Well, that's… unusual…" muttered Clive.

"Since I just sent Witch of the Black Forest from the field to the Graveyard," said Duke. "I get to search my deck for a low defense Monster…"

He took his deck, and leafed through it. He found what he wanted and re-shuffled.

"And since Musician King is a Spellcaster – well, technically," continued Duke, "the Yami Field increases his stats to 1,950 over 1,700. And your Mystical Elf only has an Attack score of 1,000 now!"

"Keep dreaming, Duke," frowned Mary. "By the time your Fusion Monster is able to attack, I'll have shifted her back into Defense Mode where he can't touch her."

"Think so?" smiled Duke. "I play a Spell Card – Quick Attack!"

He threw the card into the slot, and it appeared on the field.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"This card allows a Fusion Monster to attack on the round he's created!" smiled Duke. "Musician King, attack Mystical Elf with sonic blast!"

Musician King dramatically strummed his guitar, and a wave of sound shot forth. Mystical Elf screamed and was shattered.

Mary's Life Points fell to 6,300.

"And I'll end my turn by laying this card facedown," said Duke, inserting a card.

"Well, Duke has originality, I'll give him that," sighed Peter.

_Original yes,_ thought Persephone, but a little intense. _Hard rock is so crude. I've always liked classical myself._

Mary drew.

_I'm having the worst of luck,_ she said.

"I'll shift Gearfried into Defense Mode," she said. "And also summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode."

She put the card down. Gearfried knelt in defense, and Mary's comical Warrior appeared, also defending. (500/1,200)

"And that ends my turn," she said.

_**Ten rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown.**_

_Mary's time is half up,_ thought Persephone. _Ten more rounds, and kaboom! Still, I have to admit, she isn't doing half-bad. A lot of duelists would have lost their nerve and panicked at this point. They always say that intimidation is a large part of winning. No doubt this is the reason Duke has gotten this far in the tournament with this strategy._

_I have to hand it to this kid, he's gone much farther than his father. Dungeon Dice Monsters is just a silly board game that would have gotten nowhere without the game that inspired it. That's probably why Yugi's dad beat his – it takes a true duelist to comprehend the way of the duel!_

_And once this tournament is complete, there'll be no question who the truest duelist is. Yugi Mouto Sr. was called the King of Games, but soon, he will be replaced by the Queen of Games! Namely, me._

_And I'll crush anyone who gets in my way…_

"My turn," said Duke, drawing.

"Why don't I activate this facedown card," he grinned, hitting a button. "The powerful Metalmorph!"

"Oh no!" gasped Clive. "When he equips that to a Monster, the Monster's Attack power rises by half the Attack of every Monster it defeats!"

"Not when you Equip it to _certain_ Monsters," said Yugi, ominously.

"Huh?" said Clive.

"You'll see," said Yugi.

Musician King was surrounded by a nimbus of dark energy.

"I'll Equip this card to Musician King," said Duke, "turning light to darkness, and transforming him into the malevolent music master known as Heavy Metal King!"

Musician King transformed, acquiring black punk attire with a spiked harness, chain-like jewelry, and black makeup. (2,050/1,700)

"And he has a special ability," explained Duke. "When he attacks, his Attack Score rises by half the Attack Score of the target!"

Mary looked hard at Heavy Metal King. There was something she remembered hearing about this Monster…

"Now he's going after that rotten Iron Knight that attacked me," said Duke. "But he won't be defending much longer…"

He held up a card.

"Stop Defense?" gasped Mary.

"Yup, Stop Defense," affirmed Duke, throwing it into the slot. Gearfried rose up into Attack Mode.

"Heavy Metal King, requiem blast!" ordered Duke.

Heavy Metal King shot forth a blast of sound, its Attack Score rising to 2,900. It blew Gearfried to bits. Mary's Life Points fell to 5,150.

"Your move Mary," said Duke.

Mary drew.

She looked at the card.

_Well,_ she thought. _This Monster could win me the match if I use him right – the problem is getting a chance to use him right. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best._

She added it to her hand.

"I'm going to pass this turn," she said.

"She's passing?" said Peter in astonishment. "She can't waste any of her turns in _this_ duel!"

"Can she?" said Yugi. "Perhaps she has a strategy that she's keeping to herself…"

_Eight rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown._

Duke drew.

"Time's running out Mary," he smiled, "and this is just going to get a lot more intense!"

"Attack Swordsman of Landstar!" commanded Duke.

Heavy Metal King played his dreadful song, its Attack Score rising to 2,300, and Swordsman of Landstar was demolished.

"Now what?" gasped Clive. "Mary will never defeat that punk…"

"Heavy Metal King is powerful," pondered Yugi. "But he has a weakness. I just hope Mary knows it."

Mary drew.

"I play Graceful Charity!" she said.

The angel appeared and flew into her deck.

She drew three cards.

_Now I'm getting somewhere!_ she thought.

She added them to her hand, and discarded two.

"First Duke, let's shed some light on the subject," she said. "I'm playing De-Spell to clear away your Yami Field!"

She threw the card in the slot, and the darkness subsided.

"No biggie," shrugged Duke.

"It's about to be a biggie," grinned Mary. "Recognize this card, Duke? I summon Goblin Attack Force!"

She threw the card down, and the five goblin Warriors appeared. (2,300/0)

Duke drew back in shock.

"Your dad defeated this card," said Mary, "but you won't be so lucky!"

"Good move, Mary," smiled Yugi.

"But..." started Peter.

"Goblin Attack Force," shouted Mary. "Attack Heavy Metal King with goblin rush attack!"

Goblin Attack Force charged forward, and brought their clubs down on the demented musician. He fell to the floor, and vanished.

Duke's Life Points fell to 3,300.

"Ooo-kay," questioned Peter. "I don't get it..."

"I told you," explained Yugi. "Heavy Metal King has a weakness, and Mary apparently knew it. It's true that Heavy Metal King gains a bonus to his Attack Score for every when he attacks. But not when he's _being _attacked. Mary didn't become as good a duelist as she is by not doing her homework."

Mary's Goblin Attack Force knelt in Defense Mode.

"And finally," finished Mary. "One card facedown."

Duke drew.

"I play Pot of Greed!" he said, placing a card in the slot.

He drew two cards.

_All right, Mirror Force!_ he thought. _This will help out!_

_And this Monster I got from the Witch will get rid of that Attack Force. Too bad I don't have Fairy Meteor Crush…_

"First, one card facedown," he said, putting the card down.

"And I summon Rogue Doll, in Attack Mode!" he cried.

A sinister doll with two faces (one below the other), wearing a purple cloak and carrying a staff appeared. (1,600/1,000)

"Attack Goblin Attack Force!" ordered Duke. "Smash attack!"

"You're getting careless, Duke," warned Mary, pressing a button on her Disk.

Her Trap Card lifted…

The lead Goblin got up, and hurled the Kunai with Chain! It ensnared Rogue Doll, and Goblin Attack Force's Attack Score went up to 2,800.

Duke winced.

"Fine, I end my turn," he said.

_Won't matter in a few turns anyway,_ he thought.

Mary drew.

"I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode," she continued, laying the card down.

The bandit appeared with his twin machetes. (1,500/1,500)

"And I use Monster Reborn, to revive Flame Swordsman!" she finished.

She inserted the card, and Flame Swordsman returned. (1,800/1,600)

Mary thought.

_I might not even need my secret weapon now,_ she thought, looking at the last card in her hand. _But that facedown card worries me. With his Final Countdown strategy, it might be something to ruin my plans entirely…_

"I'll end my turn," she said.

_**Four rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown.**_

_She's planning something, I just know it!_ thought Duke. _But what? What could she do in the two turns she has left to act?_

He drew.

"I too will play Monster Reborn, to bring back Dice Armadillo, this time in Defense Mode," he said.

The Robot Armadillo reappeared as he put the card down. (1,650/1,800)

"And I'll also summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode," he continued.

He put the card down, and the android football player appeared. (1,000/2,100)

"And I'll turn it over to you," he said.

"I was wrong," sighed Yugi. "He _does_ have a lot of Machines."

Mary looked hard.

_I could bring out my secret weapon now,_ she thought, _but I can't risk it with that facedown card. If I just drew the right card…_

She drew.

_But this isn't it!_

"I shift Goblin Attack Force to Attack Mode," she started.

The Goblins stood up, ready to attack.

"And I end my turn," she said.

"SHE PASSES?" cried Peter. "She's nuts! She'll never win now!"

"Have hope people," urged Yugi.

_Two rounds until Duke's automatic win by Final Countdown._

Duke drew.

And then he laughed out loud.

"Say hello to my mega-deluxe action figure!" he said. "Not to mention my favorite Monster! I tribute my Dice Armadillo and my Rogue Doll to summon Orgoth the Relentless!"

He slapped a card down, and the Armadillo and Doll vanished. In their place rose a giant barbarian in violet armor, wearing a horned helmet and holding a sword that looked two big for him to use. (2,500/2,450)

"Now, Orgoth," yelled Duke, "obliterate Double Pinaska with diamond blade slash!"

Orgoth the Relentless lifted his sword and leapt into the air. He came down upon the bandito…

"Counter it, Pinaska!" shouted Mary.

Double Pinaska raised his machetes and a clashing noise was heard as he blocked the attack.

"Defiant to the end, eh, Mary?" sighed Duke. "Very well, I'm ending my turn…"

The counter on Mary's chest fell down to 01.

"But what are you going to do now, Mary?" he mocked. "This is the final turn of the Final Countdown! You're Goblin Attack Force may destroy Orgoth, but that won't be enough… I still have Battle Footballer to protect me from the other two! You'll never defeat me in one turn with my Life Points at 3,300!"

Mary drew.

Peter, Clive, and Yugi looked on.

Persephone held her chin.

Mary held the card to the light.

"Wrong," she smiled.

She threw the card into a slot.

"Mystical Space Typhoon!" she cried.

The dark whirlwind erupted on the field, destroying Duke's facedown card.

"My Mirror Force!" shouted Duke. "Oh well, you still can't beat me in one turn…"

"Want a bet?" smiled Mary, taking a card from her hand. "Now that your Mirror Force is gone, I can safely use this card, which will summon the strongest Warrior in my deck. I do so by Tributing all three Monsters I have on the field!"

The sky darkened, and lightning started to flash. Goblin Attack Force, Double Pinaska, and Flame Swordsman vanished.

"_Three_ Tributes?" gasped Duke. "What the Hell kind of Monster do you need three Tributes for?"

"This!" shouted Mary. "I summon Gilford the Lightning!"

Lightning struck on Mary's side of the field, and a huge Warrior in beautiful red and blue ceremonial armor appeared, clutching a huge sword. Electricity sparked all over him. (2,800/1,400)

"Truthfully," explained Mary, "I only need two Tributes to summon him. But if I use three, all opposing Monsters are destroyed!"

Lightning struck Orgoth the Relentless and Battle Footballer, blowing them to pieces! Duke's Life Points fell down to 2,150.

"No…" gasped Duke.

"And now that you have nothing at all to defend yourself with," said Mary. "Gilford the Lightning, attack him directly with lightning blade!"

Gilford the Lightning pointed his sword to the heavens and lightning struck it. He ran forward in a blur and plowed into Duke, hitting him in a huge explosion! Duke let out a bloodcurdling scream and he fell.

Duke's Life Points fell to zero. The box on Mary's chest let out another message: _"Final Countdown averted"_ it said.

The chains crumbled and fell off. Gilford the Lightning struck a heroic pose, and lightning struck his sword again.

"Well, Duke," sighed Mary, "I must say that was close, but… Duke?"

Duke was lying on the floor, groaning.

"Looks like you really clobbered him, Mary," chuckled Yugi, coming up.

_Okay, let's see if I got this straight,_ thought Persephone. _Mary had Gilford in her hand for several rounds, and she was waiting for Duke to build a powerful side of Monsters so he would lose enough Life Points when she summoned him to reduce his Life Points to zero in only one turn. A clever strategy indeed. But his facedown card prevented her from taking that chance, and if she hadn't drawn that Spell Card on that last turn…_

_Clearly, Mary possesses a great deal of both skill and luck inside her, and taking her down will be hard for any duelist. Still, no-one is without a weakness…_

_One simply has to find it…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After a few minutes, Duke got up.

"Only one round to go," he groaned. "Talk about a lucky draw."

"In the game of Duel Monsters there's no such thing as 'luck'," said Yugi. "But take heart. My father was able to show yours the true meaning of dueling, and you apparently learned much from him."

"Yeah," Duke mused.

"Well Mary," stated Yugi, "I'd say you kicked Duke's butt far harder than his dad ever kicked your dad's. So now that you have, I hope you can put aside all the resentment over what happened more than three decades ago… After all, resentment isn't a good thing to have. Resentment leads to anger, anger leads to hatred… hatred leads to suffering…"

Duke lifted his hand.

"Truce, Mary?" he asked.

Mary lifted hers.

"Truce," she agreed.

"After all," she continued. "I have Silver Status now. One more victory, and I'll be in the finals!"

"And even if I don't make it there," smiled Duke, "I'll be watching, front-row-center!"

They shook hands, and left with that on their minds.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Not a block away, two people were sitting on a park bench. One was Jade… the other was Terone.

Jade had removed her armor and switched to her more loose-fitting _gi_; her sword and wakisashi were on the ground next to her. Her arm was around Terone, who was looking _very_ depressed.

"Come now, Terone," comforted Jade. "It is not that bad."

"You're just saying that, Jade," moaned Terone. "I feel like a big loser."

"After all you have done," said Jade, "you will always be a winner to me. Even I couldn't win every duel I fought."

"You never lost one so important," sighed Terone.

At that point, Yugi and his team walked up.

"Um, are we interrupting something?" asked Peter.

"Terone has had a… bad day," said Jade.

"That's an understatement," sighed Terone.

He lifted up his disk – the gem on it had gone black.

"Disqualified?" gasped Mary. "Terone, you couldn't have lost…"

She counted.

"…five duels in the hour-and-a-half since you dueled Yugi!"

"I only lost _one_ duel," sighed Terone.

"You don't mean…" said Peter.

"An Eliminator?" asked Clive.

"Uh huh," moaned Terone. "I'm still a little dizzy…"

Yugi sighed. "I'm sorry, Terone…" he said.

"Uh, Terone, how did you find this guy?" asked Peter.

"I'll show you," said Terone, pulling something out of his satchel. "Someone dumped this on my hotel doorstep the other night."

He took out a large piece of parchment, and unrolled it. It looked blank.

"A blank piece of parchment?" asked Yugi.

"That's what I figured at first," answered Terone. "Until I started to experiment with it. Whoever left me it must have known how much a fan I was of Harry Potter – this is a version of the Marauders Map."

"Huh?" said Mary. "That means it…"

"Watch," said Terone. He waved his hand over it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As he said those words, images appeared on the parchment. A map of the street block they were on appeared on the map, and a dotted line trailed off of it.

The words **"To Echidna"** were at the top.

"I made an educated guess that 'Echidna' was an Eliminator, and this map led me straight to the lair," said Terone. "Unfortunately, I was beaten."

"Um, can I have it?" asked Peter.

Terone looked at him strangely.

"Peter, I'll give it to you if you want," he said, "but do you really think you can beat an Eliminator when I couldn't?"

"Heck," smiled Peter. "I've beaten tough opponents in my day."

"Terone's got a point, Peter," warned Yugi. "This Eliminator might be… say, what is this 'Echidna' like, anyway?"

Terone held his head.

"So whoozy," he moaned. "What happened there… I can't rightly remember… It's all a blank."

"Peter, are you sure?" warned Mary. "These guys play rough, and you know it."

"Hey," smiled Peter. "I'm willing to take a chance."

_And to be able to prove I'm just as tough as Yugi and Mary,_ he thought, _that's worth ANY chance!_

"Okay," said Yugi. "We'll support you."

"I'm behind you 100%, pal!" shouted Clive.

"Well, good luck, Peter," smiled Terone, handing him the map.

"May your Heart guide you Peter," said Jade.

As Yugi and his friends left, Terone put his arm around Jade.

"Thanks for comforting me Jade," he said. "It's been a big help and all, and…"

He shook his head violently for a second.

"HOLY – !" he shouted.

"What?" exclaimed Jade.

"NOW I remember!" yelled Terone. "Peter! Come back!"

Too late. Peter and the rest were already out of sight.

"What?" gasped Jade. "What is so bad about this Eliminator?"

"Everything…" muttered Terone.

**HEAVY METAL KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,050  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned from your deck by Tributing a "Musician King" that is Equipped with "Metalmorph". When this card attacks, increase the ATK of this card by half of the ATK of the attack target during damage calculation only.

_Note: "Heavy Metal King" was first used by Step Johnny in the original anime episode "Steppin' Out". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Whether it was an actual card or simply how "Musician King" reacted to "Metalmorph" is uncertain. Here, I presented it as an actual card.)_

**ORGOTH THE RELENTLESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,450

**Flavor Text: **A barbarian clad in armor and bearing a huge sword, he takes great pride in his strength.

_Note: "Orgoth the Relentless" first appeared in his Dungeon Dice Monsters incarnation in the multi-part anime episode "Dungeon Dice Monsters". He first appeared as a Duel Monsters card in the two-part anime episode "Mechanical Mayhem." All creative credit goes to writers of that episode._


	19. Sinister Serpent

_**Being an artist myself, I watch a lot of movies with artistic themes. One old movie that keeps getting better every time I see it is an old flick called **_**Clash of the Titans**_**. The original version.**_

_**This movie, which was based upon Greek myth, was somewhat strange in its casting. The mortal characters, who were the actual stars, were mostly played by virtual unknowns. However, the actors who played the Olympian Gods, who only made brief appearances – they were true celebrities. The great Sir Laurence Olivier played the role of Zeus. **_

_**But that really didn't matter, because the TRUE stars of this movie were the monsters. Computer animation was crude back in 1981, but this movie did a pretty good job. The terrible sea monster called the Kraken was quite horrifying. **_

_**Why am I bringing this up? Well, because mostly, it's the best thing I can think of to compare to my current situation, now that I'm here in this creepy temple about to face off against a creepier Eliminator.**_

_**This sure doesn't look like a CG effect. This looks very real. And if I want to survive to see Day Six, I'm going to have to do better than ever…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Sinister Serpent**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As they walked further into the heart of Duelatopia with Peter in the lead, the Marauder's Map continually changed, leading them further.

"Whoever this 'Echidna' is," mused Mary, "he or she did a bad job of hiding. We're in the busiest part of Duelatopia."

Indeed they were. Large buildings surrounded them, mostly buildings for executives of KaibaCorp. Centurions were everywhere, and very few duelists were around. Still, there was no law that said they couldn't be here, so they continued.

"Something's strange about this," pondered Yugi. "Maybe the lair is hidden in plain sight or something…"

"There," said Peter. "The map wants us to go into that building."

They looked up, and saw a building that must have been at least twenty-five stories tall. It was covered with windows, and on the top was a large sculpture of Sinister Serpent, coiled and ready to strike.

"Um…" muttered Clive. "This looks… interesting."

Mary leafed through her guidebook.

"The Serpent Complex Pavilion," she read. "According to this, it contains several pricy stores, four expensive restaurants, a museum… basically stuff for guests with too much money."

"And apparently there's an Eliminator lurking inside it," mentioned Peter. "Or under it."

"Peter, I'll ask again, are you certain?" asked Yugi. "We still don't know for sure whether or not these Eliminators' threats are real or not…"

"Well, Terone survived," stated Peter.

"Maybe he escaped before this Echidna could do anything," muttered Clive.

"You're not helping…" sighed Yugi.

"I'm not afraid," said Peter.

"Peter, these people are trained to _make_ you afraid!" said Yugi. "I didn't tell anyone before, but even I was scared when I was up against Shelob."

"You?" exclaimed Peter. "You're one of the bravest people I know! You looked Set in the eye and barely flinched!"

"It's like I told Mary," explained Yugi. "True courage is when you're scared, but you act anyway. Set scared the Hell out of me, and truthfully, so did Remi. But if I had panicked and let the fear show, I'd never have defeated either of them.

"Are you capable of something like this, Peter? Can you manage looking fear in the face and conquering it?"

Peter paused.

"I was scared when I went up against Mantra," he sighed. "But I beat him…"

Yugi sighed.

"Then Godspeed," he said. "I just hope you're good enough."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They went into the lobby of the Pavilion. The map pointed to the elevator, and the number 8 appeared on it.

"It must want us to go to the eighth floor," said Peter.

He pushed the up button and they waited.

"This lair is above ground?" mused Mary.

"Must be," said Yugi.

The elevator doors opened, and they went inside. The map went blank as they hit the button for the eighth floor.

A short ride up, they came out, and the map sprung to life again. They saw that they were on the museum level.

Around them were several paintings depicting Duel Monsters, all elegantly done in dramatic poses. In one painting, Green Phantom King held hands with his wife, Queen of Autumn Leaves in a peaceful forest scene. Next to them was a more frightening painting of Two-Headed King Rex standing on a prehistoric plain.

They continued to follow the map, through a series of halls, until they came to a stop. A huge painting of Sinister Serpent with no background was in front of them.

"Okay," muttered Clive. "So now what?"

Then the Map went blank, and writing appeared on it.

"Guys," exclaimed Peter. "It's a verse!"

He read.

_Only with royal gold_

_And Heart that's pure,_

_Will you find the shrine of old,_

_And the duelist's true allure._

"Well," said Mary. "Yugi and I had to summon somebody to get into the lairs."

"Yeah," pondered Peter. "And 'royal gold'?"

He drew a card and flicked his Disk into position.

"My deck has royalty in it," he said. "I summon Terrorking Archfiend!"

He threw down the card, and a wave of flames appeared in front of Peter! The mighty Terrorking materialized in the middle of the bonfire, and crossed his arms. He looked at Peter with a stern look.

"So, mortal," he growled, in a deep voice. "you appear to have grown tired of typical duels. Small wonder… what I've seen you do thus far aren't worthy challenges for the Archfiends…"

"Your majesty," muttered Peter. "Can you help us get into this lair?"

"Of course I can get you in," growled Terrorking. "But do you truly want to? What lies beyond this point is an ancient power that is feared even in the depths of Pandemonium. My subjects and I can only provide so much help, mortal."

Peter stood up to the Fiend.

"I've summoned you and your subjects countless times, even though I know you don't like it," he stated. "Do you think I'm afraid of what's behind this painting?"

Terrorking rubbed his chin.

"Okay, you have a point," he mumbled. "And it isn't like I can stop you anyway…"

He gestured with his hand, and the painting moved aside ten feet. An elevator made from gold-colored metal appeared.

"A private elevator," instructed Terrorking. "Take it to the thirteenth floor. Until we meet again, mortal…"

He and the flames vanished.

"He wasn't very polite," said Mary, as Peter put the card back.

"Don't you know anything about Archfiends, Mary?" asked Peter. "They resent being summoned. They hate mortals. That's why they demand a Life Point payment when you use them. Only the Pandemonium Field Spell Card keeps them placated."

He hit the button next to the elevator.

"Hold it," stated Clive. "Thirteenth floor? This building doesn't have a thirteenth floor! Large buildings like this never do! It's bad luck."

They stepped inside, and looked at the buttons. There was indeed a button labeled 13, and it was colored green.

Peter pushed it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five floors above, a pair of scaly hands with long fingernails caressed a crystal ball.

"Show me who dares approach," hissed a feminine voice.

The crystal showed the interior of the elevator, and the four of them inside it.

"Yugi Mouto's team," sighed the onlooker. "When this tournament started, I had truly hoped to receive Yugi as one my victims… but sadly, he found Shelob first. Oh well, if Shelob couldn't defeat him, what chance did I?"

Her eyes fell upon Peter.

"Still, his friend will do nicely… and the Marauder's Map… Terone must have given it to him. Best prepare…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The elevator opened, and the four friends stepped out.

Their jaws dropped.

They were in a temple of some sort, with the walls painted a sickly green. Pillars reached to the ceiling, and coiled around each pillar was a sculpture of an evil-looking snake.

"Snakes…" gasped Mary. "Why did it have to be snakes…?"

"Really funny," muttered Clive. "This Eliminator is giving me the creeps, and I haven't even seen him!"

"People, need I remind you that I'm the one who opened the door?" asked Peter, nervously.

The Puzzle shone, and Yugi melded with his partner.

"What do you make of this?" he asked his partner.

"The architecture is sort of Greco-Roman," said Yami. "Although whoever built it obviously went for shock value. I don't get the Duel Monsters connection. There are relatively few snakes in the game, and the Reptile Type is likely the second-smallest. Only Sea Serpents are less. No one can build a good deck with a snake-theme."

"Maybe this Echidna wants to throw us off," said Yugi.

"Maybe."

They wandered further into the temple, and eventually they came upon a large round room.

They stopped in fear!

Five statues stood in the room. They appeared to be statues of five teenagers, three boys and two girls, each of them wearing Duel Disks, and their faces frozen in fear.

"Uh, this is…" stuttered Clive.

"Not good…" muttered Mary.

Then, a rumbling was heard, and a stone door opened in front of them.

"Come in," purred a female voice.

They paused.

"Uh, why?" asked Peter.

"I can wait forever," answered the voice. "I don't think you can…"

A door lowered down behind them. They turned around, and gazed ahead.

"After what happened earlier today," hissed the voice, "I've taken precautions. You can't go back… you can only go forward…"

"She's got us there," agreed Peter.

They walked forward.

If anything, the place they entered was even creepier. The dark and foreboding temple was full of depictions of ravenous snakes ready to strike. Eerie torches cast flickering shadows upon the walls. A dark mirror was at the far end.

A hissing noise, like a nest of vipers came from the far end of the room…

"Stand firm, guys!" shouted Peter, stepping in front.

"Show yourself!" he yelled.

A shadow slowly glided into view…

A large form slowly rose up before them. It was female in basic outline, but covered with green scales. In place of legs, it had a snaky tail about twenty feet long. The figure's head seemed to be moving somehow…

And then they saw why. In place of hair, the creature had a mass of swarming snakes!

She gazed upon them with glowing eyes, and the serpents that served as hair hissed with excitement.

"AAHH!" yelled Mary. "Don't look guys!"

Everyone shielded their eyes, knowing too well the story of how those who looked into the face of Medusa were turned into unliving stone.

"Calm yourselves, young ones," purred the creature. "Feel free to look at me. I have control over my power…"

Peter slowly turned towards the creature, and he could safely look her in the face, but he didn't like what he saw. Her face might have been attractive if it wasn't covered with scales and her eyes weren't glowing red. Not to mention the fact that her hair was alive.

"Echidna, I presume?" he asked.

"Yes, and you are Peter," she replied. "So nice of you to come visit me. I do love guests… you already met a few of them in the outer room…"

Sweat started to pour down Peter's face.

"Calm down, Peter," assured Clive. "Terone survived."

"Terone?" said Echidna. "The one with the Hungarian Horntail? Oh yes, the coward. I remember him. Do you believe he was able to flee from me with his eyes closed? No matter – the Centurions are looking for him, and they'll soon drag him back here to receive his punishment. But as for you…"

The door behind them slammed shut.

"There'll be no escape unless you can defeat me."

She raised a Duel Disk.

"So prepare as much as you like. Like I said, I have the time…"

"Easy, Peter," comforted Clive, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder. "She's trying to psyche you out…"

_She's succeeding!_ thought Peter, looking at Echidna. _If that's a costume, whoever designed it deserves a Screenwriter's Guild Award!_

_And what sort of connection to Duel Monsters does a medusa have? What sort of strategy does she have? Dinosaurs? Zombies? Fiends? Rocks? I don't know WHAT to expect!_

_Well, I have a good strategy… I just hope it's good enough to avoid being petrified..._

"You want added support?" asked Yugi.

His voice sank down to a whisper.

"Anastasia is watching, and she's cheering you on! Now don't disappoint!"

Echidna curled up her tail, and sat on her coils.

"Let's begin, child," purred Echidna, loading her deck. "I'm eager to finish this so I can add to my statuary!"

"Hate to break it to you, snake," warned Peter, loading his. "But I have no intention of ever becoming part of your collection."

"That's what those five kids in the front hall said," warned Echidna, with a smile. "And let me tell you, each one of them was more pathetic than the last! At least promise me you'll last more than seven turns, 'kay?"

"Fine," shouted Peter. "Activate!"

His holo-imagers shot out, and his Disk snapped into place.

"It's time to duel!" laughed Echidna.

She thrust her disk forward, and the imagers shot out of hers.

The scores set to 8,000 apiece.

She cackled with laughter, and the snakes on her scalp hissed and writhed!

"Well, here we go," said Yugi.

"Good luck Peter," said Mary, softly.

The two of them made their draws.

"Why don't I make the first move, seeing as this is MY temple?" said Echidna.

She placed a card down.

"I summon The Snake Hair, in Attack Mode!"

A fiendish laugh echoed over the field, and a more humanoid medusa clothed in a blue cloak appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"Almost as pretty as me, don't you think?" smiled Echidna.

"Not for long," frowned Peter, drawing.

"Opticlops, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

The hulking, cyclopsed Fiend appeared, his one eye glowing. (1,800/1,700)

"Attack The Snake Hair!" shouted Peter. "Fiendish gaze attack!"

Opticlops shot a searing beam from its eye, and the Zombie burst into pulp. Echidna's Life Points went down to 7,700.

_That seemed a little too easy,_ thought Yugi. _Echidna should have known that The Snake Hair would have been defeated…_

"If that's the best you've got," frowned Peter, "I'm starting to wonder why the Master even gave you the time of day."

"The best I've got?" smiled Echidna, drawing. "Hardly! The truth is, Peter, The Snake Hair was merely a test to see what you had.

"Now I get serious. Deadly serious."

Her eyes gleamed.

"I summon… Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a Monster whom Peter recognized too well arose. The Spellcaster in his bulky black robes was one that Yugi used very often. (1,900/1,700)

"What on earth?" gasped Yugi.

"Skilled Dark Magician," shouted Echidna. "Attack Opticlops with dark magic attack!"

Skilled Dark Magician waved his staff and Opticlops was blasted away. Peter's Life Points fell slightly, to 7,900.

_Come on, Peter,_ thought Yugi. _You know what this means!_

Peter did know what it meant. He had seen Yugi duel enough times to know.

_There's only one reason someone plays that Monster,_ he thought. _In order to bring a real Dark Magician out of her deck!_

"Sorry Echidna," frowned Peter. "But I know what that sorcerer can do, and I'll find a way to destroy him long before both of us play three Spell Cards!"

"Smart," grinned Echidna. "But it's still my turn. And I'm going to play a Spell Card right now, one that will make destroying him all but impossible…"

She fit a card into the slot.

"The Continuous Spell Card known as Messenger of Peace!"

The card appeared on the field, and a pious holy man appeared, holding his arm out. The Skilled Dark Magician's staff glowed copper.

"Messenger of Peace?" asked Peter. "What does that…?"

"To keep this card active," interrupted Echidna. "All I have to do is pay a low, low price of 100 Life Points for every one of my turns. But as long as it's on the field, no Monster with an Attack Score of 1,500 or higher is allowed to make an attack! That will make getting rid of my Skilled Dark Magician much harder, wouldn't you say?

"And it's your move."

"Now what?" gasped Mary. "Peter can't attack him, and if he plays a Spell Card to destroy HER Spell Card…"

"It will bring Echidna closer to summoning something that will be incredibly hard to defeat," muttered Yugi. "I should know."

Inside, Yugi was hitting himself. His deck was centered around the Dark Magician – but he himself had never once thought of using this Spell Card to protect Skilled Dark Magician! Not only that, since it was a Spell Card, it aided the Spellcaster.

This Eliminator was incredibly clever.

Peter drew.

_Nothing I can do but protect myself,_ he thought.

"I summon Vorse Raider, in Attack Mode!" he cried.

He put the card down, and the fiendish, horned Warrior appeared, holding his scimitar. (1,900/1,200)

"That will end my move," he said.

Echidna chuckled. Her Life Points went down to 7,600.

"It's only a matter of time," she smiled, drawing. "But while we're waiting…"

She put a card down.

"…I'll start whittling down your Life Points. I summon Jinzo #7, in Attack Mode!"

A cyborg with bionic limbs and eyes appeared in front of Skilled Dark Magician. (500/400)

"Attack!" ordered Echidna.

Jinzo #7 ran forward and socked Peter in the face! His Life Points fell down to 7,400.

Peter felt his eye, which was starting to turn black. "How'd you do THAT?" he cried. "I had a Monster on the field!"

"Jinzo #7 can bypass your Monsters!" laughed Echidna. "Not even a Millennium Shield can stop him!"

Peter drew.

_I have Pandemonium,_ he thought, _but I don't dare play it… not until I find a way to get rid of that Magician._

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

"What else can you do?" chuckled Echidna.

She drew. Her Life Points went down to 7,500.

"I summon Gemini Elf, in Attack Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and the twin elf Spellcasters appeared. (1,900/800)

"Now, Jinzo #7, attack! In the teeth this time!"

Peter yelped as Jinzo #7 closed in. The Machine hit him in the face again! His Life Points fell to 6,900.

"Peter's really taking a beating," groaned Clive.

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. "Let's hope he can stay focused…"

"All right! You asked for it!" shouted Peter.

He whipped a card out.

_This ISN'T staying focused…_ thought Yugi, nervously.

Peter opened his Field slot.

"I play the Field Card Pandemonium!" he exclaimed.

He threw the card into the slot, and the temple changed. The color turned from green to fiery red, hellish bonfires sprang up, and the snake-like sculptures changed to depictions of the Archfiends.

But Skilled Dark Magician's scepter changed color to silver, and shone brighter.

"Now I summon Vilepawn Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" announced Peter.

The ground rumbled, and the skeletal Archfiend with his sword burst out. (1,200/200)

"Attack Jinzo #7!" shouted Peter. "En passant strike attack!"

Vilepawn charged forward and struck Jinzo #7 with his sword, blowing the android away. Echidna's Life Points fell to 6,800.

"An Archfiend, huh?" smiled Echidna. "Tricky."

"Peter's in the lead!" cheered Mary.

"For now," said Yugi. "That was a pretty careless move on his part…"

Echidna drew. Her Life Points fell to 6,700

"I play Pot of Greed," she smiled, throwing a card into a slot.

The Pot of Greed appeared and she made two draws. Skilled Dark Magician's staff glowed golden.

"And now," she said, "I'll Tribute Gemini Elf for my Chaos Command Magician, in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and Gemini Elf faded. They were replaced by a sorcerer in a black, elaborate robe and cape with a long bladed staff. (2,400/1,900)

"And I'll end my turn there," she said.

_Okay,_ thought Peter. _Next round, she's going to bring out Dark Magician, and she already has someone out who's almost as strong…_

He drew.

_Hey,_ he thought. _Sakuretsu Armor! This won't get rid of both of them, but I can get rid of her Dark Magician when he makes his first attack!_

"One card facedown," he said, fitting the card into the slot. "And I'll throw Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the fiendish queen arose in a burst of flame. She cackled. (900/1,500)

"Your move," grinned Peter. "So bring him out, already!"

She drew.

"Well, since I have to pay Life Points to maintain Messenger of Peace, I can deactivate the card at any time!" she explained.

She hit a button, and Messenger of Peace vanished.

"So now, I Tribute my Skilled Dark Magician to bring out the greater power…" she said. "Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!"

Skilled Dark Magician vanished, and a real Dark Magician arose in front of Echidna, pointing his staff menacingly at Peter. (2,500/2,100)

Echidna turned to Yugi. Her snakes started to writhe.

"Jealous, Yugi?" she mocked. "Feeling envy that another duelist holds the fabled Dark Magician in her deck?"

"No," muttered Yugi. "You have every right to put whatever card you want in your deck."

"You know Yugi," she shrugged, "when I heard you would be competing in this tournament, I had hoped for a chance to claim you as a victim… But what are you going to do? I don't make the rules, I just follow them…"

"Yugi would kick your tail!" yelled Mary. "All twenty feet of it!"

"Guess we'll never know," sighed Echidna. "Now where were we? Oh, right."

She turned back to Peter.

_Go on, you big – whatever you are,_ he thought. _I'm ready for you!_

"Well Peter," she continued. "I'm pretty sure that your facedown card is a Trap… so I'll play a Spell Card… one known as Dark Magic Attack!"

"Huh?" said Mary.

Echidna threw a card into her slot, and Dark Magician waved his staff.

"This Spell Card allows Dark Magician to destroy every Trap and Spell Card you have on the field!" she cackled. "And that includes your Pandemonium!"

Dark Magician cast a spell. Peter's Sakuretsu Armor card shattered, and the scenery around them changed back to the original décor.

Peter drew back in shock.

"Yugi do you have that card?" asked Mary.

"Uh…" sighed Yugi. "No."

He was impressed. This creature could use Dark Magician in a way that he couldn't!

Peter drew back in fear.

"And since you neglected to shift your Vorse Raider and Vilepawn into Defense Mode," she laughed, "Dark Magician, attack Vilepawn Archfiend with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast forth his mighty spell and blasted Vilepawn into pebbles.

"Chaos Command Magician, attack Vorse Raider with chaos blast!"

Chaos Command Magician shot forth a beam of multicolored light; Vorse Raider screamed and exploded.

Peter's Life Points were reduced to 5,200.

"Now, I'm ending my turn," smiled Echidna. "And I know that without Pandemonium, your Infernalqueen isn't going to be very happy with you…"

_Crud,_ thought Peter.

He drew.

Infernalqueen turned towards Peter and snarled. She bore her claws and Peter gasped as energy was drained out of him. His Life Points fell to 4,700.

Peter struggled to catch his breath.

"Infernalqueen," he ordered. "Cast your spell… on yourself!"

Flames surrounded Infernalqueen, and she laughed. Her Attack score rose to 1,900.

"Now," grunted Peter. "I'll switch her into Attack Mode…"

He turned the card, and Infernalqueen bore her claws.

"And I'll summon Archfiend Soldier, also in Attack Mode," he continued.

He put the card down, and the purple cloaked, horned Archfiend appeared, bearing his sword. (1,900/1,500)

"And one card facedown," he said, putting a card into a slot. "And I'll end my turn."

Echidna drew back.

"You don't expect me to attack with such an obvious Trap on the field?" she hissed.

"It might be a Trap, or it might be a bluff," smiled Peter. "But do you have a choice? Don't you know what I intend to do on my next turn?"

Echidna's eyes widened.

_Infernalqueen Archfiend can raise her Attack by another 1,000 points on his next round!_ she thought. _If that happens, she'll be stronger than my Dark Magician! He's right! I have to take a chance!_

"Dark Magician," she ordered. "Attack Infernalqueen with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician aimed…

"Gotcha!" laughed Peter, hitting the button on his Disk. "I activate my Trap… Archfiend's Curse!"

The card lifted.

"Huh?" hissed Echidna.

"I have to pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this Trap," chuckled Peter, "but in return, the Attack scores of both your Monsters are halved!"

His Life Points were reduced to 3,700; Dark Magician's Attack was reduced to 1,250, and Chaos Command Magician's was reduced to 1,200.

"Counter attack, Infernalqueen!" shouted Peter.

Infernalqueen cackled, and rushed forth in a fiery blast, incinerating Dark Magician!

"Your Dark Magician is vanquished!" yelled Peter.

Echidna let out a shriek. Her Life Points fell to 6,050.

"All right, Peter!" cheered Mary.

"Go, go, go!" shouted Clive.

"Curse you, Peter," snarled Echidna. "I'll end my turn by putting one card facedown."

The card appeared in front of her.

Peter drew.

_How fortunate,_ he thought.

Infernalqueen turned to him and angrily cast her draining spell again. Peter fell to his knees as his Life Points fell to 3,200.

"What's the matter, Peter?" laughed Echidna. "Can't take the heat?"

"Actually I can," said Peter. "What kind of Archfiend deck would I be running if I had only one Pandemonium card in it? I have two, and I just drew the other right now!"

He flicked open his Field slot and inserted the card. The temple reverted to the Pandemonium temple.

"All right!" said Mary.

"Now I'll have Infernalqueen cast her spell on herself again!" said Peter.

Infernalqueen laughed as flames surrounded her, and her Attack score went up to 2,900.

"Then I'll summon Desrook Archfiend in Attack Mode," said Peter.

He set the card down, and the block rook with the fiendish face appeared in a beam of light. (1,100/1,800)

"And since you were dumb enough not to shift your weakened Chaos Command Mage into Defense Mode," smiled Peter, "Archfiend Soldier, attack him with dark sword of Perdition attack!"

"PETER!" shouted Mary.

_I can't waste my Trap on this Monster,_ thought Echidna. _I'll have to wait!_

Archfiend Soldier brought his sword down on Chaos Command Mage, and blasted him out of existence. Echidna's Life Points fell to 5,350.

_Great!_ thought Peter. _Now I can take a big chunk out of her Life Points and add a good chunk to mine!_

"Infernalqueen," he said, "attack her directly with cross-the-board capture attack!"

Infernalqueen rushed forward in a burst of flames!

"Gaze upon this!" shouted Echidna. "I activate my Raigeki Break!"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Raigeki Break?" gasped Peter.

"I discard one card," said Echidna, discarding a card, "and I can obliterate one of your Monsters!"

A bolt of lightning struck from above, and Infernalqueen screamed. She was incinerated.

Peter's Life Points fell to 2,475.

"I knew it!" sighed Mary.

"You kept your Chaos Command Mage in Attack Mode on purpose, didn't you?" groaned Peter.

"What good is a Trap without bait?" smiled Echidna.

"Well I still have another Monster that can attack!" growled Peter. "Desrook Archfiend, attack with king's castling attack!"

Desrook Archfiend shot his tentacle forth and took a slash at Echidna. She screamed and her snakes hissed. Black blood seeped from the wound. Her Life Points fell to 4,250.

"And now," said Peter, "I'll play this Spell Card, Sebek's Blessing."

He fit a card into a slot, and the enormous form of a crocodile god appeared behind him. The creature cast a spell, and Peter's body glowed.

"This card heals my Life Points by the same number that I directly inflicted upon you."

His Life Points went up to 4,075, and the deity vanished.

"And I end my turn."

"This is getting close," muttered Clive.

"Peter has the advantage," said Mary. "He destroyed her Dark Magician!"

"I've lost my Dark Magician in several duels and still made a comeback," said Yugi. "Only a foolish duelist relies on only one Monster.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Echidna still has some deadly surprises in store for Peter."

Echidna drew.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" she cried.

She played the Spell Card, and a cage of glowing swords crashed down around Peter and his two Monsters.

_Sheesh,_ thought Yugi. _Everyone has that card nowadays._

"Peachy," said Peter.

"That will give me some time," hissed Echidna. "And I'll end my turn by summoning Witch's Apprentice in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and a young, redheaded, sorceress in a blue robe and cap with feathered wings holding a broom appeared on the field. She cackled. (550/500)

"And her presence weakens the Attack power of all Light Monsters," explained Echidna, "bringing your Desrook's Attack down to 700! She also increases the Attack strength of all Dark Monsters, including herself, by 500 points."

Witch's Apprentice's Attack rose to 1,050.

Peter drew.

_Lovely,_ he thought.

"I shift Desrook into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

Desrook withdrew.

"And I'll summon this guy in Attack Mode!" he shouted. "Terrorking Archfiend!"

A dark cloud formed, and Terrorking arose! (2,000/1,500)

"And thanks to your Witch's Apprentice," he said, "his Attack Score becomes 2,500."

Terrorking's Attack went up.

"That's all I can do," said Peter.

Echidna drew.

_Not bad,_ she said.

"Skilled White Magician in Defense Mode!" she hissed.

She put down the card, and the white-robed Spellcaster with his skullcap appeared. (1,700/1,900)

His Attack went down to 1,300.

"End turn," she said.

_Next round,_ she thought, _I'll be able to summon someone who will benefit from Witch's Apprentice as much as Desrook is hindered by her, and then he'll never be able to defeat me!_

Peter looked at her and her two Monsters.

_Now why did she summon a Light Monster with Witch's Apprentice on the field?_ he thought.

He drew. He smiled.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he cried. "To destroy your Swords!"

He put the card into the slot, and a dark whirlwind erupted on the field. The shining swords vanished. Echidna drew back.

"Now, I summon Shadowknight Archfiend in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and Shadowknight appeared in a gust of wind. (2,000/1,600)

"Shadowknight, attack Witch's Apprentice with four-square fury attack!"

Shadowknight leapt forward and attacked the apprentice. He slashed through the broom, splintering it in half, and then ran her though! She vanished.

Terrorking's Attack Score returned to its original level.

"Terrorking, attack Skilled White Magician with charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking flew forward and landed a punch on Skilled White Magician, blowing him away.

"Ha!" laughed Clive. "Now he's got that snake outnumbered three to none!"

_This kid is good,_ said Echidna, drawing. _But maybe I can still summon my secret weapon… it won't be as effective, but if this works, it will be enough._

"I place one card facedown," she said. "And I summon Kuriboh in Defense Mode."

She set the cards. The facedown card appeared, and Kuriboh appeared with a squeak. (300/200)

"Your move, child," she purred.

Her snakes started to slowly slither around her head.

Peter chuckled.

"Yeah, right," he laughed. "You expect me to fall for _that_? Yugi over there and his dad used the same trick a umpteen-thousand times – send out Kuriboh, make your opponent think he has an easy kill, and lure him right into a Trap.

"So I'll just draw, and pass this turn."

Echidna drew, and her snakes started to hiss like mad.

"Why do I think Peter just made a mistake?" stuttered Mary.

"Because he did," smiled Echidna. "Thought this was a Trap, did you?"

She hit a button, and the card lifted.

"Actually, all it was was Dian Keto the Cure Master."

The healing deity appeared, and Echidna's Life Points rose to 5,250.

"And now," hissed Echidna, "I Tribute my Kuriboh for Dark Magician Girl!"

Kuriboh vanished, and magical energy formed on the field. Dark Magician Girl appeared, and blew a kiss at Peter. (2,000/1,700)

"Aw, nuts," moaned Peter.

"And since I have one Dark Magician in my Graveyard," continued Echidna. "Her attack is boosted to 2,300! Dark Magician Girl, attack Shadowknight Archfiend!"

Dark Magician Girl twirled her baton and fired a blast at the demonic knight, blowing him away. Peter's Life Points fell to 3,775.

Yugi was deep in thought.

_This Echidna's deck is even more geared towards the Dark Magician than mine is,_ he thought. _Peter better do something fast…_

_I wouldn't be surprised if she has multiple Dark Magicians in that deck, and if she has a Sage's Stone somewhere in there…_

Peter looked at the sorceress in front of him.

_My Skull Archfiend of Lightning could take her out,_ he thought.

He drew.

_A Spell Card. And this might be even better. But maybe I should wait to play it…_

"I pass this turn," said Peter. "There's nothing I can do."

"PETER!" shouted Clive. "You forgot to shift Terrorking into Defense Mode!"

The snakes on Echidna's head hissed with delight.

"Sorry, Clifford," she laughed, "but your warning came too late!"

She drew.

"Perfect!" she smiled. "I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and the sinister, black-robed twin of Mystical Elf appeared next to Dark Magician Girl. (2,000/800)

"Now Dark Magician Girl," laughed Echidna. "Destroy Terrorking Archfiend!"

Dark Magician Girl cast forth her spell, and Terrorking exploded.

Peter's Life Points fell to 3,475.

"The king is dead," hissed Echidna. "Long live the queen.

"Since I have to pay Life Points to have Dark Elf attack, and doing so won't affect your Life Points, I'll just leave her in place to protect mine, and end my turn. But you were a fool to keep that Terrorking in Attack Mode."

Peter smiled.

"Not quite," he grinned. "It was all part of my plan. I knew I would only lose 300 Life Points if he was in Attack Mode, yet if he _was_ in Attack Mode, he was the only Monster you'd attack. If he was in Defense Mode with Desrook you might have attacked either of them. It would have made no difference to you. And I couldn't risk losing Desrook at that point. So I left Terrorking in Attack Mode on purpose to provide an obvious target."

"Wait…" said Echidna. "Desrook can…"

"I can send him to the Graveyard…" said Peter.

Desrook vanished.

"…and bring Terrorking back!"

Terrorking arose again, and this time, he looked mad! (2,000/1,500)

"Humph," said Echidna. "Big deal. Dark Magician Girl will just destroy him again."

"Well it's my turn now," said Peter.

He drew.

"And Terrorking isn't going to let her when he's done with her," said Peter. "I play the Spell Card known as… Falling Down!"

He fit a card into a slot.

Terrorking Archfiend hissed in delight. He bore down on Dark Magician Girl and grabbed her! She screamed as she was dragged over to Peter's side.

Dark Magician Girl bowed her head in despair.

"What?" hissed Echidna. "What's happening?"

"You think the Archfiends are nice Monsters, Echidna?" said Peter. "They're evil. The only thing they like better than fighting other Monsters is enslaving them. When I use Falling Down when an Archfiend is on the field, one opposing Monster becomes his slave, so long as I pay 800 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases.

"Of course, I don't have that many Life Points to spare, so now that your Dark Magician Girl is mine, I'm going to Tribute her before that becomes necessary…"

He placed a card down, and Dark Magician Girl vanished in a burst of flames.

"I summon Great Maju Garzett, in Attack Mode!"

A rumble erupted on the field, and the huge, hairy Fiend with purple armor arose. (00/00)

"No!" gasped Echidna.

"I'm guessing you've heard about this guy," said Peter. "His Attack power becomes twice that of the original Attack power of the Monster I used as a Tribute to summon him! Since Dark Magician Girl's original Attack was 2,000, that makes this guy's Attack a great big 4,000!"

"All right!" shouted Clive. "Kick her scaly ass!"

"Great Maju Garzett," ordered Peter, "attack Dark Elf with hellfire blast attack!"

Flames formed in Great Maju Garzett's hands, and he hurled them forward. Dark Elf screamed, and she was incinerated. Echidna's Life Points fell down to 3,250.

"Now, Terrorking," said Peter, "attack that mythological nightmare directly! Charging checkmate attack!"

Echidna screamed as Terrorking closed in. Terrorking slugged her, knocking her over. Her Life Points fell all the way to 1,250.

"Yes!" cheered Mary. "One more round, and Peter has this duel cold!"

"I have to admit," said Yugi, "there isn't much that can stop him…"

Echidna slithered up and "stood" upright.

_Have to do something, or I'll lose next turn,_ she thought.

She drew.

She laughed. She laughed out loud and the snakes on her scalp waved and hissed like they hadn't all duel.

"I… think she got a good card," muttered Mary.

"You may think you have me, Peter," she laughed. "But you don't!"

She fit a Spell Card into the slot.

"I didn't have only one Dark Magician in my deck," she explained. "Another was waiting in the wings, and I'm summoning him with the card I just drew – Dark Magic Curtain!"

Echidna's Life Points were cut in half to 625, and the sinister curtain appeared in front of her. A hand threw it aside, and a second Dark Magician leapt out! (2,500/2,100)

"What?" said Peter. "He might be able to destroy Terrorking Archfiend, but your Life Points will be depleted once Great Maju Garzett attacks!"

"That won't be a problem, once I use this other Spell Card," smiled Echidna, holding one up. "It's called Knight's Title!"

She fit the card into the slot, and an aura of dark energy started to radiate from Dark Magician.

"Knight's Title?" asked Peter, puzzled. "That sounds more like something a Warrior would use…"

"Indeed," explained Echidna. "Let me tell you a story. Not many people know this, but in his youth the fabled Dark Magician had a twin brother. They adored each other, as brothers should. When it came time for them to become men, one sibling favored the ways of powerful dark magic, while his brother took up armor and sword to learn the ways of the warrior. Although Dark Magician was the one with all the glory and fame, while his brother faded into the shadows of obscurity, Dark Magician never forgot his beloved sibling, and even to this day, by using the powerful spell known as Knight's Title, he can switch places with his brother in an instant.

"In layman's terms, by using this Spell Card, I can Tribute my Dark Magician for a completely different power – the mighty _Dark Magician Knight_!"

Dark Magician threw his staff upward, and a blast of magic radiated out. He vanished. In his place, a powerful Warrior in violet armor with a cape and a crested helmet, holding a mighty sword and a large shield, appeared in a dramatic pose. (2,500/2,100)

"Impressive," smiled Peter. "But he has the same stats as his brother… he's no match for…"

"I didn't finish!" interrupted Echidna. "When Dark Magician Knight is summoned, he can destroy ANY one card on the field!"

Peter stopped short.

"Any card?" he gasped.

"Do I not speak clearly?" smiled Echidna. "_Any_ card. And he's going to use that power to wipe out Great Maju Garzett!"

Dark Magician Knight ran his hand over his sword, and magical runes encircled it. He blasted a stream of violet energy from his sword, and Great Maju Garzett was eradicated. Peter's Life Points fell to 2,475.

"Uh, Yugi," asked Mary. "Did you know that? That Dark Magician could do that?"

Yugi was holding his forehead in his hand, feeling quite embarrassed.

"No," he muttered. "Honestly, I didn't."

"Dark Magician Knight," laughed Echidna. "Attack Terrorking Archfiend with sword of dark magic attack!"

The Knight charged forward, and cut Terrorking down. Peter's Life Points fell to 1,975.

"We're nearing the end, Peter," she hissed. "Another round, and you'll meet my gaze!"

_Now what?_ thought Peter, looking at his hand. _The Checkmate trick is out of the question… I don't have it in my hand, and I'd need another Archfiend and Archfiend's Roar or Monster Reborn for it… I'll never be able to keep a Monster on the field long enough to summon Skull Archfiend of Lightning, even if I had him in my hand, and Attacking with him would only result in a draw… And even if I drew my Contract With The Dark Master card now, I don't have enough Monsters in my hand to offer as sacrifice!_

_And if she summons something else on her next round, I've had it…_

He drew.

"I play Pot of Greed!" he said, fitting it into the slot.

The Pot of Greed appeared, and Peter made two draws.

La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp…

And…

Monster Reborn.

Peter thought for a moment…

_Hey…_ he thought.

_I just had the craziest idea…_

"All right, fang-face," smiled Peter. "I'm going to finish you off, and I won't even need an Archfiend to do it!"

"Yeah, how?" said Echidna, chuckling.

"First," he said, "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode!"

He set the card down, and a golden oil lamp appeared on the field. Smoke issued out of it, and La Jinn appeared in a flash, with a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"You think I'm scared of that?" laughed Echidna.

"What about this?" asked Peter. "I'm also playing Monster Reborn!"

"Ha!" laughed Echidna. "There are no Monsters in your Graveyard that can defeat Dark Magician Knight! If you bring back Great Maju Garzett, his Attack points will be zero!"

"I agree," said Peter. "There aren't any Monsters in my Graveyard that can defeat your Knight… but there's one in _your_ Graveyard!"

He slapped the card into the slot.

"Arise!" he called.

A form appeared on the field…

It was Dark Magician Girl!

"WHAT?" gasped Echidna.

"And now that there are _two_ Dark Magicians in your Graveyard," explained Peter, "the one I destroyed and the one you used as Tribute to summon that Knight, her Attack strength is a powerful 2,600!"

Echidna stared at Dark Magician Girl. Peter was right!

"I realize that Dark Magician Girl wouldn't attack her mentor," said Peter. "But does she have the same loyalty towards his brother? Let's find out.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Dark Magician Knight!"

Dark Magician Girl spun her scepter and fired! Dark Magician Knight howled and shattered. Echidna's Life Points were reduced to 525.

"Guess she doesn't," shrugged Peter. "Let's finish this La Jinn! Attack Echidna directly with mystical magic attack!"

La Jinn cast forth a powerful spell, and Echidna was thrown backwards, falling against the wall. Her snakes hissed in pain, and she slumped down.

"Yee-ha!" shouted Clive. "He won, he won!"

_Phew,_ thought Peter. _I may not be as strong as Perseus, but I still brought down a Gorgon…_

Inside his head, Yugi was conversing with Yami.

"You should feel proud Yugi," said the Spirit. "He's learned much."

"Yeah," said Yugi. "But now I'm worried."

"Worried?"

"Worried what might happen if we ever have to duel him ourselves!"

Yami chuckled.

Echidna got up, and slithered forward. She sighed.

"I am defeated," she sighed. "My dark sorcerers were no match for your skills, Peter…"

She raised her arm.

"So in accordance with the rules I am bound by, I raise your status from Blue to Silver."

The gem on Peter's Disk changed color to Violet, and then to brilliant Silver.

"You are one victory away from the finals, Peter," she said. "And the rest of your prize might help…"

She turned to the dark mirror behind her, and made a gesture. A vortex appeared in the mirror, and she reached her hand into it. She pulled out a pair of cards.

"You are a true master of Archfiends," she stated. "And I know just the two cards that would work well in your deck…"

"I get _two_?" exclaimed Peter.

"You need them both to make this incredible power work," said Echidna, handing over two Monster Cards.

Peter looked at them.

One was an average Warrior with unremarkable stats named Warrior of Zera. He wasn't much, not even an effect.

The other was a frightening Fiend, with the name…

"Mazera DeVille?" asked Peter.

"Let me explain," said Echidna. "Warrior of Zera is a strange fighter, who has great potential, and is sought after by both Fairies and Fiends.

"To summon the powerful Mazera DeVille, one the mightiest of Fiends, you must have Pandemonium active, and Warrior of Zera on the field. If those conditions are met, you can special summon this mighty lord of Pandemonium."

"Well," said Peter. "Thanks. The description does look rather useful…"

"Now leave," growled Echidna. "And remember, none of you are welcome in this place again."

The door behind them opened, and the four friends started to leave.

Yugi hesitated.

"Echidna?" he said.

She turned to him. Her snakes started acting up.

"Now what?" she snarled, raising herself to her full height.

"I'll have you know," stated Yugi, "that I believe you Eliminators are nothing more than Centurions with a lot of makeup and cybernetic tools, and that your threats are just bluffs."

Echidna's snakes hissed menacingly.

"Well," she hissed angrily, getting in his face. "believe whatever you want, Yugi, but…"

Yugi stepped back.

"But Echidna," he said. "Even if I'm wrong, and you are some hideous monster, I'd like to tell you that you can use my father's prized card better than anyone I know."

He extended his hand.

"You have my respect for that."

Echidna drew back. She didn't expect that.

She raised her hand, and they shook.

"I'm going now," sighed Yugi. "If I _am_ wrong, please spare Terone his punishment – the poor kid has been through too much as it is."

Echidna didn't answer. Yugi followed his friends to the elevator.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, they were back out on the street.

"Whoo-ho!" yelled Clive. "I didn't know if you could do it, but you did it!"

"Yeah," sighed Peter. "After all that, what can I do for an encore?"

He pulled out the Marauder's Map and looked at it. It was still leading the way to Echidna's temple.

"Best get rid of this thing," he said. "I wouldn't want to encourage anyone else to go up there."

He waved his hand over it and said, "Mischief managed."

The parchment went blank.

He tossed it into a trash can, and they walked off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, Persephone came out of the shadows where she was hiding.

She took the parchment out of the trash and looked at it.

"_Mischief managed"_? she thought. _Where have I heard that term before?_

She looked at the paper.

_Oh yeah,_ she thought. _Those Harry Potter books… How did that phrase go?_

She thought for a moment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she said.

The map sprung to life.

"_To Echidna", huh? _she thought. _This deserves further research…_

_But for now…_

She folded it and put it into her satchel, and proceeded to follow Yugi and his friends.


	20. Witty Phantom

_**When my dad was a duelist, he was good, no question about it. But he had his faults, something he rarely admitted at the time.**_

_**He was rash, and often impulsive. He never backed down from a challenge, even when the odds were stacked way against him. It was as if he thought he wanted to prove something to someone – or himself.**_

_**Not that he usually suffered because of it. He beat Jade's mom in their first confrontation, back when she was a stuck-up snob who cared little for anyone but herself. Only a day later he beat a regional champion named Rex – that was how he got his Red Eyes Black Dragon. And later he defeated the intercontinental champion Bandit Keith, a guy who practically made a living by winning Duel Monsters tournaments.**_

_**And that was just Duelist Kingdom. Still, being reckless was a large part of what defined him, and it's a wonder he made it though all of the dangers that plagued him.**_

_**And seeing Clive right now, it's as if I'm seeing my father's old attitude reborn in him. I'd like to think that this won't get him in trouble – but somehow, I think that this is a disaster waiting to happen.**_

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**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

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**Witty Phantom**

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The clocks over Duelatopia read four o'clock.

"So," smiled Clive. "Think we got time for another round of booty-kicking?"

"Hey, don't get too excited," cautioned Peter.

"What's not to be excited about?" exclaimed Clive. "We're all on a roll! I only wish I could find an Eliminator myself so I could whip his tail!"

"Clive, it is not wise to tempt fate!" warned Yugi.

"Yeah, well I'm itching to make this day complete, and my Dark Scorpions are ready to go!" announced Clive, out loud.

He turned to everyone in front of him.

"So who wants a piece of Clive Marris?"

Everyone turned to him, and then slowly turned away, somewhat intimidated.

"Come on!" he dared. "You guys have no backbone!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

For ten minutes, Clive continued like this. Unfortunately, no-one seemed willing to take on someone with so much gusto. A lot of duelists seemed afraid of him.

"Uh," muttered one boy he asked, "I think I've had enough for one day."

He ran off.

"What's the matter, are you chicken?" mocked Clive, calling after him. "Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck!"

"Clive," sighed Mary, "maybe you're coming on too strong…"

"Yugi always said you have to be aggressive in dueling," said Clive.

"Not so much that you scare everyone away," warned Yugi. "A true duelist doesn't issue a challenge recklessly, Clive. And you never know when you might be in over your head. A duelist who seems weak at first may hide a powerful strategy. Did I ever tell you about my father's first encounter with a girl named Rebecca Hawkins?"

"Um, no…" said Clive.

Mary turned away for a second.

"Dad didn't speak of her often, but he met Rebecca when she was only eight years old, an unlikely duelist. But who would have guessed that behind the pigtails and rosy cheeks of this child was a dueling prodigy who could easily lay waste to her opponents. She was, in fact, the national United States champion.

"The dueling world is full of deception and dangers, and one can never rush into a situation where he might be in over his head."

"Come on, Yugi," quipped Clive. "I can take care of myself. I'm not going to run into any of your father's old sparring partners, anyway."

"Granted," agreed Yugi, "but…"

"Come on!" yelled Clive, out loud. "Won't anyone on this crummy island accept my challenge?"

"I accept," said a soft voice.

"Huh, who said that?" said Clive.

They turned to where the voice came from, a dark alley between two buildings. A single eye stared out at them.

"Come out of there, pal," demanded Clive, somewhat annoyed.

"As you wish," said the voice.

A tall figure strode out of the alley, and everyone gasped.

He was wearing black armor, similar to that worn by Warrior Dai Grepher, but that wasn't what made him stand out. Over his head, he wore a metal mask/helmet combination, shaped like an egg. The left side of it was colored black, and the right side bronze. Only the bronze side had an eyehole. Where his mouth would be was a small grill.

He wore a Duel Disk that marked his status as Blue.

"A little early for Halloween, isn't it?" frowned Clive. "Who are you?"

"You may call me The Phantom Duelist," stated the man. "And I've been listening to your boasting, Clifford. You sound very tough and confident on the outside… But I have to wonder if your boasts and bolster are a reflection of your real dueling skills, or if they're nothing more than an elaborate masquerade."

"Masquerade?" sneered Clive. "Listen, chrome face, I can…"

"Clive!" warned Yugi, pulling him aside.

"Listen," said Yugi. "I've heard of this guy. The Phantom Duelist always shows up at events like this – he's supposed to be an eccentric genius or something who's won tournaments in at least fifteen countries!

"You don't have to go through with this…"

Clive looked at the Phantom.

"So Clifford," dared the Phantom. "Am I looking at your real face? One of a true champion duelist? Or am I not the only one wearing a mask? We're both at Blue, and I'm as eager to get to Violet as I'm sure you are."

"I'll show you my true face," warned Clive. "And I'm sure not afraid of you and your fright mask! Get your deck ready, big guy!"

Yugi sighed.

_I have a bad feeling about this,_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," asked Clive, as he shuffled. "What's the mask for, anyway? You hiding some sort of scar?"

"No," replied The Phantom, "they're just so comfortable, I have the feeling everyone will be wearing them someday. Maybe I can start a trendy fashion."

"Yeah, right," said Clive. "Well let's get started. I'm gonna blow that ugly thing right off of you!

"Activate!"

The holo-imagers shot out of his Disk, and the Disk snapped into place.

The Phantom activated his Disk in the same way.

"Duel," he said.

They both made their draws.

_Here we go,_ thought Yugi.

"Why don't you go first, big guy," chuckled Clive. "Don't want to beat you too bad."

"Very well," said the Phantom, making his first draw.

"I'll start off by summoning Masked Sorcerer, in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and a wizard wearing a full-face iron mask and a staff appeared in front of him. He let out a spooky laugh. (900/1,400)

"Huh," said Mary. "That's… odd…"

_Strange…_ thought Yugi_. I have a suspicion I know what the theme of this guy's deck might be… but I can't warn Clive now…_

"If you think I'm scared of Jason Vorhees, there," stated Clive, "you've got nothing inside that metal shell but air!"

He drew and looked at his cards.

_I don't have anything that can beat that Sorcerer's defense,_ he thought. _But I have to summon someone…_

"Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the leader of the Dark Scorpions flipped onto the field, casting a glance at Masked Sorcerer. (1,400/1,500).

"And it's your turn," said Clive.

The Phantom drew.

"I'll put a card facedown," he said, putting a card into a slot.

The card appeared behind Masked Sorcerer.

"And then, I'll Tribute Masked Sorcerer for Illusionist Faceless Mage, in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and Masked Sorcerer vanished. A tall form rose up on the field. It was a faceless creature in colorful clothing, with the heads of a young girl and boy with sad looks resting on his shoulders. A weeping noise echoed from it. (1,200/2,200)

"And I'll end my turn," said the Phantom.

_Clever,_ thought Clive. _He's set up a practical wall. I can't bring it down right now, but I can add to my forces._

He drew.

_Not bad._

"Getsu Fuhma, in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Clive.

He put his card down, and the lovely, redheaded Warrior wearing black armor and a red dress sprang up, brandishing her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"Your move," stated Clive. "You want a piece of this?"

The Phantom drew.

"A clever choice for your deck, Clifford," stated The Phantom. "Getsu Fuhma is quite beautiful. Mussing up her face would almost be a crime. But life isn't always so pretty…"

He fit a card into a slot.

"Let's see how she likes this accessory… Mask of the Accursed!"

A wave of energy flew towards Getsu Fuhma! She screamed, and it hit her in the face!

Before Clive knew it, an ugly iron mask had covered Getsu Fuhma's face. She slumped over and her sword fell.

"What did you do to her?" demanded Clive.

"Made her completely worthless," replied The Phantom. "And a liability to you. For as long as the Mask of the Accursed is in place, she can't attack. And you'll also take 500 points of damage to your Life Points during each of your Standby Phases.

"And furthermore," continued The Phantom, pressing a button on his Disk. "From now on, this Continuous Trap will be in place…"

The card rose up, and a hideous purple tiki mask appeared on his side of the Field.

"Mask of Restrict," he said.

"What does THAT do?" stammered Clive, getting nervous.

"For as long as it remains, neither player can summon anything via Tribute," explained the Phantom. "Which will certainly put a cramp on your style."

_And it will make getting rid of Getsu Fuhma much harder!_ thought Yugi. _I should have known…_

The Phantom selected a card.

"Now, I'll summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He set the card down, and a hideous Fiend that looked like a head with a mask on all four sides appeared, floating in mid-air. Its eight eyes glowed with feral light! (1,500/1,200)

"Attack, Four-Face Beast," ordered the Phantom. "Attack Don Zaloog with four-faced gaze!"

Melchid spun around, shooting beams of energy out of the eyes of his four faces. Don Zaloog was vaporized. Clive's Life Points fell to 7,900.

"And it's your turn," said the Phantom.

Clive drew.

Getsu Fuhma moaned. The effect of the Mask of the Accursed was already working. His Life Points dropped to 7,400.

_Okay, I'm in trouble now,_ he thought. _Without being able to Tribute, I can't get rid of Getsu. Or bring out my big guns. But that doesn't mean I can't bring out anything strong…_

"I summon Dark Blade, in Attack Mode!" he shouted, slapping a card down.

The Warrior in dark armor with twin swords appeared, and made a slashing motion. (1,800/1,500)

"Dark Blade," he ordered, "destroy Melchid!"

Dark Blade rushed forward, and cleaved the Four-Face Beast in half. The two halves exploded in a burst of flame. The Phantom's Life Points fell to 7,700.

The Phantom drew.

"You duel clever," said The Phantom. "Even under adverse conditions. But I can be much cleverer."

He picked out a card.

"I play the Spell Card Megamorph," he exclaimed, "and I Equip it to your Dark Blade."

A magical circle surrounded Dark Blade. He gasped.

"Since I'm slightly ahead in Life Points," continued The Phantom, "it will reduce his Attack score to 900."

"No!" said Clive, as Dark Blade's Attack went down and his swords lowered.

"Now," said The Phantom, "I'll summon Masked Dragon in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and a huge dragon colored rust red and metallic silver, with metal wings and wearing a metal mask, appeared on the field. It let out a great howl. (1,400/1,100)

"Okay…" mumbled Peter. "Didn't expect that…"

"I'd hate to see that Dragon's face…" moaned Mary.

"Masked Dragon," ordered The Phantom, "attack Dark Blade with blazing mist!"

The Dragon exhaled a cloud of burning vapor, and Dark Blade melted. Clive's Life Points fell to 6,400.

"Clive is barely holding on!" gasped Peter.

"He can do it!" said Mary. "At least… I think he can…"

Clive drew. His Life Points dropped again, to 5,900.

_Well, this is a start,_ he thought. _At least he's as limited to weak Monsters as I am…_

"First," he started. "I'll summon Marauding Captain, in Attack Mode."

He set the card down, and the young soldier in weathered armor appeared. (1,200/400).

"And then," continued Clive, "I'll give him this Equip Card, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

He put the card into the slot, and the Captain's regular sword was replaced by a much larger one. His Attack score went up to 2,000.

"Marauding Captain," yelled Clive, "slay his Dragon!"

The Captain ran forward and lopped off Masked Dragon's head. Its body fell to the ground with a crash. The Phantom's Life Points fell to 7,100.

"Yes!" cheered Peter.

"I may not be able to make any Tributes," smiled Clive. "But you can't either. And without making a Tribute, taking down my powered up Marauding Captain is going to be hard!"

The Phantom remained stone-faced. He drew.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said.

He played the card, and the graceful angel appeared and flew into his deck.

He drew three cards. He glared at Peter as he made two discards.

"Just because I can't make Tributes doesn't mean I can't summon powerful Monsters, Clifford. Watch and learn."

Clive didn't like that tone.

"First, I'll summon Three-Headed Geedo in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and a reptilian, three-headed Fiend with three masks appeared. (1,200/1,400)

_What's he up to?_ thought Clive.

"And now," said The Phantom. "A Spell Card to bring out something that will conquer all of your efforts."

He thrust it forward.

"A Ritual Card!" gasped Clive in shock.

"Very perceptive," said The Phantom. "The Mask of Restrict keeps me from making Tributes, but I can still offer Monsters as sacrifice for a Ritual."

He placed it into the slot, and an altar consisting of fiendish, clawed brazier with a violet flame, surrounded by two violet torches appeared on the field.

"This Ritual," he continued, "known as Curse of the Masked Beast, allows me to sacrifice Illusionist Faceless Mage and Three-Headed Geedo, to call forth a demon from the depths of Hades itself…"

The two Monsters mounted the torches, and the whole altar congealed into a violet flame.

"And as you can probably guess from the name of this Ritual, it allows me to summon, who else? The Masked Beast!"

Out of the flame stepped a frightening figure. It was centaur-like in shape, with a lower body with two legs on a thick, insect-like trunk, and the upper body of a muscular, fiendish man, wearing an eyeless mask covered with spikes and holding an ugly club. It roared in rage! (3,200/1,800)

"This Fiend was so hideously ugly," laughed The Phantom, "that the lords of Pandemonium magically bonded an irremovable mask to his face, so no-one would have to look at him! Naturally, this made him mad with rage, and he takes it out on anyone he comes across!

"Now, my Masked Beast," ordered The Phantom. "Destroy Marauding Captain!"

As Clive looked on in fear, The Masked Beast rushed forward and smashed Marauding Captain apart. Clive's Life Points fell to 4,700.

"Your move, Clifford," mocked The Phantom.

"Good lord!" gasped Peter. "Clive doesn't have anything in his deck that can beat that thing even _with_ a Tribute!"

Yugi held his chin.

Clive drew. His Life Points fell again, to 4,200.

Getsu Fuhma moaned.

"It isn't your fault," muttered Clive, looking at his cards.

_Not going to give up,_ he thought. _Maybe I can get rid of that abomination if I'm incredibly lucky…_

"My move will consist of simply laying this card facedown," he said, fitting the card into the slot.

The card appeared in front of him.

"Well," said The Phantom. "I could attack Getsu Fuhma, but seeing as she's doing so good a job doing you in, I'll just draw, and pass."

He did so.

Clive drew, and his Life Points again went down, to 3,700.

He looked at the card, and then at The Phantom.

"I first summon Mad Dog of Darkness, in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the feral Beast appeared, in a sitting position. It growled. (1,900/1,400)

"And now," he continued. "I reveal my facedown card, Zero Gravity!"

The card lifted.

"That will shift Getsu Fuhma into Defense Mode, your Masked Beast into Defense Mode, and my Mad Dog into Attack Mode!"

The three Monsters all switched position.

"And since your Masked Beast's Defense is lower than my Mad Dog's Attack," shouted Clive, "he's easy prey. Mad Dog of Darkness, turn that Masked Beast into kibbles!"

Mad Dog of Darkness pounced, and clasped its jaws around The Masked Beast's neck. A scream echoed across the field. The Masked Beast dropped his club and fell. Mad Dog of Darkness bit and clawed until the Fiend was still.

The Phantom's eye widened.

"Humph," he shrugged. "Easy come, easy go. Is that your move?"

"Almost," replied Clive. "One more card facedown."

He set it down.

The Phantom drew.

"I summon Malice Doll of Demise," he said, placing a card down.

A cackling noise echoed over the field, and a wicked puppet appeared bearing a large axe. It grinned an evil grin. (1,600/1,700).

"And now, an accessory," exclaimed The Phantom. "The Mask of Brutality!"

He fit a card into a slot, and a fiendish mask, not unlike the Mask of the Accursed, fit over the Doll's face.

"This Equip Card will increase the Doll's Attack score to 2,600, so long as I pay 1,000 Life Points per turn," explained The Phantom. "But I can take care of that handicap…"

He fit his last card into a slot, and a Spell Card appeared, with the image of a rickety masked puppet.

"…with Masked Doll. This Continuous Spell Card absorbs the Life Point payment from one Spell or Trap card. Now Malice Doll of Demise, reduce that dog to roadkill!"

The axe-wielding puppet rushed forward, and sliced Mad Dog of Darkness in half. Clive's Life Points fell to 3,000.

_Nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts, NUTS!_ thought Clive. _I have less than half the Life Points he has! And they keep getting less! But I can make a comeback… I just know it!_

He drew, and his Life Points fell to 2,500.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army!" he said, fitting a card into a slot.

"This lets me search my deck for one Warrior of Level Four or less!"

He leafed through his deck.

"Ah," he smiled. "Cliff the Trap Remover!"

"Trap Remover?" said The Phantom.

Peter threw the card down, and Cliff sprung up, holding his dagger high. He crouched, ready to spring. (1,200/1,000)

"Now," grinned Clive. "I'll activate my facedown card… Dust Tornado!"

The card lifted, and a windstorm appeared over the field.

"It whirlwind will disarm your Doll of his Mask of Brutality!" said Clive, as the Mask on Malice Doll of Demise shattered. The Doll's attack went back to 1,600.

"Fool," said The Phantom. "You could have used it on Getsu Fuhma's Mask of the Accursed or the Mask of Restrict."

"I'll take care of both soon," said Clive. "Because I'm Equipping Cliff with the Dark Scorpion Shiv!"

He fit another card into a slot, and a long dagger appeared in Cliff's hand.

"This dagger raises the Attack of any member of the Dark Scorpions by 700, bringing Cliff's Attack to 1,900!"

A large, nasty knife appeared in Cliff's hand, and his Attack went up.

"Go Cliff!" shouted Clive. "Chop up that Doll!"

Cliff the Trap Remover pounced, and sliced Malice Doll of Demise in half. The Phantom's Life Points fell to 6,800.

"And since Cliff damaged your Life Points," said Clive. "He destroys one of your Spell or Trap Cards, so say goodbye to your Mask of Restrict!"

The hideous tiki mask was smashed to teeny-tiny pieces.

"Your turn, ugly," laughed Clive.

The Phantom's eye narrowed. He drew.

"I summon Grand Tiki Elder, in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

A hideous witch doctor in a frightful mask wearing a purple robe appeared in Defense. (1,500/800)

"You're getting desperate," said Clive.

He drew. His Life Points fell to 2,000.

_Yes!_ he thought. _Now I can finally recover._

"Now to take control of this duel!" exclaimed Clive. "I Tribute Getsu Fuhma for Freed the Matchless General!"

The Mask of the Accursed shattered, and Getsu Fuhma raised her arms. She vanished…

And in her place, a mighty Warrior with battered armor and long, blonde hair arose. He clutched a huge sword, and struck a fearless pose. (2,300/1,700)

"Cliff the Trap Remover, destroy that Tiki!" shouted Clive.

Cliff ran forward, and stabbed Grand Tiki Elder in the gut. The Fiend exploded into a burst of pixels.

"Freed!" continued Clive. "Attack him directly! Sword of the battle scarred attack!"

Freed the Matchless General howled a war cry and closed in on The Phantom, smiting him with his sword and sending the masked man tumbling! The Phantom's Life Points fell down to 4,500.

"Oof," groaned The Phantom, getting up. He clutched a deep wound in his gut.

"YES!" cheered Peter. "Clive just might do it!"

"Go, Clive!" yelled Mary.

"Okay, Clifford," said The Phantom. "You hurt me. A lot of duelists would be upset right now."

He drew.

"But I never resort to anger."

He looked at the card he drew.

"I place one card facedown," said The Phantom, "And I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer in Attack Mode."

He put the cards down. First the facedown card appeared, and then a robed, bald monk clutching a string of prayer beads and wearing a mask over the left half of his face appeared. (1,800/700).

"And that's all I can do," said The Phantom.

Clive drew, and took a look at Kycoo.

_His Attack is less that both of my Warriors,_ he thought. _And yet he put him in Attack Mode. I smell a Trap. But on the other hand, the longer I stall an attack, the better the chance he has of using another nasty Mask… If he has another Mask of Brutality in his deck, Kycoo will be too strong for even Freed._

_I have to take a risk._

"Freed, attack the Ghost Destroyer!" ordered Clive.

Freed rushed forward.

"You fell right into my Trap, Clifford," laughed The Phantom, tapping a button on his Disk.

"What?" gasped Clive.

The Trap Card lifted.

"Activate Mask of Weakness!" said The Phantom.

Another Mask, looking somewhat like the Mask of Restrict, flew forward and latched onto Freed's face!

"As its name implies, Mask of Weakness will reduce Freed's Attack by 700 points," he explained, "to 1,600, making him weaker than Kycoo."

Freed's Attack score fell.

"Now Kycoo, counter-attack with spell of banishment!"

The monk chanted a strange spell and shot forth a blast of green energy, eradicating Freed. Clive's Life Points fell to 1,800.

"Seems like Freed the Matchless General has met his match," chuckled the Phantom. "And there's more. When the Ghost Destroyer inflicts damage to your Life Points, two cards of my choice are removed from your Graveyard. And I chose Freed and your Marauding Captain."

The interior of Clive's Dueling Disk whirred, transporting the two cards from the discard pile to the removal pile.

"Yeah?" snarled Clive. "Well my turn isn't over yet! Cliff, attack Kycoo!"

Cliff the Trap remover pounced, striking down Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. The Phantom's Life Points went slightly down, to 4,400.

"And I think I'll use Cliff's other effect this time," said Clive, "and make you discard the top two cards from your deck!"

The Phantom discarded the top two cards.

He sneered.

"I think you wanted those cards, chrome-face," laughed Clive.

"My move now?" said the Phantom.

"Uh huh."

The Phantom drew.

"I play the Pot of Greed," he said.

He put the card in the slot, and the colorful pot appeared.

He made two draws.

He looked at them.

He gave Clive a long look.

"This has been quite a duel, Clifford," he said, "but it's coming to an end very soon."

He stared at Clive again.

"First," he said, "I'll summon another Melchid the Four-Face Beast in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the quadruple-faced Fiend appeared again. (1,500/1,200)

"Then," he continued. "I'll use Monster Reborn, to bring back Grand Tiki Elder, also in Attack Mode."

He fit the card into the slot, and the fiendish witch doctor reappeared. (1,500/800)

_I don't like this,_ thought Yugi.

"And now," said The Phantom, laying down his final card, "I'll Tribute them both, to special summon the deadliest creature my deck can produce!"

The two Fiends cackled, and then vanished, and a huge, shadowy shape arose.

"Presenting," laughed The Phantom, "the fierce predator of the Underworld known as… _Masked Beast Des Gardius!_"

It was unreal. The Fiend in front of Clive was tall and muscular, with fur and savage claws. Bony protrusions sprouted from its joints and over its chest. From its head grew two thick blunt horns, hanging down, and on its face and each of the horns was a frightening blue mask.

The Beast howled in pure bloodlust! (3,300/2,500)

"What in the name of Duel Monsters is _that?_" gasped Mary.

"Offhand," moaned Peter. "I'd say it's trouble."

"But I don't think I'll attack this round," said The Phantom. "I'll let you sweat it a little. End turn."

The Beast growled.

_Now why did he do that?_ thought Peter. _He could have taken a big chunk out of my Life Points by attacking Cliff._

He only had one card in his hand – Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn.

_She won't do me much good,_ he thought. _Whatever I draw next had best be something great…_

He drew.

"Well Phantom," he said. "This card worked for you… I play the Pot of Greed!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the Pot of Greed appeared.

He made two draws.

He looked at the cards.

_Hmm..._ he thought. _Maybe I can surprise him…_

"I'll shift Cliff the Trap Remover to Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

Cliff knelt in Defense.

"Then, I'll summon his friend Meanae the Thorn, also in Defense Mode."

The female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared beside Cliff, and also knelt. She gave Des Gardius a stern look. (1,000/1,800)

"And finally, two cards facedown," he said.

He fit his last two cards into the slots, and they appeared behind Cliff and Meanae.

"Your move, metalhead," smiled Clive.

The Phantom drew. He looked at the card.

"Well then," said The Phantom. "Who to choose? I'm sure my Masked Beast would find both of them equally tasty…"

He paused. Des Gardius growled again.

"Des Gardius, attack Meanae the Thorn!" he shouted.

Masked Beast Des Gardius rushed forward.

"He'll have to wait for now!" smiled Clive, hitting a button on his Disk.

"What? A Trap?" gasped The Phantom.

The Trap Card lifted. Meanae the Thorn produced a grappling hook and threw it upward. It latched to the roof of the building behind her, and she swung out of harm's way.

"I just activated my Great Escape Trap Card!" laughed Clive. "It lets one member of the Dark Scorpions avoid attacks for one round. They're world class thieves, Phantom; if they weren't so good at escaping, they'd all have been hanged by now!"

Meanae lowered herself back on the field.

"Clever," said The Phantom. "I'll just lay this card facedown, and end my turn. But next round, my Beast will devour her."

He set the card, and it appeared behind Des Gardius.

Clive pondered the situation.

_My other Trap is Dark Scorpion Pilfer,_ he thought. _I could use it to snag his Mask of the Accursed, and paralyze that monstrosity…_

_But if my next draw is something good, I might have a better idea…_

He drew.

_Unreal!_ he thought. _I've got this duel in the bag!_

"Okay, Phantom," he laughed, "you're going down!"

He hit another button on his Disk.

"First, I'll activate my other Trap…"

It lifted.

"Dark Scorpion Pilfer! This will let one of my Dark Scorpions steal a Spell Card from your Graveyard. And I know just which one Meanae is going to take!"

A card appeared in Meanae's hands. It was the Megamorph card.

The Phantom flinched a little.

The card materialized in Clive's hand.

"Now," continued Clive. "I'm going to Tribute both Cliff and Meanae to bring out the mightiest Warrior in _my_ deck!"

He put the card down. Cliff and Meanae gave him a thumbs-up before they vanished.

A dark shadow appeared on the field, and Crescent Moon Queen stepped out in all her glory, brandishing her two sharp scimitars!

Her eyes opened, and cast a shining glow. (2,600/1,700)

"She's a real beauty isn't she, Phantom?" said Clive. "Six feet, seven inches of pure, Dark power! And now I can make her even stronger!"

The Phantom was silent.

"I'll Equip Megamorph to Crescent Moon Queen," said Clive. "Since I'm behind in Life Points, it will double her Attack score to 5,200!"

The Queen raised her swords, and she glowed. Her Attack score skyrocketed.

"Go, Clive, go!" cheered Mary.

"Face it Phantom," mocked Clive. "You're finished! Crescent Moon Queen can attack twice in one round! Once she destroys that abomination, she'll finish you off!"

The Phantom didn't say anything.

"Crescent Moon Queen," laughed Clive, "attack Masked Beast Des Gardius with crescent sword slash!"

The Queen rushed forward and sliced Des Gardius in two! The Phantom's Life Points fell to 2,500.

"Now, finish him!" yelled Clive.

Crescent Moon Queen rushed toward The Phantom…

He hit a button on his Disk, and a loud clanging sound like metal hitting metal rang above the field.

Everyone looked. The Queen's blow had been halted by a large metal mask, hanging in the air in front of The Phantom.

"Almost," sighed The Phantom. "Close, but not quite. I activated my Quickplay Spell Card, Mask of Impregnability. It protects me from direct attacks for one round."

The Queen backed up.

"And as for me being the one who's finished," continued The Phantom, "I suggest you take a look at the spot where my Monster fell when yours struck him…"

"Huh?" said Clive, looking.

He drew back in surprise.

Masked Beast Des Gardius was gone, but his three masks were lying on the ground, wobbling.

"Des Gardius has a potent effect Clifford," explained The Phantom. "When he's slain in battle, his spirit wrecks a terrible vengeance upon his killer. His three masks combine into one powerful magical relic…"

The three masks merged into a horrible-looking mask that looked like skins stitched together and horns sprouting from it.

"…known as the Mask of Remnants. And it bonds itself to the face of his slayer!"

Crescent Moon Queen screamed, as the horrid mask flew forward and latched to her face!

"And now that that's done," said The Phantom. "I can control her as if she was my own!"

Crescent Moon Queen leapt over to The Phantom's side.

"Since you have no cards left in your hand," said The Phantom. "I think you have to end your turn now."

Clive started to sweat. He nodded.

"No…" gasped Mary.

The Phantom chuckled.

"Crescent Moon Queen…" he said.

The Queen raised her swords.

"Crescent Moon Queen, no!" pleaded Clive. "You don't really want to hurt me!"

"Oh, but that's the beauty of it, Clifford," said the Phantom, evilly. "She really _doesn't_ want to hurt you. But the thing is, she can't help herself!"

"ATTACK!" he shouted. "Destroy him!"

Crescent Moon Queen charged, and drove her blade deep into Clive's chest! He screamed and fell over.

His Life Points fell to zero.

"No…" cried Peter. "He lost…"

The holo-imagers shut down, and the Queen vanished. The gem on The Phantom's Disk changed to Violet, while Clive's went down to Green.

The Phantom gestured, and his holo-imagers retracted. He walked up to Clive.

"We all wear many masks, Clifford," he mocked. "I guess I truly uncovered what was behind yours…"

The Phantom Duelist walked off and vanished into the crowd.

From an alley, a figure who had been watching the whole time gave a slight smile.

"So," said Persephone with a wicked smile, "there IS a weakness…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Clive walked up to a vendor.

"Two bottles of Diet Coke," he said.

Once he got them, he opened one and drank it in three gulps.

"Have you ever seen anything so pathetic?" groaned Mary.

"Yeah," sighed Peter, "I've seen the way he _eats_ when he's depressed too."

"Come on, Clive," said Yugi. "It's not the end of the world. Drowning your sorrows in soda isn't going to solve anything."

"I can't believe I let that costumed clown beat me," moaned Clive. "I made a fool out of myself. He actually struck me down with my favorite Monster."

"Well don't blame her…" mentioned Peter. "I mean, you could have used the Dark Scorpion Pilfer to steal the Mask of the Accursed, and then…"

Clive buried his head in his hands and gritted his teeth.

"Uh, Peter," said Yugi. "Maybe pointing that out wasn't the best idea."

"Be thankful this isn't Battle City," said Mary to Clive. "If it were, you'd have had to give him the Crescent Moon Queen card."

"That's a big help," moaned Clive. "How am I going to catch up now?"

"You still have five days," assured Yugi.

"Yeah," said Clive. "And everyone else I duel will probably be harder."

Yugi sighed.

"Come on," he sighed. "We've had enough for one day. Let's just go back and eat at the hotel."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When they arrived at the hotel, the doorman stopped them at the door.

"I've been waiting for you four," he smiled. "A pair of Centurions told me to give this to you."

He handed Yugi and envelope.

"Centurions?" said Yugi, nervously. "What did they want? We aren't in trouble, are we?"

"I don't read other people's mail," laughed the doorman.

As Yugi and the others went in, he opened the envelope. He took out the letter and read:

_**Dear Yugi and company,**_

_**I hope you are having a good time in the tournament.**_

_**It is my pleasure to invite the four of you to a private dinner at my manor house in the center of Duelatopia. I wish to catch up on things for old time's sake.**_

_**The instructions enclosed with this letter will help you get here. Be here at seven-thirty and dress nice.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Siegfried**_

"Seven-thirty?" exclaimed Mary, looking at her watch. "We only have an hour!"

"Come on guys," shouted Peter. "We can't stand old Sieg up!"

They rushed to their hotel rooms and started sorting through their clothing. This busy and hectic day would hopefully end on a more pleasant note. After horrid monsters and violent magic, a nice dinner would be quite welcome.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MASKED DOLL (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A rickety wooden puppet with a stake through its chest.

**Card Description: **Negate the Life Point payment of one "Mask of Brutality" you control.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MASK OF IMPREGNABILITY (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** An iron mask with iron gauntlets covering the lower half.

**Card Description: **Reduce the Battle Damage you take from Direct Attacks this turn to zero.

_Note: "Masked Doll" and "Mask of Impregnability" were first used by Lumis and Umbra in the multi-part original anime episode "Double Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	21. Dark Assailant

_**Let me make one thing very clear. I respect Siegfried and count him as a friend. After all, he helped save my life when I was dueling Anastasia on her horrible Pain-Splitter; he aided me against Remi in the City of Souls; he even gave me one of the most powerful cards in my deck.**_

_**But as much as I hate to admit it, there's a small part of me who doesn't trust him completely. I don't know exactly why.**_

_**Maybe it's the obvious fact that I'm a Mouto and he's a Kaiba. His uncle and my father were fierce rivals who never had more than a temporary truce at the best of times. That may not be the case with me and Siegfried, but he still has his uncle's Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his deck. My favorite card is Dark Magician, and according to legend, those two creatures were mortal enemies. **_

_**That all wouldn't mean much, but due to what I've learned in the last twelve hours, that tiny part of me that doesn't trust him is beginning to grow…**_

_**For the first time in my life, I hope that my suspicions are wrong...**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Assailant**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Yugi and his four companions had put on the best clothes they had brought, slapped on cologne (or perfume), and headed out, following the instructions. Fifteen minutes into the heart of Duelatopia, they started to hustle.

"Man, we're going to be late!" gasped Peter. "Siegfried should have sent the invitations this morning!"

"Even if he did," panted Mary. "We wouldn't have… AAAAHHH!"

An enormous Berserk Dragon appeared in front of her.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" shouted a duelist.

"Sorry," said Mary, feeling embarrassed.

They left the duel behind, as a scream from the Monster's victim echoed through the twilight.

"Let's see," said Yugi, looking at the map. "According to this…"

Just then, a vehicle pulled up. It looked like an airport passenger trolley with armor. A Centurion was at the wheel.

"There you are," he said. "The Master thought you four might get lost. Need a lift?"

"Please," replied Mary.

They got on the trolley, and the Centurion started it up.

"So is he watching our every move we make?" asked Clive.

"Just between you and me," replied the Centurion, "the Master of Games has taken great interest in the four of you. You and Jade Valentine. I don't know why myself. But then, rumors about him are widespread."

"Rumors?" asked Mary.

"Everything from the mild to the bizarre," said the Centurion. "Like the one stating that he's a descendent of some Roman emperor – that's the mild – to the one stating that he's a bastard son of Maximillion Pegasus himself – that's the bizarre. No one ever even sees him without that armor. If it's anything like _this_ armor…"

He hit himself in the chest.

"He must not be too comfortable.

"I'm really surprised you were invited by Mr. Kaiba himself. That guy almost never shows himself around Duelatopia. All we ever get from him is the occasional e-mail or phone message. Only the most elite Centurions – which doesn't include me – are allowed to see him personally."

He drove up to a large manor house. The friends looked in awe. This place was even grander than Siegfried's house in Domino.

"Just go over to the front door and ring the bell," said the Centurion. "Me, I have to get back to my rounds."

"Thanks," said Yugi, as they got off.

They walked up to the front door. This was certainly Siegfried's manor. The door handle was silver, and shaped like a Blue-Eyes.

Yugi took hold of the rope, and pulled it down. A bell rang.

They waited a few minutes.

An old man answered the door. Yugi and his friends looked in slight surprise.

"Graves?" smiled Yugi.

"Oh, hello Yugi," he replied.

Yugi and the rest knew Graves well. He was Siegfried's butler back in Domino for as long as Yugi had known him.

"Working here now, huh Graves?" smiled Mary.

"Well, the change of pace is nice," said Graves. "And the tropical air does wonders for my…"

"Graves!" shouted a strong voice. "Will you let them in at least?"

They turned. The voice belonged to another Centurion, one who stood almost six-foot-eight. He wore a purple sash over his armor.

He lifted his helmet off to reveal a powerful face with a short, black beard.

"Hello Mr. Mouto," said the Centurion. "I'm Captain Descartes, head of the Centurions. I'm glad we finally got a chance to meet."

"I suppose you're the Master's right-hand man?" asked Yugi.

Descartes chuckled. "You don't have to keep the charade here, Yugi. People in my position know of Mr. Kaiba's dual identity, and I know you know it.

"Do come to the study. The other two guests are waiting while Mr. Kaiba readies things."

"Other two?" asked Clive, as they followed him.

"He didn't tell you?" asked Descartes.

They followed him into a lush study, where two people were waiting. It was Jade and Amber.

Jade had traded in her armor for a beautiful green kimono, and had styled her hair. Amber was wearing a more Western-style dress, but was no less as lovely.

"Jade, you're…" gasped Yugi, "…beautiful!"

"Thank you Yugi," smiled Jade.

Mary grimaced.

_She's glamorous, she's smart, she's powerful, and Yugi is bathing with her,_ she thought, feeling sarcastic. _What's to worry about?_

She sighed.

_Oh, come on Mary, Jade isn't going to steal Yugi away from you…_

She paused.

_Is she?_

"Can I get you anything to drink?" asked Graves.

After placing orders, the six of them started to talking.

"So, how is the tournament going for you all?" asked Jade.

Clive hung his head.

"He… just had a sort of embarrassing loss," exclaimed Mary.

"I'm at Green," sighed Clive. "They're all at Silver."

"Uh, Clive," said Yugi. "I'm only Violet."

"I am only Violet as well," assured Jade.

"I'm still behind everyone," sighed Clive. "And I don't know if I'll ever catch up. I made the dumbest mistake in that duel – I went for raw power instead of clever strategy."

"That _was_ a foolish mistake," agreed Jade.

"Jade!" exclaimed Mary.

"Let her finish," said Yugi.

"Clive, often strategy is better than strength," continued Jade. "Do you often read of Greek mythology?"

"Sometimes," responded Clive.

"Then perhaps you know that the Greeks worshipped not one, but two gods who held dominion over warfare. One was the brutal god Ares, while another was the wise goddess Athena.

"Ares was a bloodthirsty warlord who relished violence for its own sake. When he heard the call of battle, he grinned with glee and eagerly joined in, not caring which side won or lost, only that much blood was shed. Strategy and planning meant little to him – his only strategy was to scream and charge, swinging his sword like a madman.

"But his half-sister Athena, the goddess of wisdom, was far cleverer. She carefully assessed every detail of every battle before making a move, never charging in recklessly. Clever generals prayed to her to give them insight before conflicts.

"The two siblings were bitter rivals who hated each other. Ares always thought that his superior strength could overpower his sister. But Athena always saw the flaws in her foolish brother's attacks, and could easily best those with no strategy. Whenever the two fought, Ares suffered a humiliating defeat.

"Brawn is not enough to win a battle. Brains are also needed. And Clive, you should know that firsthand. The Dark Scorpions are not the most powerful Monsters around."

At that point, Graves came in.

"Folks, Mr. Kaiba is waiting," he said. "The dining room is on the top floor."

They got up and followed him out.

_Top floor?_ thought Yugi. _Why on earth did he put a dining room on the top floor? I've never heard of something like that before._

They started to ascend the steps, and as they approached the last flight, they saw Siegfried at the top, wearing his expensive suit.

"Hello everyone," he smiled. "So nice of you to come. Hope my directions weren't too hard."

"Actually…" started Peter.

Clive poked him in the ribs.

"Well folks, we have a lot to discuss," grinned Siegfried, going to a pair of double doors. "Hope you like Italian."

He opened the door, and they entered the most lavish dining room they had ever seen – as well as one of the strangest. The table was a modest affair, but the carpet was a thick, white shag rug. The walls were painted blue, and there was a marble column on each end, each topped with an angelic statue.

Most remarkable was the ceiling, which was one big skylight. The sunset was clearly visible from where they were.

"Nice room," commented Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Soup and salad was spent mainly discussing the past – Duelist Labyrinth and the City of Souls. Reminiscing was a good change of pace. While they waited for the main course, Siegfried started to discuss the Duelatopia Tournament thus far.

"I got word from Echidna, Peter," he complimented. "She told me she has never seen a better opponent."

"Well," smiled Peter. "I'd be thankful… if she wasn't a huge snake…"

"All of you are doing pretty well…" commented Siegfried.

"Almost all of us…" sighed Clive.

"Cheer up Clive," assured Siegfried. "Everyone loses once in a while. You had no way of knowing that Des Gardius had that ability. Look on the bright side – now that you know of Des Gardius's special power, you can avoid making the same mistake if you ever face the same Monster again."

"He has a good point, Clive," said Jade. "You cannot undo your mistakes, but you can always learn from them."

Clive changed the subject.

"Have you been watching all of our duels?" he asked Siegfried.

"A few of them," answered Siegfried. "I'm especially interested in Yugi and Mary's duels."

At that moment, Graves entered with plates full of fettuccini Alfredo.

"When I was a child, Uncle Seto showed me tapes of your fathers' duels in Battle City," continued Siegfried. "They were quite impressive. Seeing you two use such similar decks… it's like a blast from the past."

"We try our hardest," shrugged Mary.

"There is one thing I've always wondered about," mentioned Siegfried. "The two of them always used to pal around with someone else… my father mentioned him once or twice. What was his name, Tristan Taylor?"

Yugi and Mary looked at each other.

"What ever happened to the man, anyway?" asked Siegfried.

Mary slowly took a bite of pasta and chewed. Yugi sighed.

"Why don't you tell him, Mary," sighed Yugi. "You're always better at this than I am."

"It's a sad story, really," started Mary. "But Tristan isn't with us anymore. His life was cut short… but he owed a lot of people theirs."

Siegfried's friendly expression turned to a more serious one.

"A strange guy, that Tristan," continued Mary. "He wasn't much of a duelist, but he did have a favorite card – Cyber Commander."

"Cyber Commander?" said Siegfried, somewhat puzzled. "That Monster is weak. Only 750 Attack points, and no effect. You can't even use Machine Duplication with it…"

"It wasn't the power of the card that impressed him, Siegfried," explained Mary. "It was the image. Tristan considered himself a fighter all his life, and Cyber Commander was the image of all he wanted to be – a stern-faced, muscular soldier who just radiated an aura of guts and courage.

"As you might expect, Tristan enlisted in the army early. Most folks don't like being in the military, but Tristan loved it. Military service was the perfect career for him, so he decided to make it his permanent career. He went far as a soldier, but he never wanted to go beyond that. His superiors offered him the chance for officer training several times, but he always turned them down. He'd never have been happy as an officer. He was a soldier at heart.

"Fifteen years ago, the War broke out. Tristan was willing to do his duty and serve in the conflict, and was put in a unit with several other soldiers he was familiar with. He grew close to his CO, a battle-scarred leatherneck named Captain York. Even though he was a Captain, everyone called him by the nickname 'Sergeant York,' after the legendary hero of World War I. He deserved that nickname. Captain York was a guy who would just never give up, no matter what the odds. One story said that once he was disarmed when surrounded by enemy soldiers, but finished them off with his fists.

"But back to Tristan. He and his troops were on the edge of enemy territory one day as the sun started to set, and were about to leave, when the unthinkable happened – camouflaged guerrillas ambushed them! They had no choice but to flee for safety…"

And at that point, Mary entered a flashback…

"Private!" shouted the Lieutenant. "Ow, dammit, my leg… What's our status?"

"We're all pretty hurt sir," responded the soldier. "But the medic helicopters are on their way. They'll be here in about a half-hour…"

"Is everyone accounted for?" asked the Lieutenant.

The soldier looked down.

"No," he sighed. "About nine of us are still back there… and I think York is one of them."

The Lieutenant clenched his fists. "Damn those monsters to hell…" he cursed.

At that point, the one soldier who wasn't wounded stood up. He put a fresh clip in his rifle.

"Not on my watch!" shouted Tristan.

"Sergeant Taylor!" snapped the Lieutenant. "You can't go back there!"

"Watch me," said Tristan.

"Sergeant!" yelled the Lieutenant. "You stay here where it's safe! That's an order!"

Tristan looked at him coldly.

"Court martial me if you want," he snarled. "But I'm not going to leave them behind!"

He started to leave.

"Tristan, please…" begged the Lieutenant.

This was big. York's second-in-command almost never used first names.

"There's nothing you can do, and going back there would be suicide. Please, it isn't worth getting yourself killed…"

"You can't stop me," said Tristan.

"No," sighed the Lieutenant. "I suppose I can't."

"Then wait up for me!" yelled Tristan, running back where they had come.

"Tristan plunged into enemy territory," continued Mary, "and it didn't take him long to find two of his wounded comrades. He was able to drag them back to safety with little effort. But two wasn't enough. He was determined to get them all out. He went back a second time, and when he had recovered another pair, he went back a third.

"His fourth trip was almost his last. He ran into a group of enemy guerillas who attacked him. But this was a guy who had once fought off a gang of Rare Hunters – at least that's what my aunt told me once – and had faced numerous horrors before even joining the service. They didn't stand the chance.

"He recovered the two soldiers, and then went to look for York. He would have a hard time, because York had hidden himself, determined to fight off any enemies that found him until he was dead. But Tristan knew how to find him…"

"Captain?" whispered Tristan. "Are you in there?"

"Taylor?" exclaimed York. "How'd you find me?"

"How do you think?" chuckled Tristan. "That cheap aftershave you always wear. How hurt are you?"

"I think my leg is broken…"

"Come on…" said Tristan.

He hoisted the man onto his shoulders.

"Sheesh," groaned Tristan. "You'd think being out here you'd have _lost_ a few pounds!"

"Tristan," said York. "They'll be after us in a few minutes! I'll just weigh you down…"

"Let me ask you something, York," asked Tristan, as he started forward. "If the roles were reversed and I were the one who was wounded, would _you_ leave _me_ behind if there was a chance?"

There was a long silence.

"No," said York. "I guess not."

"Fine," urged Tristan. "So hang on."

"It all seemed to go as planned," sighed Mary. "But while they were in the home stretch, it happened. A lone sniper, perched on a tree, shot at them, hitting Tristan in the chest!

"Through his pain, Tristan aimed his rifle and fired five rounds. The sniper fell.

"Even with a bullet in his lung and an artery ruptured, Tristan refused to give up…"

"Tristan please," pleaded York, as they staggered forward. "Your only chance is to leave me behind… you'll never make it…"

Tristan coughed and held on. He dropped his rifle.

"York," gasped Tristan. "Let me tell you something…

"A friend of mine taught me that one of the key points to a team, whether that team is your unit or just a peer group, is loyalty…

"And as far as I'm concerned, anyone who leaves a comrade behind while he seeks his own safety doesn't deserve to live!"

"Through his pain, Tristan staggered on," continued Mary. "With his final ounce of strength, he reached the rest of his unit… and collapsed. The medical helicopters arrived minutes afterwards…

"But it was too late to save Tristan. He had saved the nine comrades who couldn't make the way back on their own. The grand irony of it was, to do so, he had become the sole fatality of that ambush…"

For a few minutes, no one at the table could say a word.

"So sad…" cried Amber.

"Tristan died a heroic death, Mary," said Jade. "He truly had the spirit of _bushido_ inside him."

"The War was a terrible conflict," cried Mary. "My aunt Serenity's husband died in it as well. Let me ask you a question, Siegfried, what do you think is worse, war, or Hell?"

"I'd assume Hell," muttered Siegfried, even though he knew Mary was going to find a way to prove him wrong.

"Oh?" said Yugi, speaking for the first time. "Who goes to Hell?"

"Um, sinners, I believe," answered Siegfried.

"Exactly," answered Yugi. "There are no innocents in Hell. But war is full of them. War preys on innocents, making them suffer, and causing them pain."

_Yugi is right, _thought Siegfried. _And that's exactly why my plans can't fail… they can't!_

"Come on folks," he said aloud. "Don't let the food get cold…"

"Oh course," said Yugi. "So anyway, Sieg, how's your uncle doing?"

Sieg gave a surprised look. Then he started to choke on the bite he just took.

"Sieg?" said Yugi, startled. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah," croaked Siegfried. "Went down the wrong tube there for a minute…"

He took a long drink.

"So, how is old Seto?" smiled Yugi.

"Um, Uncle Seto is…" stammered Siegfried. "…he's taking an extended vacation… Traveling the world… doing what retired billionaires normally do… I haven't seen him for a while…"

"Really?" asked Yugi.

He was a little suspicious of how Siegfried said that.

"Yeah, he's likely on some tropical beach right now, full of pretty hula girls in skimpy outfits and fancy cocktails," smiled Siegfried. "He's had enough of being in the limelight. So anyway, who's up for dessert?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Coffee and German black forest cake later, Yugi and his friends said goodbye to Siegfried. Graves saw them to the door, and they passed Captain Descartes on their way out.

"Captain," asked Yugi. "Mr. Kaiba's uncle didn't get into any trouble, did he?"

"Beats me," replied the Centurion. "Mr. Kaiba _never_ talks about his family. He said such talk was off-limits."

"I see," sighed Yugi. "Well, hopefully we'll meet again."

They parted with Jade and Amber at the start of the hotel strip.

"Why do I have the feeling that Siegfried wasn't telling the truth about his uncle?" pondered Mary.

"I had the same feeling," said Yugi. "He's hiding something."

They walked for a moment in silence.

"There's an internet café down the street," suggested Peter. "It opens at six AM. We could look him up then."

"That's a good idea," said Yugi. "But I think we all need some sleep."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Eight hours later, the sun rose upon Duelatopia. It was Day Six.

Yugi and his three friends strapped on their Disks and pocketed their decks, but dueling was going to have to wait.

At six, they walked down in the morning light to the internet café in the center of the hotel strip. Not many people were there, but an attendant already had fresh breakfast pastries and beverages out for customers – and even a rack of booster packs for sale. At each table was a PC.

"Clive, why don't you get us some orange juice and bagels while I log on," asked Yugi.

Yugi sat down at the computer while Mary and Peter sat with him. He pointed the mouse to his internet provider and clicked it.

The screen came up, and he entered his screen name ("YMouto2") and then his password ("dmagician").

"Okay everyone," he said, bringing up the search engine. "Let's see what we can find out about my dad's old rival…"

He went to the search engine and typed in "Kaiba, Seto."

The search yielded over a thousand results. Yugi went to the most recent ones.

The three of them stared, half in surprise, half in fear.

"Oh… my… God…" gasped Yugi.

"What's the matter?" said Clive, bringing the food to the table.

"See for yourself," said Yugi, turning the computer towards him.

They focused on an article regarding Seto Kaiba, dated eight months ago.

It was his obituary.

"No way…" gasped Mary.

Yugi clicked on the article and they read:

_**Seto Kaiba, the famed CEO of KaibaCorp, died yesterday of a sudden massive stroke. He was 54.**_

_**Kaiba first came into public view at the tender age of eleven, when he took over KaibaCorp from his adoptive father Gozaburo Kaiba. Known for his eccentric love of all forms of games (especially Duel Monsters) he was best known for holding the grand Battle City tournament which transformed Domino City into a Duel Monsters festival for a week.**_

_**Close sources say…**_

Yugi clicked off the site. He didn't need to read it any more.

"Why would Siegfried lie to us?" asked Mary. "Is he in denial?"

Yugi's Puzzle glowed. The change overtook him.

"I don't know, Mary," he said. "But something smells rotten about this. Seto didn't seem like the kind of person who could die from a stroke while in his fifties.

"I think before we hit the streets again, we should phone Sieg…"

Standing outside the building was a man in a trenchcoat and sunglasses, watching them through the glass doorway.

He turned, and vanished into a shadow.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A dark place.

Cavernous and damp. Torches provided light, and hideous images adorned the walls.

At the far end was a large throne made from obsidian, sitting on which was a dark figure, tall and imposing. He sipped something that looked like brandy from a goblet.

Just then, a figure in a trenchcoat came in. The same one, in fact, who had been watching the internet café. He kneeled.

"Rise and report," ordered the figure on the throne in a low voice.

"Lord Saurius," said the man. "Yugi and his disciples have discovered Seto Kaiba's death."

"How much do they know?" asked the figure.

"Only what the newspapers say," answered the man. "But Yugi is very suspicious."

The figure rubbed his chin with a clawed hand.

"How far along in the tournament are they?" he asked.

"Yugi is Violet," said the man. "Two of his disciples are Silver, the other is Green."

"Not good," pondered the figure. "Perhaps it is time we did away with them… You are dismissed."

The trenchcoated man left.

"Mordent, get in here," ordered the figure.

After a few minutes, a cloaked man entered. He was short, only about four feet tall, and wore a dark cloak and hood.

"Yes Lord Saurius?" he asked.

"Mordent," said the figure. "Take five men and meet up with Yugi and his friends… Don't kill them, but maim them enough to knock them out of this tournament. I want them put out of commission."

"But… master…" stammered Mordent. "We'll attract Siegfried's attention!"

"Do you question my judgment?" frowned the figure.

"Uh no, no, not at all!" gasped Mordent.

"Then go," said the figure. "They'll be arriving at their hotel in twenty minutes. Cut them off before they get there."

"Yes, master," said Mordent. He vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Let's get this done with fast so we can get back on the dueling circuit," said Mary. "I'm sure old Clive is just dying to get Blue status back."

"Yeah, right," mumbled Clive. "I'll probably just mess up again and end up at Yellow."

Peter sighed. He hated to see Clive when he was depressed. He remembered the time when he had a crush on a girl at school. She turned him down, and he didn't break out of the depression for three weeks.

Clive didn't HAVE three weeks to break out of this depression. Not if he wanted any hope of reaching the finals.

Standing behind a building was Mordent, and three men and two women wearing trenchcoats and sunglasses.

"Time to strike," chuckled Mordent, taking out a deck of cards.

He pulled one card out of the deck. The Yami Field Spell Card.

He tossed it in the air.

"Cover this street with a veil of darkness, my Yami!" he laughed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Around Yugi and the others, shadows started to lengthen, and then night seemed to fall.

"Um guys," asked Mary. "Was there supposed to be an eclipse today?"

Then six sets of eyes appeared before them.

The shortest figure – Mordent – stepped out, and lowered his cowl. He was gnomish in appearance, with a bald head and a wrinkled face, with a bulbous nose and a strong chin. He wore thick goggles with white lenses.

And he had a fancy letter "S" on his forehead.

"Okay," demanded Yugi. "I've had enough. Who are you?"

Mordent's five companions stepped out beside him. Yugi could see that also bore an S-shaped brand on their foreheads.

"Me?" said Mordent, shuffling the deck of cards. "You might say I'm an artist of sorts… one who loves my work…"

He selected a card from the deck.

"Now meet one of my friends," he smiled. "Dark Chimera!"

He tossed the card towards the four of them, and it started spinning…

Suddenly, a form erupted from the ground, and a Dark Chimera appeared in a rage.

"How'd he summon that thing without a Duel Disk?" gasped Clive.

"You think _that's_ weird?" said Mary. "Dark Chimera requires a Tribute to summon."

Then Dark Chimera reached out and yanked a fire hydrant out of the ground!

"Look out!" shouted Yugi.

The Fiend hurled the hydrant, narrowly missing Peter.

"Why do I have the feeling that this thing _isn't_ a hologram?" gasped Mary.

"Probably because it isn't," smiled Mordent. "Get them, my Chimera!"

Dark Chimera drooled, and rushed at them.

"RUN!" gasped Clive.

"Trying to escape, are we?" laughed Mordent, choosing another card.

He threw it in the air.

"Dark Witch, cut them off!"

The winged Fairy appeared, brandishing her spear. She took to the air, sailing over the fleeing duelists.

She landed in front of them, and started to advance with her spear.

Yugi looked both ways. Dark Witch was in front of them, Dark Chimera was behind. And Mordent and his five friends were closing in as well.

"Yami," gasped Yugi. "What type of sorcery is this?"

"Something incredibly evil," said Yami. "This being has somehow been able to bring the images on those cards to life! Normally this would mean a connection to the Shadow Realm… but I can't detect any Shadow magic at all!

"This is magic that I've never encountered before… but I can tell that it's incredibly evil…"

"That's a big help…" moaned Yugi.

"Okay!" shouted Clive, rolling up his sleeves. "If I'm going down, I'm going down packing!"

The four of them stood with their backs to each other and raised their fists, facing the two Monsters…

"Sic 'em!" ordered Mordent.

Suddenly, a scream echoed from above, and Jade Valentine leapt from the rooftop! She drew her sword in mid leap, and cut right through Dark Chimera! The Fiend vanished into mist.

Mordent drew back in surprise.

"Jade?" exclaimed Yugi. "How did you…"

"…find you?" said Jade. "I was out looking for an early duel, when I sensed evil coming from this spot like a bonfire!"

Dark Witch spread her wings and flew towards Jade with her spear.

Jade swung and cleaved the weapon in half. She swung again, and her katana sliced through Dark Witch. The Monster vanished just as Dark Chimera had.

Jade turned towards Mordent and his companions.

"Who's next?" she dared.

"No problem," said Mordent, raising his deck. "I'll just conjure something else and…"

Jade reached into her pouch and threw a flurry of shuriken at the gnome, and they hit the deck of cards! They spilled to ground, torn and ripped.

"MY DECK!" yelled Mordent, bending over.

Jade continued to advance.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" he shouted to his companions. "Defend me!"

"She has a sword!" exclaimed one of them.

"So what do you have, toothpicks?" he shouted.

The five of them reached under their coats, and drew long swords of their own. They stood between Jade and Mordent.

"So, five against one," said Jade. "That is not very fair, now is it? After all, there are _only_ five of you…"

"Tasha, get her!" shouted one of them.

One of the females swung her sword at Jade, and it was promptly blocked. Jade made a mighty swing, and Tasha's sword was shattered.

Jade smiled. She thrust with the sword, running the warrior through. Tasha gave a scream…

…and then burst into flames. The flames consumed her, and she was reduced to nothing.

Jade gave an odd look.

"You killed Tasha!" shouted one of the others.

"And you are next!" said Jade.

The four others rushed at Jade swinging their swords. Jade deflected their blows with ease.

Mordent frantically tried to use his torn cards.

"King of Yamimakai!" he yelled, holding one up.

Nothing.

"Worthless," he said. "Doma the Angel of Silence!" 

Nothing.

"Drat! Tripwire Beast! Whiptail Crow! Ocubeam! Ryu-Kishin! Flame Cerberus! Nuts, is everything busted?"

Meanwhile, his henchmen weren't faring any better.

Jade cleaved through another one of them, and he also vanished in a burst of fire.

The other female tried to strike from behind. Jade spun around and beheaded her. Her body fell to the ground and self-combusted like the previous two.

"Come on, Jade!" shouted Clive. "Show them who's boss!"

"Watch your back Jade!" shouted Peter.

"Um, go Jade," said Yugi.

He and Yami were very shocked at all this, but whatever these creatures were, Jade was beating them.

Jade stabbed one of the last two in the chest with both hands, and he vanished in the same burst.

Jade glared at the last one.

He dropped his sword, and ran.

Jade drew her wakisashi, and hurled it, impaling him. He gasped and fell, erupting in flame.

Meanwhile, Mordent had found the one intact card among his ruined deck – but it wasn't a Monster Card. No, this card was for a _completely _different purpose.

"So," growled Jade, approaching Mordent. "Your warriors are gone, and you don't look like you are a quarter as strong as they were. So you can either explain what you attempted to do to my friends, or you can share their fate…"

Mordent lifted up the card and backed up.

"I have a third option available, actually," he said, stammering.

He held up a Trap Card.

"What?" said Jade. "The Disappear card?"

Mordent started to fade away.

"We'll meet again, all of you!" he cursed.

And he was gone.

The darkness vanished.

Everyone gathered around Jade, truly amazed. They had never seen her in actual battle.

"That was awesome, Jade!" shouted Peter.

"I did what I had to," said Jade, retrieving her wakisashi.

She inspected it and her katana.

"Not a drop of blood," she said. "Those beings were clearly not human."

"Jade!" shouted Amber's voice, as she ran up to them. "I found a Centurion! He said he and some others will be on the way."

"It won't matter much, sister," said Jade. "There is nothing left of out assailants to search."

"You guys tell the Centurions what happened when they get here," said Yugi. "Me, I'm going to make a call to our friend Siegfried…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, Yugi was speaking to Siegfried via videophone.

"Yugi," sighed Siegfried, "I don't blame you for being upset, and I take full responsibility. I assure you, I may not know who these intruders were, but the Centurions will hunt any remaining ones down and arrest them. There will not be any more violence in Duelatopia if I can help it."

"Siegfried," said Yugi. "Maybe you… will you please take off that stupid helmet? You sound like Darth Vader with it on!"

"Sorry," said Siegfried, taking it off. "Now you were saying?"

"I was saying that maybe you didn't hear me right," said Yugi. "The leader of these thugs was some sort of sorcerer who could bring cards to life! And his henchmen weren't human. Jade struck them, and their bodies just… disintegrated…"

Siegfried paused.

"Yugi," he muttered. "I know as well as you do that tournaments like this tend to attract supernatural menaces, and my Centurions have been trained to handle such. They have more surprises in their armor than I'm at liberty to disclose. I can assure you that if Jade could handle them, then they can as well.

"Just go on with the tournament and leave the security to me."

Yugi sighed.

"Fine," he muttered. "And by the way, Sieg, you have my deepest condolences."

Siegfried bowed his head.

"I should have known you'd find out, Yugi," he sighed.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Sieg?"

"Yugi, my uncle had a stroke," muttered Siegfried. "And frankly, it didn't come as much of a surprise."

"Why do you say that?"

"His blood pressure was through the roof," answered Siegfried, "he had a lot of bad habits, and you know how stubborn he was… he wasn't the kind of guy who liked to listen to his doctors."

"Why weren't my parents invited to the funeral?" asked Yugi. "They would have been glad to attend."

"It was a private affair, Yugi, in accordance to his wishes. Family only. He didn't want a big fuss. I already told you, he had gotten his fill of the limelight."

"Siegfried…" started Yugi.

"Yugi, I've already spent enough time mourning, I don't need you to pity me…"

"I'm sorry…" said Yugi.

And he _was_ feeling a little sorry now.

"Look Yugi," continued Siegfried, "getting back to more important things, would you and your friends like bodyguards for the rest of this tournament in case these kooks come back?"

"What?" said Yugi in surprise. "No! Absolutely not Sieg! We don't want any special treatment while we're here! We can handle ourselves."

"Fine," said Siegfried. "Anyway, trust me to take care of this… problem, and get back to the dueling. I'm sure Clive has some catching up to do. Over and out."

As Siegfried turned off the videophone, he glared at it for a minute.

_Sorry Yugi,_ he thought, _but you're getting special treatment whether you want it or not…_

He pushed a button on the phone.

"Yes Master of Games?" said a voice.

"Captain Descartes," said Siegfried, "gather your six best undercover Centurions for an important assignment. Something special has come up…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In another part of Duelatopia, Mordent reappeared. He stopped to catch his breath.

He gestured, and a white sphere appeared in his hand.

Two glowing red eyes appeared in it.

"Well?" said a voice.

"Lord Saurius," gasped Mordent. "It didn't work… the men who came with me… they're dead…"

"Dead?" shouted the voice. "Yugi and his disciples slew them?"

"No," stuttered Mordent. "They had help. A woman with a sword… I could sense holy power. She defeated them and the beasts I created… without breaking a sweat!"

A growl came from the orb.

"A woman?" snarled the voice. "What was she like?"

"She was hard to describe…" started Mordent.

"Then show me," said the voice, "with your own eyes…"

Mordent clutched his head in agonizing pain. He ripped his goggles off, and his eyes glowed red. A picture of Jade appeared in his mind.

"I see," growled the voice of his master. "She wears the armor of the Samurai. Meddlesome creatures who believe in outdated concepts like honor and righteousness. If she is an ally of Yugi, she may become trouble…"

"What should I do, Master?" asked Mordent, starting to recover.

"Find out what you can about this Samurai," ordered the voice. "I must think the matter through regarding Yugi…"

The orb vanished.


	22. Token Thanksgiving

_**Every duelist has to have a theme. It's a cardinal rule of Duel Monsters. Your Monsters, Magics, and Traps have to work together to form a good strategy. My father knew that well. He, his allies, and even his enemies knew to pick a theme and keep with it. Even people like Marik knew the value of a good theme. Anyone who just throws out random Monsters because they look nice or seem strong is asking to lose.**_

_**I've seen a lot of themes in my time. Some folks like to focus on a certain Type of Monster, or even a type within a Type. Others like strategies that involve powerful Trap Cards, or simply use overwhelming force. There are decks called Chaos Decks, Control Decks, Stall Decks, Burn Decks, Deck Destruction Decks and the frustrating Weakling Decks that use Traps like Gravity Bind to keep you from attacking while your Life Points are chipped away by little attacks. There are even decks centered around one specific powerful Monster, where the duelist does all he can to bring it out and pound away at you with it.**_

_**But the duelist I'm facing right now has a theme unlike any I've ever seen before. And I'd almost find it funny – if her strategy wasn't beating the crap out of me!**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Token Thanksgiving**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"So, did he admit it?" asked Mary, as they walked down the hotel hallway.

"Yeah, he admitted it," replied Yugi. "And he seemed very upset about it. I don't think we should press the matter on."

"Poor Seto," sighed Mary. "I know my dad didn't exactly like him, but…"

"Everyone dies eventually Mary," said Yugi. "What has happened has happened. Now we can't let this get in the way of what's at hand. If what happened this morning is any indication, we have to continue with the tournament. This fallen angel likely sent those guys, and if we want to stand up to him, we have to win."

They knocked on Clive's door.

"Clive?" asked Yugi.

Peter answered and poked his head out.

"Uh, Yugi, Mary," he said. "Why don't you two go ahead without us? We'll catch up later."

"Is something wrong?" asked Mary.

"Clive and I are… going over strategy," responded Peter. "Don't worry, we'll catch up in an hour or two."

"Okay…" said Mary.

Peter closed the door.

"Going over strategy," frowned Mary. "Right. Clive is likely wallowing in self pity and cleaning out the mini-bar. He always porks out on junk food when he's depressed."

"He'll come around eventually," said Yugi. "You know, if my dad can recover from a much more horrible loss…"

Mary drew back in fear.

"Your dad… lost?" she gasped. "Tell me that the guy cheated!"

"No, Mary," sighed Yugi. "It was shortly after Battle City to a fiend named Raphael. No cheating was involved, and my dad…"

He paused.

"His soul was taken…"

Mary looked on in horror.

"The Spirit had to go it alone for awhile and…" continued Yugi.

He paused.

"Mary, can I tell you the rest? Because I don't want to panic you…"

"Tell me…" stammered Mary.

"The same thing happened to your father, and Jade's mother, and Seto Kaiba. It was almost a disaster. But in the end, Yami prevailed, and rescued everyone."

Mary was quiet for awhile.

"I guess we owe a lot to Yami…" she said softly.

"Yes," agreed Yugi. "But my father didn't let it stop him. He was dueling again before long. And in a way, it only made him stronger."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his control room, the Master of Games was standing before six young men and women. They all wore Dueling Disks, with the gems at various colors. Captain Descartes was standing next to him.

"Okay, troops, listen and listen good," he started. "I've chosen you for this important assignment because you scored the highest on the undercover tests. And a crisis has come up that requires some heavy undercover work."

He clicked a button, and a screen behind him came alive. Images of Yugi, Mary, Clive, Peter, Jade, and Amber came up.

"These are the subjects, and your jobs are to protect them at all costs. Those phony Disks you have, with the exception of yours, Sylvia, have sensors that will lead you to your charge's Disk.

"Sylvia, Amber is your charge, but since she is merely a guest and has no Disk, your tracker has been set to Jade's. Where Jade goes, Amber will not be far behind. If they do separate, I am counting on you to follow as best you can. You are the best of this group, and that's why I'm assigning you to Amber.

"All of you are to remain inconspicuous. Do not let anyone know you are acting as bodyguards, not even your charges. Use the standard excuse if someone thinks you're a duelist and makes a challenge.

"If your charge is attacked, you are to call for backup and protect him or her until help arrives. If you abandon your charge I will consider it a violation of the oath you all took when you started working here! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Master of Games," they all replied.

"And one more thing," he continued. "At all times, the weapons you are carrying are to be set _exactly_ to level three. Nothing more, nothing less."

Looks of bewilderment crossed their faces.

"Any questions?" he asked.

"Um, begging the Master's pardon," said one of them, "but these weapons set only to three? That would about bring down a ten-year-old…"

"Do I stutter?" interrupted the Master, angrily. "Keep them at level three, and that's an order! Set them any higher, and I'll get Centurions who know how to follow instructions!

"Now that you have your instructions, go find them, and hope that nothing happens."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Yugi and Mary were walking the streets.

Suddenly, Mary asked a question that had been on her mind for a while.

"Do you love me Yugi?"

Yugi stopped short.

"Um, Mary, this is… so sudden…" he stuttered.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Well… sure…" he said. "I've never really said it but…"

"You haven't had your eyes on anybody else have you?" she asked.

"Mary, I…" stammered Yugi, blushing.

At that point, Mary started something different.

"Yugi, let's make a rhetorical question," she asked. "Remember Lady Circe?"

"That witch?" frowned Yugi. "What about her?"

"Suppose," asked Mary, "just suppose I had lost my duel with her, and she had turned me back into a cat… Suppose you had defeated Remi and Set like you did, but regardless, you were unable to change me back…"

She looked at Yugi.

"What would you have done then?"

"Oh, Mary," sighed Yugi, taking her in her arms.

"I would have taken you in, treated you like a family member, tried my best to keep you safe and comfortable and happy through the ordeal," he assured. "And I would have spent every waking hour searching the ends of the earth for a way to reverse the process. And you can rest assured that Peter, Clive, Jade, and Siegfried would have done all that they could do to help."

"You'd never have found another girlfriend?" she asked. "Not even Jade?"

"Jade?" said Yugi in surprise. "What makes you think I have something for Jade? She isn't my type!"

"She's exactly your type!" exclaimed Mary. "She practically looks like a Duel Monster Warrior! Besides, you're bathing with her now, and…"

Yugi sighed. He took out his deck and shuffled through it.

He picked out a card – Warrior Dai Grepher.

"Look at this card, Mary," said Yugi. "Warrior Dai Grepher is a handsome guy, isn't he?"

"Um, I guess…" replied Mary.

"He's muscular, has great hair, a strong face," continued Yugi. "He's likely going out with D.D. Warrior Lady in the place where Duel Monsters live. But if you met someone who looked just like this, would you fall for him just because he resembled a Duel Monster?"

"I guess not," said Mary.

"Here," continued Yugi, pulling out Dark Magician Girl. "She's beautiful, isn't she? But even if some miracle were to turn Dark Magician Girl into a real person, I wouldn't ask her out! I don't judge anyone by their resemblance to Duel Monsters.

"And as for the _mizu-ken-kasai_, there was nothing intimate about it. Maybe you should try it with Jade next time, and you'll see what I mean."

Mary looked at him, feeling a little embarrassed. She thought of the _mizu-ken-kasai._

_Maybe I'll do just that,_ she thought. _Don't judge something until you've experienced it, as my dad used to say…_

Then she looked up.

"Yugi, is that Minerva over there?" she asked.

They looked up. The Amazon duelist Minerva Medea was in the middle of a duel, and it looked like she was at a disadvantage. She had wounds all over her, and seemed to be bleeding from several spots.

In front of her were two small Monsters that looked like… sheep.

_Scapegoats?_ thought Mary.

Her opponent (whom they couldn't see due to the crowd) was facing her with a strange Spellcaster. He wore a dusty-brown robe, had a white beard, and carried a crooked staff.

And Minerva was shaking in fear.

"Minerva, that was a foolish move," said a sweet voice. "Did you forget that your Amazoness Queen had to wait a turn before attacking? Not even she was immune to my Spellcaster's curse!"

"Curse?" said Yugi, puzzled.

"Now, direct attack!" ordered the sweet voice.

The Spellcaster thrust forth his crook, and fired a beam of multicolored light at Minerva. She fell to ground with a gasp.

"How the heck?" said Mary, puzzled. "She had those two Scapegoats…"

The crowd applauded, as Minerva's Life Points fell to zero. Minerva groaned.

"I didn't believe she could beat me," she moaned. "Now I'm wiped out…"

The gem on her Disk faded from Red to Black.

"Minerva?" asked Mary. "How? Who?"

As the holographic systems shut down, Minerva's opponent walked up. Yugi and Mary's eyes opened in shock.

It was a girl about sixteen years old, and she was dressed in an outfit that made her look like Heidi, complete with a bonnet. She carried a crooked staff of her own, and her Dueling Disk had just upgraded to Violet.

"Still want to make fun of me, Minerva?" purred the maiden, poking her with her crook. "Now say you're sorry!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!" gasped Minerva, in fear. "I'm sorry!"

_Okay, this is seriously strange,_ thought Mary. _Minerva was as tough as nails when I met her in the arcade… but now she's scared of this duelist who's dressed like the Bluebonnet Girl?_

"Minerva, who is this?" asked Yugi.

"Little Bo Peep, at your service," smiled the lass. "Hmm, you're Violet too, I see…"

"Little Bo Peep?" said Yugi in surprise.

"Do yourself a favor and stay away from her, Yugi!" yelled Minerva. "She massacred me before I knew what hit me!"

"I find this a little hard to swallow…" stated Yugi.

"Wait a second…" pondered Mary. "I read in _Dueling Today_ about a duelist who went by that pseudonym… I think she was the national champion of Switzerland!"

"The one and only," grinned Bo, making a polite courtesy. "And you are Yugi Mouto Jr. Hmm. Winner of the Duelist Labyrinth tournament, I believe?"

"Yes," smiled Yugi. "And you won't find me as easy to beat as Minerva was… Consider your challenge accepted!"

"Yugi, no!" gasped Minerva. "This dame has a strategy that'll mop the floor with you! You see…"

"No, Minerva!" shouted Yugi.

He held out his hand.

"You can't tell me her strategy beforehand. I fight my own battles. And I'm certain I can take on any strategy that she throws at me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" warned Minerva.

She turned to Mary.

"Is your friend brave or just stupid?" she asked.

"Don't call Yugi stupid," frowned Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The two of them took their positions.

The Puzzle glowed, and Yami's spirit merged with Yugi's.

"Okay Little Bo Peep!" he warned. "Prepare to lose more than your sheep!"

Bo chuckled. "So silly," she giggled. "I have enough sheep to go around…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Yugi, loading his deck.

"You'll see," giggled Bo, loading hers.

She lifted her Disk, and the holo-imagers shot out. Her Disk snapped into position.

Yugi dramatically repeated the move.

"Here we go!" laughed Bo.

"TIME TO DUEL!" they both yelled.

"You can go first," said Yugi.

"Ugh, he's made his first mistake," sighed Minerva.

"Is this chick really that good?" asked Mary.

"Just wait," groaned Minerva.

Bo drew.

"Splendid!" she said with a smile.

She took two cards from her hand.

"I play one card facedown," she said.

She slid a card into the slot, and it appeared.

"And now I play… Scapegoat!"

She slid a second card into the slot, and four puffy, multicolored sheep appeared with big grins on their faces.

"And I end my turn," she said smugly.

_What in the name of…?_ thought Yugi in surprise. _That has to be the lamest opening move I've ever seen! Hiding behind a wall of Scapegoats?_

He drew.

_Still, I'm going to have to destroy them all to get at her Life Points, so here goes…_

"Flame Swordmistress, in Attack Mode!" he said with gusto.

He put the card down, and the furious female fighter appeared, swinging her blazing saber. (1,600/1,500)

"Nice, Yugi," grinned Bo. "Too bad I have to do this…"

She tapped a button on her Disk.

"Reveal facedown card – Trap Hole!"

The card lifted.

"Trap Hole?" exclaimed Yugi.

The ground gave way under Flame Swordmistress, and she fell screaming.

_She wiped out my Monster the instant I summoned her!_ thought Yugi.

His Life Points fell to 7,600.

Bo giggled. "Any other moves you'd like to make?" she said.

"I can't," said Yugi.

"Good," smiled Bo, drawing. "Then here comes stage two…"

She opened her Field slot and slipped in a card.

"Activate Gaia Power!" she exclaimed.

Suddenly, large trees started to sprout all around the field.

"My Gaia Power Field Card raises the Attack power of all Earth Monsters by 500," she explained, "at the cost of 400 Defense points. That gives each of my Scapegoats a lift from their previously nonexistent Attack score, but they have no Defense to lose."

(500/0 x4)

Yugi and Mary stared in shock.

"Now," laughed Bo, "I'll shift my four Scapegoats into Attack Mode, and turn them on you!"

She pointed with her staff.

"Attack Yugi directly!" she commanded

The four Scapegoats flew towards Yugi and were on him! They chewed at his flesh! Yugi screamed.

"That's it children," chuckled Bo. "Eat your fill!"

"She's attacking with Scapegoats?" gasped Mary.

"Bo did that to me too," grumbled Minerva.

Yugi's Life Points dove to 5,600.

"All right!" shouted someone in the crowd.

"Her sheep kicked his keister!" yelled another.

Yugi got up, bruised and bleeding.

"We'll see who's keister gets kicked," he snarled, drawing.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"I summon Alligator's Sword!" he exclaimed. "In Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the fierce gator-man appeared swinging his scimitar! He let out a guttural howl. (1,500/1,200)

"Since Alligator's Sword is _also_ an Earth Monster," said Yugi. "He also benefits from your Gaia Power field, making his stats 2,000 over 800!"

The Beast-Warrior's stats changed accordingly.

"And since your Scapegoats are in Attack Mode with only 500 Attack points each," continued Yugi, "he can do some serious damage to you with one swipe of his sword!"

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared!" said Bo, sarcastically.

"Laugh while you can," growled Yugi. "Alligator's Sword, attack one of the Scapegoats!"

Alligator's Sword leapt forward and cleaved one of the sheep in half. Bo's Life Points fell to 6,500.

"All right!" cheered Mary.

"Don't celebrate yet," moaned Minerva. "Little Bo Peep has only started…"

"What do you mean now?" asked Mary.

"Just watch," said Minerva.

Bo drew.

"Hmm," said Bo, slowly "guess I'll use this… Cannon Soldier, in Attack Mode!"

She put down the card, and a tall, headless robot with huge claws and a large turret cannon on its shoulder appeared in front of Bo. The creature aimed its weapon at Yugi! (1,400/1,300)

Yugi backed up and started to sweat…

"Scared darling?" smiled Bo, feigning compassion. "Then you know that I can Tribute a Monster to blast you for 500 points of direct damage! And I already have three of them to Tribute!"

Yugi started to sweat more.

"Now, let's lock and load!" said Bo.

Energy surrounded the three remaining Scapegoats, and they were absorbed into Cannon Soldier.

"FIRE!" laughed Bo. Cannon Soldier fired three powerful blasts, and Yugi screamed as they hit him.

"And the best part is," said Bo. "I can use the Cannon Soldier itself as its own Tribute! Cannon Soldier, one more time!"

Cannon Soldier got down on its knees, and fired one more mighty blast. It vanished.

Yugi was on his knees, covered with burns and gasping for breath. His Life Points had fallen to 3,600.

"Whoa, this is unreal!" yelled a girl in the crowd. "Yugi is getting clobbered!"

"Bo Peep's Sheep Attack Deck rules!" exclaimed another onlooker.

Bo picked another card.

"I'll lay one card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

"Come on, Yugi!" urged Mary. "This is embarrassing!"

"Tell me about it," groaned Yugi.

He looked at Bo.

_She has no Monsters on the field to shield her from an attack, but she has one card facedown,_ he thought. _It must be something to protect her…_

He drew.

_Maybe I'll set a little Trap of my own._

"I summon Beaver Warrior in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed, laying a card down.

With a loud squeak, the armored Beast-Warrior leapt up brandishing his sword! (1,200/1,500) –) (1,700/1,100)

"Sorry Yugi, but you shouldn't have done that," chuckled Bo, pushing a button on her Disk. That attack from my Cannon Soldier burn you? This should cool you off…"

Her card lifted.

"Torrential Tribute!" she yelled.

A huge wave of water blasted forward, engulfing Yugi, Beaver Warrior, and Alligator's Sword. Yugi fell on his rump, and his Monsters were destroyed.

His Life Points fell to 2,675.

"Could Yugi possibly lose?" gasped Mary.

"Bo counts on attacking with her Scapegoats and other tokens," explained Minerva. "She has lots of ways to clear the field of enemy Monsters. Yugi is learning that the hard way…"

Yugi got up, dripping wet, and considerably angry.

"I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," he said.

He inserted the card.

"And it's your move."

Bo drew.

"Time to meet my loyal sheepdog," she smiled. "Milus Radiant, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a large, long-haired dog appeared. (300/250)

"Not only does Milus Radiant benefit from the Gaia Power field," said Bo, "but his own Effect raises the Attack of all Earth Monsters, including himself, by another 500 points, giving this fellah an attack score of 1,300!"

Milus Radiant's Attack changed.

"Now, my sheepdog," ordered Bo, attack Yugi directly!"

Milus Radiant charged forward.

"Not this time, Bo!" exclaimed Yugi, hitting a button. "Activate Spellbinding Circle!"

The magical pentagram formed around Milus Radiant, freezing him in place, and his Attack power dropped to 600.

"No!" shouted Bo.

"It's still your turn," said Yugi.

"I can't do anything else," said Bo.

Yugi drew.

_Not bad, _he thought.

"I play the Spell Card Cost Down," he said, fitting it into a slot. "I'll discard this card…"

He threw a card into the discard slot.

"…and I'll use it to summon Dark Magician Girl!"

He put the card down, and a magic rune appeared on the floor. Dark Magician Girl spun out of it and smiled cheerfully. (2,000/1700)

A lot of the crowd started to applaud. Some catcalls were made.

"Now Dark Magician Girl, attack Milus Radiant with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl aimed her baton and fired a blast of energy, blowing Milus Radiant away. Bo's Life Points fell to 5,400.

"To bad for your dog," smiled Yugi, warming up. "But Dark Magician Girl is mostly a cat-person anyway."

Bo drew.

_Yugi managed to summon a powerful Monster,_ she thought. _I'm going to have to be extra tricky now…_

"I play Graceful Charity," she said, putting her card into the slot.

She drew three cards.

_Hmmm,_ she thought. _This might work, but I've got to set it up very carefully to fool Yugi…_

She added the cards to her hand, and discarded two.

"I first summon another Cannon Soldier, in Attack Mode," she said, placing a card down.

A second Cannon Soldier appeared, with its gun ready to fire.

"And now," she continued. "Another quartet of Scapegoats!"

She fit the card into the slot, and four more sheep appeared beside the Soldier.

"NO!" gasped Mary. "She'll bring Yugi's Life Points down to 175!"

"But you know?" smiled Bo. "Why rush? I think I'll only load _one_ Scapegoat this time…"

One of the Scapegoats was absorbed, and Cannon Soldier powered up.

"Fire!" shouted Bo, pointing her crook.

Cannon Soldier blasted Yugi, and he fell backwards. His Life Points fell to 2,175.

"That will be all for my turn," said Bo.

_Now why'd she do that?_ thought Yugi, holding his chest. _Doesn't she know I can destroy that Soldier?_

He drew.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He placed the card down, and the armored elf materialized, swinging his sword menacingly. (1,400/1,200) –) (1,900/800)

"Dark Magician Girl, destroy Cannon Soldier!" he shouted.

Dark Magician Girl fired, and Cannon Soldier exploded. Bo's Life Points fell to 4,800.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack one of the Scapegoats with your silver sword!"

The armed elf leapt forward and obliterated one of the remaining sheep.

"End turn," said Yugi.

Bo drew.

_Just what I needed,_ she thought. _Now let's see if Yugi is as much duelist as his reputation puts him up to be._

"I play a Spell Card," she said. "Stray Lambs!"

She put it down, and two more sheep, these ones pure white, appeared.

"And I end my turn," she said.

_More tokens?_ thought Yugi, drawing. _This is annoying…_

He looked at his cards.

_No Monsters to summon… I'll have to hack through these sheep the long way._

"Go, the both of you!" he ordered. "Destroy the last of the Scapegoats!"

Dark Magician Girl and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian leapt to attack, and destroyed the two colored sheep.

"It won't be long now," smiled Mary.

"No," said Minerva with a sigh. "Yugi just screwed up…"

"Now what?" said Mary, getting worried.

"I made the same mistake," groaned Minerva.

"Hee, hee, hee," giggled Bo, drawing. "You made a mistake Yugi. You went for my Scapegoats, when you should have gone for my Stray Lambs…"

"What difference does it make?" asked Yugi.

"A lot of difference," said Bo with a laugh. "Scapegoats can't be used as Tributes… but Stray Lambs can!"

Yugi's eyes opened in surprise.

"Thus, I Tribute both of my Stray Lambs to bring out a powerful Spellcaster… you might have seen this guy already…"

The Stray Lambs disappeared as she put down the card.

"I summon Baarthanius the Shepherd!" she laughed. "In Attack Mode!"

A beam of light struck the field, and an old man with a great beard appeared. He wore a dusky brown robe with a hood, tied together with a drawstring belt. He carried a large crooked staff.

His eyes opened, and a shining light appeared from them! (2,000/1,900)

Dark Magician Girl and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian drew back.

"Impressive," said Yugi. "But his Attack score is the same as Dark Magician Girl's. If he attacks, you'll only get a draw."

"He isn't going to attack yet," smiled Bo. "Baarthanius, use your spell on Dark Magician Girl! Curse of Sheep!"

"Curse of Sheep?" said Yugi, puzzled. "What the sam-hill is…"

Baarthanius cast a spell and powerful magic flowed from him! Dark Magician Girl screamed, and then, all of a sudden, she vanished…

Or did she? Yugi looked down, and in her place was a small sheep with blue wool.

"Aww!" cooed Bo, compassionately.

"What have you done to her?" demanded Yugi.

"Nothing compared to what he's going to do to you!" laughed Bo. "But I'll explain. Once per round, Baarthanius can cast his curse, which transforms one opposing Monster. The way she is right now, your Dark Magician Girl can't attack, can't defend _you_ from an attack, and can't be used as a Tribute. And the only way to break the spell is to somehow get rid of Baarthanius.

"Very soon, you'll have no useable Monsters, and Baarthanius will be able to hit you with all he's got!

"But on the plus side… she is soooo cute!"

Dark Magician Girl bleated at her in anger.

"But I know that he can't harm your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," she said, "so rather than attack, which is pointless, I'll end my turn."

Yugi was aghast! Not by the prospect of losing, but by suffering one of the most humiliating defeats he had ever heard of. What's more, Bo's strategy was sound – and was something he had never seen the likes of in his entire career.

He drew.

"I summon Skilled White Magician in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the white-robed sorcerer appeared, kneeling in defense. (1,700/1,900)

"And that's all I can do," he said.

"Really," said Bo, snidely.

She drew.

"Baarthanius, cast your curse on Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The Shepherd cast his spell again, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian screamed. He was transformed into a green ram.

"Now, Baarthanius, attack his Skilled White Magician! Bright rainbow blast!"

Baarthanius pointed forward with his crook and fired a blast of multicolored light, blowing Skilled White Magician away.

"This is incredible!" said someone watching. "Yugi is going down!"

_Next round, Yugi won't have any Monsters to defend himself with…_ thought Mary. _And he won't be able to take more than two hits from that Shepherd… I never thought he'd lose to someone dressed in alpine lace!_

Yugi drew.

_This might help me for one round at least,_ he said.

He fit a card into the slot.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn," he said.

"Hee, hee," giggled Bo. "I think you're bluffing! I play enough Traps myself to know a good bluff!"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," said Yugi.

"We'll see," smiled Bo, making a draw.

"Baarthanius, attack his Life Points directly!"

The Shepherd thrust his crook forth and fired!

Mary looked away…

But when the smoke cleared, Yugi was unharmed, and his Negate Attack Trap was revealed.

"Grasping at straws, aren't we?" scolded Bo, shaking her finger.

"No, Bo," said Yugi, "but you aren't exactly playing it safe. You're strategy has a major flaw in it."

"Huh?" asked Bo, becoming serious for the first time. "What do you mean?"

"You are relying too much on a single Monster right now," warned Yugi, with a stern voice. "Right now, the only thing keeping my Dark Magician Girl and my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian at bay is your Shepherd. And you admitted yourself that if Baarthanius is destroyed, the spell on them will be broken.

"What were to happen if I did manage to produce a Spell Card or Monster that could destroy him? What then? You'd be at the mercy of my two powerful warriors, who'd each be able to do you some serious harm. And while your Shepherd is powerful, no Monster is indestructible…"

Bo looked at her cards.

She thought hard.

_What if Yugi _does_ have something in his deck that can destroy him?_ she thought. _I'd lose 3,900 Life Points in a single round! I guess it wouldn't hurt to shore up my defenses…_

She picked a card from her hand.

_I usually use this guy to attack with my powered-up Scapegoats,_ she thought, _but in a pinch he can be used to defend…_

"I'll end my turn by summoning Mystic Sheep #1 in Defense Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and a large blue ram with a golden coin on his tail appeared next to Baarthanius. (1,150/900) –) (1,650/500)

_Good,_ thought Yugi. _I managed to shake her up._

_But I'm in serious trouble. There aren't many things I can do right now…_

_She does have Gaia Power on the Field, which raises the Attack power of any Earth Monster by 500 points. Three Monsters in my deck would be powerful enough – Brown Recluse, Gemini Elf, or Warrior Dai Grepher. Any of them would have an attack score greater than Baarthanius's, and would be able to destroy him._

_But I have more than half my deck to go through, and the chances of drawing one of three cards is pretty slim…_

He drew. He looked at the card carefully.

His worried face turned to one of confidence.

"Well Little Bo Peep," said Yugi, strongly. "It's time to take control of this duel."

"Huh?" said Bo.

"You forgot one thing," smiled Yugi. "Your Spellcaster may have turned Dark Magician Girl into a sheep, making her unable to attack or defend, but she's still Dark Magician Girl. And as such, she has talents other than attacking or defending."

"I don't follow you…" said Bo.

"I have in my hand an accessory card made especially for her," exclaimed Yugi. "Behold the Sage's Stone!"

He threw the card into a slot, and a beautiful gem hovered above the sheep that was Dark Magician Girl.

"What?" stammered Bo in surprise. "What's the point of this?"

"When Dark Magician Girl is on the field," exclaimed Yugi, "I can use Sage's Stone to special summon her powerful master! Appear my Dark Magician!"

Dark energy flowed from the Stone, and Dark Magician appeared, brandishing his glowing staff! (2,500/2,100)

"No! Not him!" gasped Bo in fear. "Not him!"

"Now Dark Magician," shouted Yugi, "attack Baarthanius the Shepherd with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician dramatically spun his staff and fired at the Shepherd, blowing him into shards of light! Bo's Life Points fell to 4,300.

The ram and the sheep in front of Yugi glowed, and the curse was broken. Dark Magician Girl and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian assumed their proper forms.

"Now, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," ordered Yugi. "Destroy Mystical Sheep!"

The Guardian leapt forward and cleaved the sheep in half.

"Dark Magician Girl," shouted Yugi. "Attack Bo's Life Point's directly!"

Bo screamed as Dark Magician Girl took aim, looking more than a little pissed. The sorceress fired and knocked her over. Her Life points fell to 2,300.

The crowd looked dumbfounded. They cheered.

"Yugi just turned the duel around!" shouted a girl.

"I never doubted him for a minute!" said another.

"Unbelievable," said Minerva, in wonder.

Bo's dress was charred and burnt. She picked up her crook and struggled to her feet. She held her head to get it to stop spinning.

_Ugh,_ she though. _I've got to do something to stall or he'll have beaten me!_

She drew.

_This will slow him down…_

"I play my last Scapegoat card," she said, fitting it into the slot.

Four more colored sheep appeared.

"And also," she continued, "a second Milus Radiant in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and another sheepdog appeared. (300/250) –) (1,300/0)

Yugi drew.

He looked at the card strangely.

"If you think I'm going to waste time tearing down your defensive wall, you're crazy," he sneered.

He took the card he had drawn.

"First, one card facedown," he said.

He fit it into the slot, and it appeared.

"And now," exclaimed Yugi, holding a card aloft. "I play a Spell Card – the powerful Diffusion-Wave Motion!"

"Diffusion-Wave Motion?" gasped Bo, in shock. "What does that do?"

"Oh, I know! I know!" shouted Mary, in excitement.

"Okay, Mary, why don't you tell her?" smiled Yugi, as he put the card into the slot.

"To play Diffusion-Wave Motion," explained Mary, "Yugi first has to spend 1,000 of his Life Points…"

Yugi's Life Points went down to 1,175.

"And in return," continued Mary, "it enables a Spellcaster Monster of Level 7 or greater, like Dark Magician, to attack _every_ opposing Monster on the field!"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Yugi. "Dark Magician, diffusion dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast a mighty spell, and a force that resembled a small atomic bomb erupted on Bo's side of the field, blasting her Scapegoats and her Milus Radiant out of existence! Bo was thrown back.

Bo started to sweat… She looked at the other two Monsters…

"However," continued Yugi, folding his arms, "since I used that Spell Card, I can't make any more attacks this round, so it's your move."

Bo drew.

_Yes!_ she thought. _I just drew Mirror Force!_

_Yugi knows that I have plenty of ways to clear the field of opposing Monsters, and this is my way to win!_

_The combined Attack power of his three Monsters is 6,400! If he attacks with this Trap on the field, he'll lose 1,600 Life Points and I'll win the duel! If he doesn't attack, it will give me time to draw Monster Reborn and bring Baarthanius back! And not even Dark Magician can resist his curse!_

"I lay this card facedown," she said, "and summon Mystical Sheep #2 in Defense Mode."

She put the cards down. The facedown card appeared first, and then a different Mystical Sheep appeared, this one resembling the first one, but with orange wool. (800/1,000) –) (1,300/600).

"And I end my turn," she said.

_Hmm,_ thought Yugi. _She thinks I'm going to walk right into a Trap… and why disappoint her?_

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," ordered Yugi, "destroy her Mystical Sheep!"

_He actually fell for it!_ thought Bo, excited.

The Guardian raised his sword.

"I'm awfully sorry, Yugi," she giggled, hitting a button on her Disk.

The Trap Card lifted.

"But my Mirror Force will…"

"…fail!" interrupted Yugi, tapping a button of his own. "Because I activate my Counter Trap!"

His own facedown card lifted.

"Activate Trap Jammer!" he shouted.

Bo looked in horror as her Mirror Force was smashed to bits.

Mary squealed in delight. This was the same card Yugi used to defeat Remi in the City of Souls!

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian brought his sword down on Mystical Sheep #2, slicing it apart.

"Lamb chops anyone?" smiled Yugi. "Now, Dark Magician, finish her off!"

"No…" gasped Bo, as Dark Magician took aim.

The sorcerer fired his dark spell directly at Little Bo Peep, blasting the shepherd duelist into defeat! Her Life Points fell to zero, and she fell over, smoke rising from her costume.

"Phew!" sighed Yugi, wiping his brow. His wounds vanished.

"I can't believe you beat her…" said Minerva.

"You can't believe Yugi beat a bunch of sheep?" asked Mary, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," sighed Minerva. "The way she beat me… you know…"

Bo slowly got up.

"Well Bo," said Yugi, offering his hand, "I give you an 'A' for creativity, that's for sure – and your dueling strategy is certainly… unique."

"But it wasn't good enough…" she mused.

"Are you kidding?" said Yugi, grinning. "Finding a way to attack with Scapegoats? You have a strategy _surrounding_ your strategy Bo… you take your opponents by complete surprise, not just by your Monsters, but by your outward appearance and sweet attitude. That can make the difference between winning and losing."

"Really?" said Bo, with a small smile.

"In fact," said Yugi, "you have an advantage that I don't. Everyone expects me to use Dark Magician – but against you, no-one knows what to expect until your killer sheep have their teeth on them!"

"So…" muttered Bo, "I did well?"

"I would say so," said Yugi. "And keep it up. I think you have a bright future, Little Bo Peep."

"Then there are no hard feelings," she smiled. "Guess I'll go find someone else and get my Violet Status back!"

"That's the spirit!" said Yugi, giving a thumb's up.

As they parted company, Yugi looked at his new Disk, which shone at Silver Status.

"Only one more victory apiece," said an excited Mary, "and we'll be finals bound!"

"Yes," said Yugi. "And it's only Day Six!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark cavern, Saurius was sitting on his throne, pondering.

A servant came in.

"My lord," he said. "Yugi Mouto Jr. has achieved Silver status."

"Wonderful," grumbled Saurius, sarcastically. "I think it is time to take serious action…"

He got up. The henchman flinched. Saurius stood roughly seven feet tall at full height, and that wasn't his _only_ intimidating quality.

"Mordent," he ordered. "Get in here!"

Mordent rushed in.

"What took you so long?" growled Saurius. "Now listen…"

"I'm all ears, master," said Mordent.

"The time has come to truly test Yugi Mouto Jr.," said Saurius. "And I know just the way how… We'll do it by his rules."

He produced a steel briefcase and handed it to Mordent.

"Wait until after dark," ordered Saurius, "and use the B-47 maneuver."

Mordent giggled. "Oh, that's my favorite!" he chortled. "But what about Jade?"

"I'll have another henchman handle her," said Saurius. "Now go, and be sure to take detailed notes. Even if this plan is defeated, we can learn from it."

"It will be done," said Mordent, turning to leave.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was two in the afternoon, and Mary and Yugi stopped at an ice cream parlor for floats.

"Hey guys!" yelled Peter's voice.

He and Clive walked up. Clive was still looking a little sullen.

"We heard the news," said Peter, excitedly. "About you and that duelist with the killer sheep. Was it hard?"

"Harder than you might think," sighed Yugi. "I'll tell you the whole story…"

Across the street at a corner café, Persephone was sipping a latte and watching.

She focused her eyes on Clive.

_Depressed, aren't you Clive?_ she thought with a sinister grin. _Down in the dumps after having your ass handed to you, aren't you? Starting to doubt your abilities?_

_I could make you feel even worse. I could give you an even harder match, and knock you down to Yellow…_

_Sigh… If only there was a way to knock him down even further… bring him down to Orange. Then he'd likely be on the ground sobbing. But I can't do that. So should I go over there and make my challenge? Or should I wait?_

Little did she know, while she was watching Clive, a third party was watching her…

And he wasn't very happy…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BAARTHANIUS THE SHEPHERD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **Once per round, you can put a "Sheep Counter" on a face-up opposing Monster. Monsters with "Sheep Counters" cannot attack or be Tributed. If your opponent controls no Monsters except Monsters with "Sheep Counters", you may attack directly. If this card is removed from the field, remove all "Sheep Counters" from all Monsters.


	23. Wild Nature's Release

_**My loss to The Phantom Duelist was a heavy blow. The guy struck me down with my best Monster – and the worst part about it was, it was all because of a dumb mistake on my part. I don't like losing, and I don't like being made a fool of – especially when it's my fault.**_

_**A bunch of people could have given me phrases like "You can't win them all," or "Winning isn't everything," or even the dreaded "You learn more from losing than you do from winning." Still, if winning isn't everything, losing isn't ANYTHING. **_

_**But I've had enough feeling sorry for myself. I got a push in the right direction, and now I don't care if I'm busted down to Yellow, or even to Orange. I'm going to keep going as long as my Disk still functions. **_

_**I just hope I'm not in over my head by the guy who gave me that push…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

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**Wild Nature's Release**

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As Yugi and his friends sat around ice cream soda floats, Persephone carefully eyed them.

_So much to do, so little time,_ she said, eyeing her Disk with its Violet gem. _Well, I may not be able to knock Clive out of the tournament, but beating the tar out of him should be fun nonetheless. And I have to get Silver eventually._

_So I'll just…_

"PERSEPHONE AMORE!" shouted a loud voice.

She turned around and saw a huge, muscular youth with a moustache and Latino features. He wore a black sleeveless shirt which showed off his ample arm hair, and black jeans. He had long, black hair held back with a bandana.

"You're blocking my sun, fellah," sneered Persephone.

"Don't you remember me, Señorita?" he scowled, with a strong accent.

"Yeah," said Persephone, sarcastically. "I know a lot of Spanish-speaking guys who look like shaven gorillas… you could be any one of them."

"El Toro Grande!" announced the youth, holding up his Disk, with its Violet-status gem. "The one you humiliated in Paris!"

Persephone looked at him.

"Oh right," she said offhand. "The Beastmaster of Madrid. Totally slipped my mind."

"Well, I have come seeking revenge," spouted Toro. "Prepare for a rematch, Amore!"

"You have a bad memory, pal," chuckled Persephone. "I totally walloped you like a piñata the last time. What makes you think it will be any different this time?"

"_Idiota!_" yelled Toro. "A piñata is a Mexican toy, not a Spanish one! And I will not be denied a rematch!"

"Please, Toro," scoffed Persephone. "My Fairies have better things to do that trade blows with your dirty, smelly freaks. And furthermore…"

Then an idea came to her.

_Say,_ she thought. _Maybe this big dummy is my key to getting at Yugi…_

"All right Toro," she smiled. "Let's make a deal…"

"Deal?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of a deal?"

"Look over there," she said, pointing to Yugi and his friends. "See that guy with the black leather jacket and the short haircut?"

"What about him?" asked Toro, suspiciously.

"His name is Clive Marris. Duel him first. You beat him, and I'll give you your rematch."

"What?" exclaimed Toro, getting angry. "I will not duel for your entertainment Persephone!"

"Sorry, Toro, that's my condition," she purred, reclining in her chair. "Besides, you're at Violet. Think about it. If you win both duels, you'll be in the finals, and you'll be able to do nothing but veg out and relax until the end of Day Ten."

Toro paused. He had to admit, that was rather tempting…

"Why do you want me to defeat him?" asked Toro, suspiciously. "Is he some ex-boyfriend who dumped you?"

"I have my reasons," noted Persephone. "Now don't come back until you do it. Shoo!"

"Fine," growled Toro. "And you'd best be here with your deck ready!"

He walked off towards Yugi's group.

"Crazy, arrogant, egotistical little…" he muttered.

_Once that big lug is done with Clive,_ thought Persephone, with a grin, _I'll be able to knock him down even further… and then he'll be crushed, and Yugi will be easy pickings with his pal having lost three in a row! Heh, I don't believe that lug actually expects me to keep my word!_

"Waiter!" she called. "One large mocha-latte!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," said Yugi. "I think I myself have had enough for today. Who's up for more?"

"I think Clive had best find someone," mentioned Peter. "Shouldn't you Clive?"

"I dunno," mumbled Clive, somewhat sullen. "I'm not up to it right now…"

"What are you going to do Clive," asked Peter, looking a little upset. "Wait for someone to come to you?"

"Clive, losing one Duel isn't the end of the world!" pleaded Mary. "My father used to say…"

The sound of someone clearing his throat came up behind Clive.

They all looked up and saw Toro.

"Are you the one called Clive Marris?" he asked.

"Uh yeah, that's me…" answered Clive, looking at him strangely. "And you are?"

"I am El Toro Grande," replied Toro. "Regional Duel Monsters champion of Madrid. And I request a duel."

Clive sighed. "Why me?" he moaned.

"Um…" said Toro, trying to think. "I… I only duel real men, and you look to be the manliest around!"

"Thanks for the compliment," mumbled Clive. "But I don't think I'm up to it."

"Come on, Clive!" persuaded Mary. "You can't pass it up forever!"

"I'm sorry, Toro," sighed Clive. "But I had a bad loss, and I'm starting to feel like… like a loser…"

Yugi, Mary, and Peter looked up in surprise. He hadn't gone THAT far yet.

"Now Clive, listen here!" stated Yugi. "You aren't…"

And then Toro laughed heartily.

"A loser Clive?" he laughed. "Are you truly a loser? Let me tell you something…"

The Spaniard pulled up a chair.

"When I was twelve years old, I admired duelists, and I put together a deck that I thought would work. I had dreams of becoming as great a duelist as the ones I had seen in tapes of Battle City all those decades ago.

"But when I started to enter tournaments, I did terrible. I lost every time. Each defeat more pathetic than the last. Eventually, I started to consider myself nothing more than a loser…

"And when I told my _padre,_ do you know what he said?"

"What?" asked Clive.

"He told me, 'Son, the only time anyone is truly a loser is when he gives up and stops trying. So long as you always make an attempt, you've never truly lost. Only when you completely give up and stop making any attempt at all is when you are truly a loser.'

"Tell me Clive, is that what you are? Are you a true loser? Or are you somebody who can keep trying in the face of defeat? Because if you're a quitter, than you truly ARE a loser."

Clive held his eyes shut and he clenched his teeth.

"No…" he muttered. "I'm not a quitter, do you hear me!"

He got up from his chair.

"You're on, Toro!" he shouted. "It's time to duel!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," said Yugi, with a smile.

_Well,_ thought Toro, _my _padre_ always did know how to encourage a guy. But I don't intend to give anything but my best against this guy either… I've come a long way since the time I was twelve…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At that moment, three young men and one young woman came into view. They were dressed like the average duelists, but their Disks were actually more sophisticated equipment, and they hid small weapons under their clothing.

"There they are," said one of them.

"Try to blend in," mentioned the female. "It looks like Clive is going to duel, and it should attract enough attention for us not to be noticed."

"I just wish we were allowed to keep the weapons higher than level three," muttered the first one. "What was the Master thinking?"

"He must have his reasons," said a third one. "Maybe that setting has something special built into it… I don't know.

"Now spread out. And keep your eyes peeled."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Indeed, the challenge had attracted attention. A few stragglers had gathered. And across the street, Persephone was watching with eager eyes.

El Toro Grande shuffled and Clive did the same.

"I hope you don't think this is going to be easy, Clive," warned Toro.

"No way, Jose," said Clive, loading his Disk. "Now let's get this started…"

"I hope this can bring Clive back on track," sighed Peter.

"Clive is better than he thinks he is," assured Yugi. "He only needs to prove it to himself."

Clive thrust his Disk forward and the holo-imagers shot out.

El Toro Grande did the same.

The Life Points set to 8,000 apiece.

"_**Comience el duelo!"**_ he shouted.

They both drew. Clive looked at his cards.

_Well,_ he thought. _I have Chick the Yellow and Meanae the Thorn, but I doubt they'll be tough enough for whatever he puts out…_

"Why don't you go first, Toro?" he said.

"_Gracias,_" said Toro, drawing.

He examined the card.

"I summon one Monster facedown in Defense," he said, throwing a card down, "and I end my turn."

The hidden facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

_Humph,_ thought Clive, drawing. _Not much of an opening move…_

He put a card down.

"I summon Little-Winguard, in Attack Mode!" he called out.

The little Warrior in blue armor appeared, hovering over his side of the field. (1,400/1,800)

"Little-Winguard, attack!" ordered Clive.

Little-Winguard flew forward…

"_Muchas gracias,_ Clive," smiled Toro.

A large squirrel appeared on the card, and Little Winguard sliced it in half.

"Nimble Momonga!" exclaimed Clive, in surprise.

Toro's Life Points went up to 9,000.

"Not only did that give me a boost in Life Points," laughed Toro, reaching for his deck, "but I get to summon another Nimble Momonga in Defense Mode!"

He pulled the card out of his deck and put it down on the field. Another squirrel appeared. (1,000/100)

His Disk reshuffled his deck.

"Don't worry Clive!" called Peter. "It's just a… minor setback… I hope."

"Yeah," muttered Clive. "Well, I'm activating Little-Winguard's effect, which let's me shift him into Defense Mode, even though I just summoned him in Attack Mode."

Little Winguard knelt.

"And I'll end my turn."

Toro drew.

"Well," he said. "I know you aren't _tonto_ enough to attack my other Momonga, so I'm going to Tribute it… to bring out the lethal Leopard Girl!"

He put the card down. Nimble Momonga vanished, and a man-shaped female form sprung onto the field. Dressed in a purple bikini and knee-high boots, she had a feral, catlike face with big green eyes, a long tail, and sharp claws. (1,950/1,700)

"Mee-Rowr!" she purred.

"Uh, okay, now I'm freaked…" gasped Mary.

"Look into her eyes, Clive," dared Toro. "Look, and you'll know what a predator's prey feels like minutes before dying!"

Clive looked. And it wasn't pretty.

"Leopard Girl," ordered Toro, "tear Little-Winguard apart!"

Leopard Girl pounced, and ripped Little-Winguard asunder with one swipe of her claws.

"Wow," gasped an onlooker. "I don't know whether I'm scared or in love!"

Clive drew.

_Gorg the Strong,_ he said, looking at the card. _He needs a Tribute to summon, and even if I managed, he'd be easy pickings for that Beast-Warrior. All I can do now is defend…_

He took another card.

"I summon a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card down.

The card appeared.

_I don't think he can summon anything as powerful as Leopard Girl…_ he thought.

Toro drew.

"Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode!" he announced.

He put the card down, and a huge, angry gorilla with smoke coming out of its nostrils appeared. (2,000/1,000)

_Not the first time I've been wrong…_ thought Clive, starting to perspire.

"Attack the facedown Monster!" ordered Toro. "Blazing berserk breath!"

Berserk Gorilla shot a stream of flames from its mouth; Masaki the Legendary Swordsman appeared on the facedown card, and was blown away.

"Now Leopard Girl…" continued Toro.

"Aw nuts…" moaned Clive.

"Attack him directly!"

Leopard Girl pounced! She seized Clive, wrapping her legs around his waist! Then she started dicing up his face!

"AAHHH!" shouted Clive. "Get off, get off, get off!"

"You're lucky, Clive," laughed Toro, as Leopard Girl slashed at him. "Usually she doesn't put a leg-lock on a guy until the second date!"

Leopard Girl released Clive, giving him a kick in the process and flipped away, causing him to fall backwards. His Life Points fell to 6,050, and the onlookers laughed.

"Uh, you gotta admit that was kinda funny…" chuckled Peter.

Mary slapped him.

"Sor-ry!" gasped Peter.

Persephone chuckled.

_I can't believe I left my camera back at the hotel!_ she thought. _Clive is gonna be lunch in a few turns!_

"Your move," said Toro.

Clive looked at Leopard Girl. These holograms were getting a little two realistic for his tastes. Not only was he covered with claw marks, but he could see his own blood dripping from Leopard Girl's claws!

Then he looked at Berserk Gorilla.

_I know that thing's weakness,_ he thought. _It HAS to attack whenever it can. That would make it easy for me to lead it into a trap, if I get a good card…_

He drew.

_Hey…_ he thought.

"I place one card facedown," he said, fitting the card into the slot.

"And then, Getsu Fuhma in Defense Mode," he continued, putting a card down.

The dark female warrior holding her katana appeared. She knelt down and leaned on her blade. (1,700/1,200)

"End turn," he said.

"Is that your best?" scoffed Toro, drawing. "Humph. Prepare to get another hug from Leopard Girl!

"Berserk Gorilla, attack Getsu Fuhma!"

Flames formed in Berserk Gorilla's mouth.

"Not this time, amigo!" shouted Clive, tapping his Disk. "Activate Magic-Arm Shield!"

The facedown card lifted.

"What?" gasped Toro. "A Trap?"

Getsu Fuhma got up, and a hinged Shield appeared on her left arm. The hinges opened, and a pair of grabbers shot out, seizing hold of Leopard Girl! The Beast-Warrior shrieked!

"With this," explained Clive, "I can grab your Leopard Girl and use her to block your Gorilla's attack!"

Getsu Fuhma swung Leopard Girl into the path of Berserk Gorilla's flaming breath! The Beast-Warrior screamed, and she was incinerated.

"Huh… too bad…" sighed Clive.

Toro's Life Points fell slightly, to 8,950. The crowd applauded.

"Wow, Clive did it!" cheered Mary.

"Only part of the problem," warned Yugi. "He still has the Gorilla to deal with…"

_Hmm..._ thought Toro. _That wasn't half bad… I'm going to have to start thinking a bit more strategically here…_

"I end my turn," he said.

"Good," said Clive, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"I play the Pot of Greed," he announced, putting the card into the slot.

He drew two cards. He looked at the first.

_Hey…_ he thought. _I've always wanted to try this Spell Card… trouble is, it requires a specific Monster to be on the field to use… and he isn't in my hand. Still, I might as well put it out on the field…_

He looked at the other one.

_And this one will take care of the more immediate problem!_

"I place two cards facedown," he announced, placing the cards into slots.

"And," he continued. "I shift Getsu Fuhma into Attack Mode!"

Getsu Fuhma shifted into Attack.

"And I end my turn," said Clive.

"Those cards are Traps, aren't they?" snarled Toro.

"Does it matter?" smiled Clive. "You have to order that Gorilla to attack… you don't have a choice… unless you use it as a Tribute, or shift it into Defense, in which case it will be destroyed…"

Toro drew.

_He's right,_ he thought. _And I have nothing good in my hand at all! Caramba..._

"Berserk Gorilla, attack Getsu Fuhma!"

Berserk Gorilla prepared to fire…

"You saw it coming!" laughed Clive. "Activate Reinforcements!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"This Trap will raise Getsu Fuhma's Attack score to 2,200 for the remainder of the turn, which is too much for your Gorilla to handle!"

Berserk Gorilla fired, and Getsu Fuhma leapt over the blast. She drove her sword through the Beast, and it exploded.

Toro's Life Points fell to 8,750.

"Yes!" shouted Peter. "Take him down, bro!"

"Ugh!" cursed Toro. "I end my turn."

Clive drew, as Getsu's Attack returned to her normal level.

"Here's a guy you might like," said Clive with a chuckle. "I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the Latino highwayman holding his twin machetes appeared. (1,500/1,500)

"Getsu Fuhma, attack him directly!" shouted Clive. "Whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu did a flip, bringing her sword down on Toro and making a deep cut! Toro screamed.

"Your turn, Pinaska!" yelled Clive. "Double machete slash attack!"

Double Pinaska charged, and made two swipes with his weapons!

Toro got up, bleeding from three huge gashes. His Life Points were down to 5,500.

_Huh,_ thought Persephone, _Clive really walloped him. I guess he does have a little bit of fight in him left. _

_Well, this is far from over…_

"Ha!" laughed an onlooker. "El Toro Grande… more like El Toro Pequeño!"

Toro looked at him.

"I'll deal with YOU later!" he snarled.

_Nothing good in my hand,_ he thought. _I have to draw something special…_

He drew.

"I play a Spell Card," he said. "Reload!"

He fit the card into the slot.

He put his hand into his deck, and the Disk reshuffled the deck.

"Now I draw a new hand," he said, making his draws.

_Excellente!_ he thought.

"I place one card facedown, and a Monster facedown in Defense," he exclaimed.

The two cards appeared.

"And it's your move."

Clive drew. He put the card down.

"I Tribute Double Pinaska," he exclaimed, "for the powerful Steel Fan Fighter!"

Double Pinaska braced his scimitars, and whirlwind erupted around him. He vanished, and a blue-clad Warrior came into view, with a long ponytail, seemingly dancing. He opened two large, razor-sharp fans, etched with symbols of dragons. (2,200/1,850).

"Well, that's a new one," said Mary.

"Getsu Fuhma," ordered Clive, "attack the facedown Monster!"

Getsu charged…

And another Nimble Momonga appeared on the card!

"No!" said Clive.

"That's right," said Toro. "I had three of them."

His Life Points went up to 6,500.

Clive cringed. _Oh well,_ he thought.

"Steel Fan Fighter," he said. "Attack him directly with fan dance attack!"

Steel Fan Fighter started to dance, and spun towards Toro, dramatically.

"Activate Waboku!" shouted Toro, hitting a button.

His facedown card lifted, and the three blue-garbed priestess sprang up, blocking the Fighter's assault.

"Nuts," said Clive. "End turn."

Toro drew.

He chuckled.

"Now I have you Clive," he laughed.

"I summon Battle Ox, in Attack Mode," he continued.

He put the card down, and the ferocious minotaur appeared, holding his mighty axe. (1,700/1,000)

"And now," he laughed, "a Spell Card… the powerful Riryoku!"

"Riryoku?" shouted Mary. "No!"

"I'll use it to steal half the Attack power from your Steel Fan Fighter," grinned Toro, "And add it to my Battle Ox!"

Steel Fan Fighter's Attack dropped to 1,100, while Battle Ox's rose to 2,800.

"Go my toro," ordered El Toro Grande. "Attack Steel Fan Fighter with battle axe crush!"

Battle Ox charged, and with one deft stroke, beheaded Steel Fan Fighter. His body slumped to the ground before vanishing.

Clive's Life Points fell to 4,250

_Crap,_ thought Clive. _Now I've got a super-strong bull to deal with… just like those masked nutjobs The Phantom had._

_But I ain't giving up…_

He drew.

_A Trap Card,_ he thought. _This would go well with the Spell Card I have on the field, if only I had the means to play it! But I might as well put it down…_

"I place one card facedown," he said. "And I switch Getsu Fuhma back to Defense Mode."

He placed the card down, and Getsu knelt.

"And that will end my turn."

Toro drew.

"Now, my Battle Ox," he said.

He paused.

_He put another card facedown,_ he thought. _That could be another Trap. Clive is no idiot… Best not chance it until I'm sure…_

"I will pass this turn," he said.

_Phew,_ thought Clive.

He drew.

"I place another card facedown," he said, putting the card facedown. "And I end my turn."

"Three cards facedown?" pondered Peter. "He's setting something big up."

"Indeed," said Yugi.

Yugi thought.

_Clive hasn't summoned a single one of his Dark Scorpions yet,_ he thought. _I have a suspicion I know what he's trying to do. And if he manages, it will be a nasty surprise for Toro…_

Toro drew.

He growled.

_Enough with this chickening out,_ he thought.

"Battle Ox," he shouted. "Attack Getsu Fuhma!"

Battle Ox charged.

"Bad move there, Paco," chuckled Clive, hitting a button.

The last card he had placed lifted.

"Activate Shadow Spell!" he shouted.

Chains erupted from the ground, and wrapped around Battle Ox! As he struggled against them, his Attack power went down to 2,100.

"Ole!" exclaimed Clive.

Toro growled again.

_Well,_ thought Persephone. _El Toro Grande screwed up. Why am I not surprised?_

Toro picked out another card.

"I finish my move by summoning Tauros the Bull in Defense Mode," he said.

He placed the card down, and a huge bull with an iron hide and huge horns appeared in front of him. (100/2,300)

"Hiding behind a defensive wall, huh, Toro?" said Clive. "Am I getting too tough for you?"

"Just move!" snarled Toro.

Clive drew.

He swapped cards on his Disk.

"I Tribute Getsu Fuhma," he said, "to summon Freed the Matchless General!"

Getsu vanished in a burst of wind, and Freed appeared, raising his sword menacingly! (2,300/1,700)

"Go Freed," ordered Clive. "Turn that Battle Ox into roast beef!"

Freed swung his mighty greatsword, and cleaved Battle Ox in half! Toro's Life Points fell down to 6,300.

_Yeah!_ thought Clive. _I'm getting the hang of this! And as soon as I draw the right card, my secret weapon can be unveiled!_

Toro drew.

_This will be good when I have the right cards for it,_ he thought. _And since I'm safe while Tauros is in Defense Mode…_

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Mary. "He's up to something."

"Yeah," sighed Peter. "Something big…"

Clive drew.

_Hmm,_ he thought. _This might be good for later… And it might discourage him some more…_

"I place one card facedown," he said. "And I end my turn."

The facedown card appeared next to the two he already had facedown.

Toro drew.

"I pass again," he muttered. "Your move."

The crowd started to grumble.

"Come on people!" yelled someone. "Let's get back to the fighting!"

"Yeah!" said another.

"All in good time!" shouted Toro.

Clive drew.

_Now I have Cliff, Chick, Gorg, and Meanae in my hand,_ he thought. He looked at his deck. _But blast it, Don! Where are you hiding?_

"Sorry everyone," said Clive. "But I have to pass as well."

Everyone groaned.

Persephone sighed.

_I wonder if I have time to go to the ladies room before this starts up again?_ she thought. _Nah, better not chance it._

Toro drew.

"Don't worry everyone," he said. "Things are about to heat up!"

He placed a card in a slot.

"I play the Spell Card known as War Lion Ritual!" he exclaimed.

"War Lion Ritual?" said Peter. "Don't you have that card Mary?"

"Uh huh," affirmed Mary.

A shape like a fiery lion appeared on the field.

"And to complete this ceremony," said Toro. "I sacrifice one Leogun and one Mad Dog of Darkness!"

The fierce dog and large lion appeared on the field, and were consumed by the fire…

And out of the fire, a huge lion-man with a flaming mane and razor sharp claws appeared!

"I summon Super War Lion!" shouted Toro.

(2,300/2,100)

"True," smiled Toro. "This Beast's Attack power is equal to that of Freed's, but soon I will draw an Equip that will make him powerful enough to defeat that Warrior!"

"My turn is over."

Clive drew. He smiled.

"You know, Toro," he grinned. "Why wait?"

He pointed his finger at Super War Lion.

"Freed the Matchless General, attack Super War Lion!" he commanded.

As Freed raised his sword, everyone gasped.

"They'll destroy each other!" shouted Toro in horror, as the two Monsters rushed towards each other.

"That's the idea!" laughed Clive.

There was an explosion where Freed the Matchless General and Super War Lion collided, and the two were thrown back. They gasped, and vanished.

"Um, Yugi," muttered Peter. "Why do you suppose Clive did that?"

Yugi smiled.

"Just wait," he said.

_Okay,_ thought Persephone. _Either Clive just made the most boneheaded move I've _ever_ seen, or he has a secret strategy behind what he just did. Either way, what happens next isn't going to be pretty._

"You're going to pay for that Clive," cursed Toro, drawing.

He put a card down.

"I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, in Attack Mode!"

The one-horned, lion-like beast appeared with a roar! (1,500/1,200)

"Attack Clive directly!" said the infuriated Toro. "Claws of fury!"

Gazelle pounced, and raked his claws across Clive's chest. Clive fell over with a gasp.

Gazelle looked down at him with a growl and backed up towards his master. Clive's Life Points fell to 2,750.

Clive got up and clutched his side.

"You may have won that round, Toro," he said, drawing. "But get ready, because I'm about to make a move that's harder to pull off than the childproof cap of a bottle of medicine!"

"What?" asked Toro.

"First," smiled Clive. "I summon the leader of the Dark Scorpions, Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and Don Zaloog appeared, brandishing his rapier and dagger! (1,400/1,500)

"How's he supposed to help?" mocked Toro. "He can't defeat Gazelle!"

"Don here is the _leader_ of the Dark Scorpions, Toro," said Clive. "Where he goes, his team is never far behind. In simpler terms, he has a special ability. With him on the field, I can activate a very powerful Spell Card…"

He hit a button on his Disk, and one of his three facedown cards lifted.

"It's called Mustering of the Dark Scorpions," continued Clive. "by using this card, Don can summon to the field any members of his team that I currently hold in my hand…

"And Toro, I have all four of them right now!"

He threw down four cards.

"Presenting!" exclaimed Clive. "Cliff the Trap Remover!"

Cliff rose from the ground, and brandished his long dagger. (1,200/1,000)

"Chick the Yellow!" shouted Clive.

Chick appeared, and twirled his quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000)

"Gorg the Strong!" yelled Clive.

The mighty Gorg rose up, menacingly holding his mace. (1,800/1,500)

"And last but certainly not least," smiled Clive, "the glamorous, gorgeous, and quite deadly Meanae the Thorn!"

Meanae sprung up, and lashed her whip towards Toro. (1,000/1,800)

"ALL of his Dark Scorpions in one turn?" gasped Mary. "Peter! Did you know he could do that?"

"Um, no…" stuttered Peter. "I think I heard him mention a card called Mustering of the Dark Scorpions, but he never told me what it did…"

"Now," smiled Clive. "My band of thieves is ready to attack, and I'm not finished yet! I activate my Trap Card…"

Another of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Dark Scorpion Combination!"

"D-dark Scorpion C-combination?" stammered Toro.

"This Trap can only be played when all five Scorpions are on the field together," said Clive. "It lets them all bypass your Monsters and hit you with for a special direct attack, for 400 points of damage apiece!"

The Dark Scorpions got into battle formation.

"Go my Scorpions!" hollered Clive. "Hit him with everything you've got! PUNISH HIM!"

The next minute was a massacre. Cliff the Trap Remover stabbed at Toro's chest with his dagger. Chick the Yellow clobbered him in the ribs with his staff. Meanae the Thorn lashed him from behind with her whip. Gorg the Strong smashed him in the head with his mighty mace. And Don Zaloog ran him through with his long rapier. Toro fell to the ground, and his Life Points fell to 2,300.

Everyone cheered as the five Dark Scorpions gave each other hi-fives.

"Wow!" shouted a girl. "I haven't seen a move like that since… I _haven't_ seen a move like that!"

Toro got up, and looked at the five bandits facing him.

_Que lastima!_ he thought. _Not even Persephone hurt me that bad in our last duel!_

He looked at his hand.

_But all I need to do is stay alive until I can summon my own secret weapon, and Clive won't stand a chance! And with Tauros protecting me, he won't be able to attack me directly again…_

He drew.

"Heh, heh," he laughed. "Just what I needed."

"Oh?" said Clive.

"I play a Spell Card," laughed Toro. "It's called Beat The Odds!"

"Beat The Odds?" said Clive, puzzled.

Toro plugged the card into the slot, and suddenly, the eyes of all five of the Dark Scorpions glowed. Beams of shining energy coursed from them, and flew into Toro. His body glowed.

"Consider Beat The Odds the opposite of Just Desserts," explained Toro. "This Spell Card heals my Life Points by 300 points for every Monster my opponent has on the field. And since you have five, I get the maximum of 1,500 Life Points!"

His Life Point total went up to 3,800.

"Now I'll shift Gazelle into Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

Gazelle sat in Defense.

Clive drew.

"Sorry, Toro," smiled Clive. "But I just drew an Equip card… Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

"Huh?" said Toro.

"I'll equip it to Gorg the Strong!" announced Clive, fitting it into the slot.

Gorg's mace vanished, and was replaced by a huge sword. His Attack score went up to 2,600.

"Now Gorg, attack Tauros the Bull!" shouted Clive.

Gorg swung the mighty blade, and beheaded the great bull.

"I hate to destroy my own birth sign," sighed Clive. "Don Zaloog, destroy Gazelle! Sting of the Scorpions attack!"

Don leapt up, and drove his sword through Gazelle, impaling the Beast! He roared and fell.

"Now, Chick, Cliff, Meanae, ATTACK!" shouted Clive.

The three remaining Dark Scorpions charged at Toro! He screamed, but they showed no mercy. They tackled him and punched him to the ground.

They backed off, and Meanae giggled. Toro's Life Points fell to a pathetic 600.

Toro groaned and got up.

"If you think that was bad," smiled Clive. "You have two effects to deal with. Since Cliff damaged your Life Points, you have to discard two cards from the top of your deck…"

Toro sneered, and discarded the cards.

"And due to Chick," explained Clive. "Well, listen closely. I get to see the top card on your deck without you seeing it, and then decide whether or not to put it at the top or the bottom of the deck.

Toro sighed. He drew the card and held it up.

_Hmm?_ thought Clive, looking at it. _The Trojan Horse? That doesn't look too impressive… only 1,600 Attack points… oh well…_

"Put it back on top," said Clive.

Toro did so.

"I end my turn," he continued.

"He's gonna do it," said Peter excitedly. "One more attack, and Clive has him cold! He's coming back! Clive is coming back!"

_Dang,_ thought Persephone. _Well, it was fun while it lasted…_

Toro drew.

He gave an odd look.

_I'll have to speed things up,_ he thought. _This won't be my secret weapon, but it's close enough…_

He added the card to his hand.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense," he said. "And one card facedown."

He put the cards down.

"Make your move," he dared, with a mean look.

Clive smiled as he drew. "Gorg the Strong…" he started.

He paused.

_Wait a second…_ he thought.

"Bring on your attack, Clive," dared Toro.

_Throughout this whole duel, Toro has played only one Trap Card,_ thought Clive, _and that was Waboku. Could he have been saving something nasty for last?_

He paused again.

_For all I know, that facedown card could be something to wipe out my whole side,_ he thought. _And I don't have much left to go with… Better play it safe._

"I pass this turn," he said.

Toro chuckled. "Too bad," he laughed. "You'd have won if you had attacked. But it's too late now…"

_Crud,_ thought Clive.

"I'll show you what this Monster is," said Toro. "I Flip-Summon The Trojan Horse!"

A large wooden horse came into existence. (1,600/1,200)

"Huh?" said Clive.

"This Monster exists to be Tributed," said Toro, with a grin. "Because if I Tribute it for an Earth Monster, it counts as TWO Tributes!

Clive clutched his forehead. _Should have looked at that card's description closer…_ he thought.

"Thus, I Tribute The Trojan Horse," laughed Toro, "to summon Big Koala, in Attack Mode!"

The Trojan Horse vanished, and a huge form rose on the playing field. It was huge koala, fifteen feet tall, with blue fur, and huge claws! (2,700/2,000)

"Aw… crapola…" moaned Mary.

"Well, he's certainly 'Big'…" gasped an onlooker.

"Big Koala," commanded Toro, "attack Gorg the Strong with outback bash!"

The huge marsupial lumbered forward and punched Gorg, smashing him. Clive's Life Points fell to 2,650.

"Looks like I broke up your team, Clive," grinned Toro.

"Not yet, you didn't," said Clive. "Forget about my last facedown card?"

He tapped a button and it lifted.

"Activate Fallen Comrade!" he exclaimed.

"What?" said Toro. "Fallen Comrade?"

"The Dark Scorpions are a team, like you said, Toro," explained Clive. "They won't leave a member behind if they can help it. Fallen Comrade works when more than one of them is on the field and one is sent to the Graveyard. I just have to discard one card from my hand…"

He did so.

"…and Gorg the Strong returns."

Gorg appeared again, in a kneeling position, with his original stats of 1,800/1,500.

"Then it's your move," said Toro.

"So now what?" gasped Mary. "That thing is even stronger than his Crescent Moon Queen!"

"Clive still has options," said Yugi. "Many of them. He just has to find them."

_Okay,_ thought Clive. _If I were to draw Negative Energy right now, it would double the Attack power of all my Scorpions, making both Gorg and Don stronger than Big Koala, and I'd win easily. But first I have to draw it…_

He drew.

_But this isn't it!_

"I shift all my Warriors to Defense Mode," he said. "And I end my turn."

All of the Dark Scorpions knelt in Defense.

Toro drew.

He grinned a grin that Clive did not like at all.

"Tell me something Clive," he asked. "Did you ever see that old, old movie _The Wizard of Oz_ when you were a child?"

"Course I did," replied Clive. "Didn't everybody?"

"You loved it didn't you?" asked Toro. "Who wouldn't love such a timeless classic?"

"Just move, okay?"

"That is my move," said Toro.

"I don't follow…" questioned Clive.

"Watch," said Toro. "I first summon Des Kangaroo in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and a large kangaroo with green fur, dressed in a purple vest and red boxing gloves appeared next to Big Koala. (1,500/1,700)

"And now," chuckled Toro. "I activate my facedown card… Polymerization!"

The card lifted, and the two Beasts turned into globs of blue and green light. They swirled together, and the swirl grew… and grew and grew!

"I summon the most powerful Beast ever to grace the face of Duel Monsters," said Toro, as the sky began to darken. "I summon… _**Master of Oz**_!"

Clive stared aghast at the… thing in front of him. The only Monster he had ever seen that was bigger was Siegfried's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. This Beast, standing half-again as large as Big Koala, resembled a huge, green koala-shaped teddy-bear with a face like a pug dog, and a pouch on its belly, wearing a purple vest and red boxing gloves just like Des Kangaroo's, along with red sneakers! (4,200/3,700)

"Good lord!" shouted someone watching. "That thing's so big, its head is in a different time zone than its tail!"

_Hold the phone…_ thought Persephone. _Things just changed… in a big way! I think my plan is going to work!_

"Of course," smiled Toro, "for all its power, it's still a Fusion Monster, so I have to end my turn there."

"Okay," gasped Mary. "So now what?"

"I hate to say it," mumbled Peter. "But I think Clive is going to lose again…"

"Don't listen to them Clive!" called Yugi. "Believe in yourself!"

_Believe in myself,_ thought Clive, looking at the goliath. _I wish I could…_

He drew.

_Lovely. NOW I get Negative Energy! One round too late! Even with this boost none of the Scorpions would be strong enough!_

"I pass, there's nothing I can do!" he said.

"In that case," smiled Toro, "Master of Oz, attack Gorg the Strong with cyclone punch!"

Master of Oz wound up, and threw a punch, throwing a tornado at Gorg, and he was demolished.

"One down, four to go," laughed Toro.

Clive drew.

_Useless! _he thought, looking at it.

"I have to pass again!" he said.

Toro chuckled.

"Attack Don Zaloog!" he commanded.

Master of Oz threw his cyclone punch, and Don was flattened.

_There's only one Monster in my deck that can possibly help,_ thought Clive. _And I have to draw her before it's too late…_

He drew.

_Nuts, nuts, nuts, nuts, NUTS!_ he thought, in frustration.

"I pass again…" he growled.

Toro chuckled as he drew.

"This is _muy fácil_!" he laughed. "Attack Cliff the Trap Remover!"

Master of Oz let loose his punch and obliterated Cliff.

"My secret weapon is blowing you away!" laughed Toro. "But I guess that's how it goes…"

Clive sighed.

_Maybe I should just give up…_ he thought. _This is just going to be embarrassing all over again…_

He clenched his fist.

_NO!_

_This guy was right. The instant I quit, that's the time I officially become a loser! I'm not gonna give up!_

He quickly reached for his deck and whipped out a card.

_Well whaddaya know? _he thought.

_You let me down last time, thanks to my dumb mistake, but maybe we can do better this time. Let's hope that Master of Oz doesn't have any crazy effects like that Masked Beast did!_

He threw the card down.

"I'm going to Tribute Chick the Yellow and Meanae the Thorn," said Clive. "To summon the mighty Crescent Moon Queen, in Attack Mode!"

Chick and Meanae hi-fived each other, and then vanished. In their place, the lovely queen of the night arose, bearing her silver scimitars. (2,600/1,700)

"He summoned the Queen?" asked Peter. "But what good…"

"Shhh!" said Yugi.

"Hmph," said Toro. "That Warrior may be strong, but I don't see how she can help you. Even with any Equip I know of, she can't bring down Master of Oz…"

"I'm not done," interrupted Clive. "I have a Spell Card too… a powerful one called Negative Energy!"

He fit the card into the slot.

"This card doubles the Attack power of every Dark Monster on the field," said Clive. "That brings my Queen's Attack all the way up to 5,200!"

A nimbus of dark energy surrounded the Queen, and her Attack power doubled. Toro gasped.

"No!" he gasped.

"Go, your highness!" shouted Clive. "Attack Master of Oz with crescent sword slash!"

Crescent Moon Queen made a great leap, and cleaved Master of Oz down the middle! She leapt back, and the huge Beast exploded!

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road!" laughed Clive.

Toro's Life Points fell to zero. Crescent Moon Queen slowly sheathed her swords.

She looked at Clive and smiled.

Toro looked dumbfounded. He fell to his knees. "You… you defeated Master of Oz…" he said.

"Defeated it?" said someone in the crowd. "He massacred it!"

Yugi, Mary, and Peter crowded around Clive.

"You did it!" cheered Mary, hugging Clive.

"See?" laughed Peter. "Could a loser have brought down something like _that_?"

El Toro Grande got up.

"Well," he muttered. "I guess you know as well as I do now that you can't win them all…"

He hit a button on his Disk, and the holo-imagers retracted. He turned to leave.

"_Adios amigos_," he said.

"Toro?" said Clive.

"Si?" asked Toro, looking back.

"Thanks," said Clive. "Thanks for the pep talk. You helped me get my confidence back."

Toro paused.

"_De nada_," he answered.

Clive looked at his Disk.

_Well, I'm back to Blue,_ he thought. _It's a start at least._

"Come on guys," he said. "All that talk about bulls has made me hungry for hamburgers. Yugi, where was that place that Persephone took you where the cheeseburgers were so great?"

Meanwhile, Persephone sighed.

_Well, that's one plan down the tubes,_ she thought. _I could challenge Clive now, but it would be pointless. Even if I beat him, he'd just find somebody else and win again._

_But I will find a way to bring them down…_

She left a tip on the table and left herself.

As Yugi and his friends left to find the restaurant, four shadows followed them.

"Can you believe he took down Master of Oz?" said one of them. "No wonder the Master wants us following them."

"So what do you think we're supposed to protect them from?" said another. "It would help if we had some I.D."

"Just keep your eyes out for anyone who looks out of the ordinary," said a third. "I used to be a cop in Los Angeles… I can smell crooks from a thousand feet away, even if they're dressed in the most inconspicuous of disguises. It's the little mistakes that give them away…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A dinner of cheeseburgers, fries, and chocolate malteds later, shadows were lengthening, and Yugi and his friends started back towards Cosmo Queen's Castle.

Their four bodyguards followed them from a distance.

Some feet away, Mordent watched with eager eyes.

_Time for me to put the B-47 Maneuver into play,_ he thought. _But first I have to get rid of those Centurions…_

He scurried out of his hiding place, and drew a card from his deck while he did.

"Well, they're almost to their hotel, guys," sighed the female bodyguard. "Once they're there, the Master said he'll have the place guarded, so we can call it a night and…"

Mordent leapt in front of them.

"Hello, folks," he announced. "You're Centurions aren't you? Tell me, does this job pay well?"

They looked at each other in surprise.

But only for a second.

"Plenty," said one of them, as they drew their weapons. "And you aren't going to keep us from doing it!"

"Now you can come quietly," warned another, as they took aim, "or we can do it the hard way. Now raise 'em!"

"Really?" said Mordent. "Okay, I surrender…"

He slowly held his hands up in the air… holding a card up with his right hand.

"Activate Mesmeric Control!" he shouted.

A large hypno-screen appeared in front of him, and the four Centurions gasped. They fell over into a deep slumber.

"Nighty-night," laughed Mordent.

He took out his Yami card.

"Now for Yugi…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends were on their way back to the hotel strip, Yugi's Puzzle activated, and he paused.

"Yugi," said Yami. "Wait. I sense a presence…"

"What?" said Yugi.

"Something similar to what attacked us this morning. It's nearby…"

"Everybody!" warned Yugi. "Stop for a minute!"

"Yeah, Yug'?" asked Clive.

"Something approaches…" said Yugi.

Darkness started to grow again, just like last time.

"Stick together people…" said Peter.

Mordent came out of the shadows, this time alone.

"You!" shouted Yugi. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Huh?" said Mordent. "Oh. Right. We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Mordent, and if you must know, my master sent me… He has his eye on you Yugi, although I'm not at liberty to discuss why."

"Who's your master?" demanded Yugi.

"You might meet him if you survive the night," said Mordent. "In the meantime, don't expect Jade to come to your rescue this time. She is being disposed of as we speak."

"Then we'll deal with you ourselves!" shouted Clive, rolling up his sleeves.

Mordent whipped out a card.

"Nightmare Steel Cage!" he shouted.

Yugi was thrown back, and flames erupted around Mary, Clive, and Peter! Within minutes, a dome-like iron cage studded with spikes formed around them!

"Hey!" yelled Mary.

"Let them go, you fiend!" ordered Yugi.

"Uh, uh, uh!" warned Mordent, shaking his finger. "You aren't in any position to make demands, Yugi. Now here's the deal. You have to duel for their release. Win, and I'll let you all go… lose, and you surrender your soul!"

Mary, Clive, and Peter gasped.

"Suppose I refuse?" snarled Yugi, now angry.

Mordent snapped his fingers, and the Nightmare Steel Cage started to glow. Suddenly, sharp spikes sprouted all over the interior and started to lengthen towards the three prisoners!

"Yugi, don't do it!" shouted Clive, as the three of them moved to the center. "Run! Save yourself!"

"NO!" shouted Yugi. "Turn it off, Mordent! I'll do it!"

Mordent snapped his fingers again, and the spikes retracted.

"So, I guess it's true that the son of the great King of Games never refuses a challenge," he sighed.

"When my friend's lives are at stake," sneered Yugi, "no challenge is too great… So get your deck ready."

Mordent laughed.

"I never said _I_ would duel you," he smiled. "Your opponent is here!"

He set down the briefcase that Saurius had given him.

"You want me to duel a briefcase?" said Yugi, puzzled.

"The duelist is _in_ the briefcase!" said Mordent, with a laugh. "This container contains my little friend… a memory imp!"

"Memory imp?" gasped Mary. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"Let me explain," said Mordent. "A memory imp is a demon that can read memories. Now, no-one is sure what a memory imp looks like when it's alone… whenever it appears, it takes a form taken from the memories it reads.

"And the imp can't just read _your_ memories either! Just by looking at you, it can read the memories of anyone related to you, living or dead!

"Thus, when the imp is released, it will read the memories of you and your entire family line, choose a duel that you or one member of your family participated in, and take the form of the opponent in that duel! Of course, since Duel Monsters is a relatively new game, it will be limited to opponents from you, your parents, and your great-grandfather's memories.

"Whatever form the imp takes, it will use that duelist's deck and a similar strategy. But one thing is different… it obeys me entirely!

"Ready Yugi?"

The briefcase started to rattle.

"Who do you suppose it could be?" gasped Peter.

"Dunno," stuttered Mary. "That imp sure has a lot to choose from… it could be Siegfried's uncle… or Jade's mother…"

She gasped.

"It could even be my father! Yugi told me once that Marik once forced them to duel each other…"

Yugi watched, and fear grew inside him, as the briefcase began to shake dramatically…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TAUROS THE BULL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Flavor Text: **This hefty bovine possesses a hide that can repel attacks from most weapons.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BEAT THE ODDS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A knight in armor facing down Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

**Card Description: **Increase your Life Points by 300 for every Monster on your opponent's side of the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN COMRADE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Gorg the Strong carrying a wounded Meanae the Thorn in his arms.

**Card Description: **You can only activate this card when you control one or more face up "Dark Scorpion" Monsters, or Monsters that are named "Don Zaloog" or "Cliff the Trap Remover", and one of them is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon the destroyed Monster from your Graveyard.


	24. Fairy of the Spring

_**Okay, long story made short: This Duelatopia tournament has taken a nasty turn for me and my friends.**_

_**This morning, we were attacked by an ugly nutjob who could turn cards into real monsters. Not holographic monsters, I mean REAL monsters. We were saved thanks to Jade, but the ugly nutjob got away. **_

_**It's now about nine hours and two tournament duels later (one involving me, one involving Clive), and that same ugly nutjob has come back. He's used his powers to trap Mary, Clive, and Peter in a solid Nightmare Steel Cage, and says I have to duel. If I don't, their lives are forfeit; If I accept and lose, my soul is forfeit. **_

_**Now comes the crazy part. The opponent I have to duel is something that the nutjob calls a "memory imp," which can not only read my memories, but that of my whole family line! It will chose an opponent that either I, my father, my mother, or my great grandfather once faced in a Duel Monster's duel, and take the form of him or her.**_

_**How many possibilities does this imp have to choose from? Literally hundreds. And from what my father told me about his career, some of his foes struck pretty hard.**_

_**I'm open to suggestions…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Fairy of the Spring**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The briefcase continued to shake and wobble.

The eyes of Yugi and his three friends were on it.

"All right ugly," sneered Yugi to Mordent. "How long before we get the grand opening?"

"Patience is a virtue, Yugi," smiled Mordent. "The imp is reading your family's memories, and it's making up its mind."

"If you think I'm going to stand around while a stupid imp makes up its mind…" snarled Yugi, angrily.

"Uh, uh!" warned Mordent. "Remember, one word from me, and your friends will end up looking like Swiss cheese!"

"Yugi, _please!_" begged Mary from inside the cage. "Run for your life! For all you know that thing could turn into Marik!"

"I won't leave you behind…" said Yugi, somberly. "I don't have a choice…"

"Then you'll just have to wait," frowned Mordent.

He gestured, and a small armchair appeared behind him. He sat down and reclined on it.

The briefcase shook more than ever, and finally, it burst open!

"Here it comes…" sighed Peter, starting to perspire.

A cloud of smoke issued from the briefcase, and a noise sounding like… a girlish giggle… emitted from it.

The cloud drifted to a spot thirty feet in front of Yugi, and a shadowy shape appeared. Two glowing red eyes came into view…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Somewhere else, the four bodyguards who Mordent had attacked woke up.

"Oh, my head…" moaned one of them.

They all pressed a series of buttons on their specially designed Disks.

"Johnson!" shouted one of them. "Yugi's Disk isn't responding!"

"Neither is Mary's!" gasped another.

"The Master is going to kill us…" groaned Johnson.

He took a small device out of his pocket.

Meanwhile in his command center, Siegfried, aka the Master of Games, was already upset.

"Try harder!" he shouted at a technician. "We have to find her!"

"Johnson to Master of Games," said a voice from inside his helmet.

_Now what?_ he thought.

"Master of Games here," he said.

"Sir," said Johnson. "We were attacked by some weirdo… possibly one with supernatural powers… and now we can't track Yugi and the others."

"What?" exclaimed the Master. "First Jade and Amber, now Yugi and his group too? Start an APB and scour the area!"

"Yes sir," said Johnson.

"Melissa!" he shouted at the technician.

"Already on it chief," she said. "I'll run a search for their Disks."

"Try concentrating a search on one Disk at a time," ordered the Master, "starting with Yugi's. Where he is, Mary, Clive, and Peter won't be far away. And keep looking for Jade's."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends looked at the form before him, dumbfounded.

They had suspected someone intimidating.

But frankly, they couldn't imagine anyone who looked _less_ intimidating.

Standing before him was a young girl, who looked to be no more than eight years old. She had aquamarine eyes and blonde hair tied in long pigtails, held with red beads. She wore a pink jacket and a red skirt.

Even worse, to complete this picture of innocence, she clutched a teddy bear in her left arm.

"Hi, Yugi!" she laughed with a big smile and a wave.

Mary was aghast! She closed her eyes with an expression of sheer hate…

"Well!" chuckled Mordent. "A novel choice, my imp!"

"What in the name of…?" gasped Clive in astonishment. "Yugi, who is…"

"Oh… my… God…" stammered Yugi.

He paused.

"_Rebecca?"_ he gasped.

"So, your father told you about me," giggled the girl. "Good! I like making an impression."

"Yugi, who is this?" asked Clive. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"It's no joke, Clive," said Yugi, with a growl. "Rebecca Hawkins was a child prodigy who was the national Duel Monsters champion of America. Her grandfather was a close friend of my great-grandfather, and when he saved his life, her grandfather gave him his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card – the one that Seto Kaiba later tore up.

"But Rebecca was certain that the card had been stolen. My dad had to duel her to drive some sense into her head."

He looked at the imp.

"How dare you befoul the image of a child?" he demanded. "You'll pay for this blasphemy!"

"I'm playing to win, Yugi," smiled "Rebecca." "And I not only have Rebecca's looks, I have all of her dueling skills, and all of her smarts!"

She turned to the teddy bear.

"Isn't that right, teddy?" she said.

She held the bear up and spoke through it like a puppet.

"Yup! Gonna chew you up and spit you out, Yugi!"

"This is insane…" muttered Mary, holding her head.

"Look people," said Mordent, "we haven't got all night, so can we get this started?"

"If I have to, I must!" shouted Yugi.

His Puzzle glowed, and Yami merged his spirit with his. The change overtook him.

Rebecca's left arm glowed, and an odd Disk appeared on it. It was the same shape as a Dueling Disk X-5500, but it was made of black metal. The Monster slots were red with the image of a triangle inside them, and where the gem would be was a pentagram – a five-pointed star in a circle.

She placed the teddy bear in her right hand and raised the Disk. Holo-imagers shot out, and landed to her sides, and the Disk snapped into place.

Yugi did the same. The Life Point counters set to 8,000.

"Tee, hee," giggled Rebecca, tucking the teddy bear behind her Disk. "DUEL!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Master of Games!" said Melissa. "I was able to get a fix on Yugi's Disk!"

"Finally!" said the Master. "Where is he?"

Several Centurions were now present in the room, watching the progress.

"THAT I'm still working on… but uhm… he appears do have just started a duel…"

"What?" said the Master. "Who's his opponent?"

"I'll check…" said Melissa.

She typed in some commands.

"No good!" she sighed. "His opponent's Disk isn't responding."

The Master rubbed his chin.

"Enter the following code, and then try to get a fix on it again," he ordered. "3-6-9-12-15-18-21-24."

"You got it…" she said.

She typed in the code and rebooted the search.

"I got it!" she said, as two images came up.

"Um… apparently the Disk his opponent is using is one that was reported stolen three months ago. And it's been tapered with… I don't think I can shut it down from here…"

"Damn," cursed the Master.

"Master of Games," she said, "I could shut down Yugi's Disk and put a stop to this…"

"NO!" shouted the Master. "We can't do that!"

"Huh?" asked Melissa.

"If you shut down Yugi's Disk," warned the Master, "Yugi will have to forfeit, and he'll lose…"

"But this is an unsanctioned duel," said Melissa. "He won't lose status…"

"It might be worse," muttered the Master. "If what I suspect is true, the stakes of this duel might be far more high than mere status in the tournament… all we can do is watch, and hope he's as good as his reputation says he is…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi made his draws.

_My info on Rebecca is cloudy,_ he thought, _but I do know that she was a genius. That makes this a risky gambit at best… And if this thing truly read my father's memories, she must know every move he made in that duel, making it hard to surprise her…_

"You think this little girl actually stood up to Yugi's dad?" pondered Clive, scratching his head.

Mary looked at Rebecca strangely. She seemed very upset for some reason.

"I don't know," she sighed. "But that imp chose her for a reason… out so many good duelists it could have cloned, why this one?"

"Hmm," muttered Rebecca, looking at her hand. "Guess I'll… No, that's too obvious. Maybe… no, not just yet…"

"Maybe it was to drive us crazy," muttered Peter.

"I'll summon one Monster facedown in Defense Mode and end my turn," she said.

She put the card down, and it appeared in front of her.

"Okay Yugi," she chuckled. "Let's see what you've got in that wimpy deck of yours!"

Yugi drew.

_Not bad,_ he thought.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and Grepher appeared with his large blade. (1,700/1,600)

"Think _that's_ 'wimpy'?" asked Yugi. "Attack!"

Warrior Dai Grepher charged, and raised his sword.

A large, red, spherical creature with three eyes and a toothy mouth appeared on the facedown card.

"Huh?" said Yugi. "Sangan?"

Warrior Dai Grepher cleaved through the Fiend and it vanished.

"Thanks a bunch Yugi!" smiled Rebecca. "Since you just destroyed Sangan, I get to search my deck for something with a really lousy Attack score!"

She giggled and reached for her deck.

"I know that…" sighed Yugi.

She got what she needed and plugged the deck back in. With a whir, the deck was reshuffled.

"Now then," she said, adding it to her hand. "Any other move you want to make?"

"No, just move," he responded.

She drew.

"I'll place another Monster facedown in Defense Mode…"

She placed the card facedown, and it appeared in front of her.

"Wonder who it could be…" she said with a sly smile.

"We'll find out, won't we?" growled Yugi, drawing a card.

"Beaver Warrior, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He placed the card down, and the armored rodent leapt up with a squeal. (1,200/1,500)

"Warrior Dai Grepher, attack the facedown Monster!" he said.

The Warrior charged again…

Another form appeared on the card, this one a tall woman with a long, dark robe.

"No!" gasped Yugi.

Warrior Dai Grepher struck, and the Spellcaster was obliterated.

"Witch of the Black Forest too?" exclaimed Clive. "This squirt isn't fooling around."

"Hee, hee," giggled Rebecca. "And you know what that means…"

"You get to search for a Monster with low Defense now," said Yugi.

"Uh huh…" affirmed Rebecca.

Rebecca reached for her deck again and searched for another card.

She plugged it back in, and the deck reshuffled again.

"Well my turn isn't over yet, Rebecca, so…" started Yugi.

He paused.

He held his forehead.

_Okay, Yugi, get a grip,_ he thought. _She ISN'T a little girl, she's a demon disguised as one… keep telling yourself that…_

"Beaver Warrior," he ordered, "attack her directly!"

"EEEEEEE!" screamed Rebecca as Beaver Warrior charged towards her. He made a swipe with his her sword, knocking her down and opening a deep cut!

Mary cringed…

The imp's Life Points fell to 6,800.

"If the reason you chose Rebecca was to guilt me out of making direct attacks," accused Yugi, "you failed miserably! I know that behind that cute disguise you're really a hideous beast!"

"Really?" smiled Rebecca, sitting up. "Well who cares?"

She made a raspberry at Yugi.

"My turn now," she said, getting up and drawing.

"I'll place a_nother_ Monster facedown in Defense."

A third facedown card appeared in front of her.

"Well," sighed Mary. "It can't be another Witch or Sangan…"

Yugi drew and looked at the card.

_Maybe I can fool this thing,_ he thought, _by playing a Monster that my father DIDN'T use back then. It's worth a shot…_

"Skilled White Magician in Attack Mode," he said, placing a card down. The white-robed sorcerer appeared in a flash of light. (1,700/1,900)

"Now, Warrior Dai Grepher, attack again!" he said.

Warrior Dai Grepher charged.

And then a loud "SPROING!" was heard.

They all looked, and a young maiden dressed in a golden robe had appeared. She was holding a large harp… and Grepher's sword had become entangled in it. (800/2,000)

"Gotcha that time!" laughed Rebecca. "My Spirit of the Harp is a little too tough for your Warrior, Yugi!"

The Spirit giggled. She lifted her harp and swatted Grepher away with it. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"Good move, Rebecca," approved Mordent. "Now keep it up. I have nowhere to go…"

"Okay, so she is rather good," said Clive.

"Yeah, well, Yugi can handle that harpist," assured Peter.

"I don't know," pondered Mary. "I truly doubt that Spirit of the Harp is the Monster that she got from Sangan..."

Rebecca drew.

"Okay, Yugi," she said with a mean look, "time to pay the piper!"

She took a card from her hand.

"I'll Tribute my Spirit of the Harp…" she said.

The Spirit giggled and vanished.

"And summon this Monster," she continued, "which again, I'll put hidden in Defense Mode. And it's your turn."

The facedown Monster appeared.

"Huh?" said Peter. "A Defense Monster that you have to Tribute for?"

"That doesn't… look good…" muttered Clive.

Yugi thought for a minute.

_This is getting serious,_ he thought. _That facedown Monster is likely something nasty._

He drew.

_But I think I can take it down…_

"I Tribute Warrior Dai Grepher and Beaver Warrior to summon Dark Magician, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

The two Monsters vanished, and Dark Magician appeared in a flash of dark energy. (2,500/2,100)

"All right!" cheered Peter in delight.

"That's it, Yugi!" shouted Clive. "Bring out the heavy artillery early!"

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician took aim at the facedown card and fired!

But then a large shape appeared out of the card. It was a large, solid, red shield with the Eye of Horus on the crest. (0/3,000)

"Millennium Shield!" gasped Yugi.

"You got it!" laughed Rebecca. "And since it's Defense is higher than your Dark Magician's Attack…"

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,200.

Yugi thought for a minute.

_I just wish I could remember how my dad beat this kid,_ he thought. _Maybe I could pull the same trick out of my hat…_

He looked at Millennium Shield, and then at his Skilled White Magician.

_Still,_ he thought, _if she played that Shield, there's one logical next move, and I think I might be headed in the right direction..._

"Could it be?" smiled Rebecca. "My turn?"

She drew.

"I play this Equip card… Ring of Magnetism!"

She fit it into her slot, and a ring of energy surrounded the Millennium Shield. Its Defense power decreased to 2,500.

"Aw, no," moaned Peter. "That means Yugi can't attack anything _but_ the Shield!"

"You guys catch on fast," grinned Rebecca. "It took Yugi's dumb father a while to catch onto that."

"Don't call my father dumb," sneered Yugi. "And take a look at my Skilled White Magician."

"Huh?" said Rebecca.

Skilled White Magician's steel scepter started to glow copper.

"You played a Spell Card," smiled Yugi. "That lets him store the power."

"Your point being?" asked Rebecca.

"You'll see soon," said Yugi.

"Well then," smiled Rebecca. "I'll summon this Monster to the field… Cannon Soldier, in Attack Mode!"

The lethal Machine with the cannon turret appeared next to the shield. (1,400/1,300)

"Aw no!" cried Mary. "Not twice in one day!"

"Be careful Yugi!" shouted Peter.

"And finally," continued Rebecca, placing a card into a slot, "from now on, this Continuous Spell Card will be in effect…."

The card appeared.

"Infinite Cards!" she said. "Now there's no limit to the amount of cards we can have in our hands."

"You just played another Spell Card," said Yugi with a smile. "Look."

Skilled White Magician's staff glowed with silver light.

"Uh huh," pouted Rebecca. "You think I'm scared of that? It hasn't changed his Attack score."

Inside, however, she was a little concerned.

_Better play it safe,_ she thought. _Better not play any more Spell Cards for awhile…_

Yugi drew.

"So, what are you gonna do, now Yugi?" grinned Rebecca.

"Nothing," said Yugi. "I'll pass this turn."

"Suit yourself," smiled Rebecca, drawing.

"I place one card facedown," she said.

She put the facedown card in the slot, and it appeared.

"Now, let's summon Mystical Elf to the field!" she continued.

Mystical Elf appeared in her meditative trance. (800/2,000)

"Bye, bye, Elf," smiled Rebecca, "you get fed to my Cannon Soldier!"

Waves of energy surrounded Mystical Elf, and she was drawn into Cannon Soldier.

"Now, Cannon Soldier, FIRE!" she commanded.

Cannon Soldier took aim at Yugi and fired a mighty blast, knocking him down. His Life Points fell to 6,700.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" laughed Rebecca.

Yugi got up, with a nasty burn on his chest.

_Oh, that's right,_ thought Yugi. _Dad didn't beat this kid, he forfeited the duel to teach her the true meaning of the Heart of the Cards. But there was something else… if only I can remember it…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his command center, the Master and his men were watching readout of the duel.

"Okay," said Melissa. "Yugi's opponent has just played Infinite Cards."

"Infinite Cards?" frowned a Centurion. "Why the heck would he play that?"

"Maybe he has an Enraged Muka Muka in his deck or something," suggested another.

The Master looked hard at the screen, which showed Millennium Shield and Cannon Soldier.

_This strategy seems eerily familiar,_ he thought. _Something I remember dad having told me about at one time… concerning Yugi's dad…_

_Think, Siegfried, think…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_I have to get a Spell Card that I can use,_ thought Yugi, drawing.

He looked at the card.

_But until then, I can only hope I can hold on._

"I pass again," he said.

"Starting to feel nervous, Yugi?" giggled Rebecca. "Starting to feel in over your head? You don't stand a chance!"

She held up the teddy bear.

"Grrr! That's right! I'm gonna eat you up!"

"Rebecca!" said Mordent. "Less talking, more dueling!"

"Gotcha," said Rebecca, drawing.

"You were right, Mary," moaned Clive. "This IS insane!"

"Oh, oh!" laughed Rebecca. "Look who we drew teddy!"

She put a card down.

"I summon Avatar of the Pot!" she said.

The huge green genie with a face like the Pot of Greed appeared, and let out a deep chuckle. (1,200/1,300)

"Now I can discard my Pot of Greed…" she said, doing so, "and draw three new cards!"

She made her draws.

"Now, Cannon Soldier," she laughed, "absorb the Avatar!"

Energy surrounded Avatar of the Pot, and he was absorbed into Cannon Soldier.

"**Fire!"** shouted Rebecca.

Cannon Soldier blasted its gun, and Yugi was sent tumbling. His Life Points fell to 6,200.

He got up panting.

"And," said Rebecca, "I activate my Trap Card, Reckless Greed!"

"Reckless Greed?" asked Clive, as the card lifted. "What is that?"

"She has to skip her next two draw phases," replied Mary. "But in return, she can draw two new cards."

"_Again?"_ gasped Peter. "That makes like ten cards there now!"

"Hee, hee," giggled Rebecca, adding them to her already-large hand. "Told you I was a genius."

She looked at one of the cards she had drawn and chuckled.

_This will give Yugi a big surprise when I'm ready to use it,_ she thought. _But not quite yet…_

"And I'll set another card facedown for later," she said.

The card appeared.

Yugi drew.

He looked up.

"Time for your defense to fall, demon," he smiled.

"What do you mean?" she frowned. "You can't destroy my Millennium Shield!"

"I'll be able to in a minute," he said. "I play my own Pot of Greed."

He put the card into the slot, and drew two new cards.

The Skilled White Magician's staff glowed golden.

"And now that both of us have played a total of three Spell Cards," exclaimed Yugi, "and it's still my Main Phase, I can Tribute Skilled White Magician for the mighty Buster Blader!"

Skilled White Magician vanished, and in his place rose the powerful Warrior in blue armor, holding his mighty sword! (2,600/2,300)

He and Dark Magician looked at each other and nodded.

"As you can see," explained Yugi. "His Attack power is one hundred points greater than your Shield's Defense power!"

"Oh no!" cried Rebecca.

"Buster Blader," ordered Yugi. "smash that Millennium Shield!"

Buster Blader leapt into the air and brought his sword down on the Shield, busting it into a thousand pieces.

"Dark Magician," shouted Yugi, "destroy Cannon Soldier! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician fired his spell at Cannon Soldier, blowing it into junk! Rebecca's Life Points fell to 5,900.

"No fair, no fair, NO FAIR!" shouted Rebecca, jumping up and down.

"That girl needs a spanking," sneered Clive.

"At least Yugi is winning now," said Peter. "He has two of his best Monsters on the field!"

"Make your move," dared Yugi.

Rebecca snarled.

She took a card from her hand.

"I place a card facedown," she said, "and I end my turn."

Yugi looked at her.

_That card could be a Trap,_ he thought. _But if I took a risk, I could win this duel on this turn! Have to risk it…_

He drew.

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!" he cried.

The armored elf appeared, holding his silver blade. (1,400/1,200)

"Go my Guardian!" he said. "Attack her directly!"

Celtic Guardian charged at Rebecca… Clive, Mary, and Peter crossed their fingers…

The facedown card lifted up, and the three Waboku priestesses halted his advance.

"Darn," said Yugi.

"And I'll activate my other Trap," said Rebecca, "Jar of Greed! This lets me make another draw!"

Rebecca drew.

"Yippee!" she shouted. "Yes! I've got you now Yugi!"

"Uh, I think she got a good draw…" stuttered Mary.

"And that's bad for Yugi," gulped Peter, starting to sweat.

"I end my turn," muttered Yugi, bracing himself.

"I play a Spell Card," said Rebecca, throwing the card she drew into her slot. "The almighty **Judgment Blaster!"**

"Judgment Blaster?" gasped Yugi, in surprise. "What does THAT do?"

Rebecca picked a bunch of cards out of her hand.

"To activate it, I discard five cards from my hand," she explained.

She threw the cards into the discard slot.

"And in exchange for that…"

A huge explosion rocked the field, and Yugi was thrown back!

"All your Monsters are toast!" she laughed.

Yugi's Life Points went down to 4,575.

As Yugi struggled to get up, Mary, Clive, and Peter just stared in disbelief.

Mordent started to applaud.

"Nice work, Rebecca," he laughed. "You certainly know how to put on a good show."

"Thank you," she said, taking a card from her hand. "Now I'll summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

The hefty android in the football jersey and helmet appeared in a crouching position. (1,000/2,100)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Bad news, chief," sighed Melissa. "Yugi's opponent just played Judgment Blaster and wiped out his entire side!"

"Judgment Blaster?" sneered a Centurion. "That's a stupid card to put in your deck! You have to throw away five cards to use it! Raigeki is much better!"

"No," pondered the Master. "Judgment Blaster works well with certain decks…"

"Huh?" asked the Centurion. "I don't follow…"

"There's only one reason to use Judgment Blaster instead of Raigeki," replied the Master, "and that's if you _want_ more cards in your Graveyard. And there are several ways a duelist can benefit from having a large discard pile.

"Yugi might be in trouble…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi drew.

"I summon my own Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said.

The peaceful elf appeared, chanting her spell. (800/2,000)

"And I end my turn."

"Good," smiled Rebecca, drawing. "Now to finish you off! Time to meet my signature Monster!"

Yugi's eyes perked up.

_Wait..._ he thought. _Now I remember… Oh crud…_

She picked a card from her hand.

"I Tribute my Battle Footballer…" she said.

The android vanished.

"And out comes the creepy, crawly, cuddly, Shadow Ghoul!"

A hideous creature appeared on the field. It was sickly green, had four evenly-spaced legs, long arms ending in claws, a head like a demonic horse, rotting skin, and a set of red orbs on its eyeless face! (1,600/1,300)

"Creepy, yes," said Clive in disgust. "Crawly, yes. Cuddly, definitely not."

"Well, it can't defeat Mystical Elf," assured Peter.

"Think again!" said Rebecca. "Shadow Ghoul gains one hundred Attack Points for every Monster in my Graveyard! But you knew that, didn't you Yugi?"

Yugi clenched his teeth.

"Um, remind me," muttered Peter. "How many Monsters does she have in her Graveyard right now?"

"One, two, three, four, five…" counted Mary. "Um, if all those cards she discarded with Judgment Blaster were Monster Cards, thirteen!"

"Thirteen is an unlucky number!" gasped Clive in fear.

"You got it!" laughed Rebecca. "Shadow Ghoul now has an Attack power of 2,900! Now Attack Mystical Elf! Green vapor shroud!"

Shadow Ghoul let forth a blast of green energy, reducing Mystical Elf to dust.

Mordent took a bottle out of his robe and a glass. He poured a green liquid from the bottle into the glass, and vapor rose from it.

_Won't be long now,_ he chuckled to himself. _I doubt Yugi has anything that can take out that Shadow Ghoul… and won't Saurius be pleased when I deliver Yugi's soul to him on a platter…_

Yugi drew.

"I summon Gemini Elf in Defense Mode," he said.

The elf sisters appeared, and folded their arms. (1,900/800)

"Hee, hee, won't do you any good," smiled Rebecca, drawing.

She slid a card into a slot.

"Activate Destroy Defense!" she shouted.

Gemini Elf shifted into Attack Mode!

"Now you can't play anything in Defense for three turns!" she said. "Which makes your Monsters sitting ducks! Shadow Ghoul, attack Gemini Elf!"

The Ghoul launched its attack, and obliterated Gemini Elf. Yugi's Life Points fell to 3,575.

_I've got to get rid of that Ghoul,_ said Yugi. _And I need the right card to do it. Just have to draw it._

He drew. He gave the card a good look.

He added it to his hand and took out two other cards.

"I play Monster Reborn," he exclaimed. "To bring back Buster Blader! Return!"

The Spell Card appeared, and Buster Blader reappeared on the ankh. (2,600/2,300)

"What good will that piece of tin do you?" laughed Rebecca. "He can't defeat Shadow Ghoul…"

"Let me finish my turn, will you?" snarled Yugi. "Next, I summon Tengu Warrior!"

He put a card down, and the Winged Beast in the kimono wielding a katana arose. (1,800/600)

"Humph, that's even more pathetic," frowned Rebecca. "Why don't you just give up Yugi?"

She pointed to him.

"That's exactly what your worthless father did! He knew he couldn't beat me, so he chickened out and surrendered!"

Yugi smiled.

And then he chuckled.

"Hey!" frowned Rebecca. "What's so funny?"

"I think I know now why you chose to take the form of Rebecca," accused Yugi. "And I think I realize now how your powers _truly_ work. The term 'memory imp' is a misnomer. You can't read memories at all!"

"What are you talking about?" she snarled.

"What you can _really_ do is view past events involving your victim and his family, as if you were watching them from the sidelines. Thus, you chose the form of Rebecca Hawkins, because you saw that my father forfeited the duel with her."

Mary noticed that Mordent began to get nervous. It was as if Yugi had hit the nail right on the head.

"But that is the limit of what you saw," continued Yugi. "If you had truly scanned my father's memories, or bothered to look further into the future of his encounter with Rebecca, say about _ten minutes_ further, you would have seen that my dad _could_ easily have won that duel if he had wanted to. He forfeited to teach Rebecca a lesson about the true meaning of Duel Monsters, a lesson an evil thing like you could never comprehend…"

He chose a card from his hand.

"And now it's time I put you in your place," sneered Yugi.

"See this card that I just drew 'Rebecca'? See it? This is the card that would have won the duel for my father against the real Rebecca. He didn't play it… but _I_ will!"

He threw the card into the slot.

"Activate Soul Release!" he shouted.

"Soul Release?" said Rebecca.

"Oh no…" gasped Mordent as the card appeared.

"Yes!" shouted Mary, overjoyed.

"Soul Release lets me remove five cards from play from either Graveyard!" explained Yugi. "And I'm using it on yours!"

Rebecca watched, as images of Millennium Shield, Cannon Soldier, Witch of the Black Forest, Sangan, and Battle Footballer floated out of her Disk and vanished.

"That brings your Shadow Ghoul's Attack Score down to 2,400!" smiled Yugi. "Weaker than my Buster Blader."

Shadow Ghoul's Attack lowered.

"Now, Buster Blader," commanded Yugi, "blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader leapt up, and beheaded Shadow Ghoul! The huge Zombie flopped to the ground in a mess. Rebecca's Life Points fell to 5,700.

"No!" shouted Rebecca. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

"And now," shouted Yugi, "Tengu Warrior, attack her directly with dive bombing katana blade attack!"

Tengu Warrior took to the air, and swooped down on the fiend with Rebecca's face, slashing across her torso! Her Life Points fell to 3,900.

Mary cringed again…

"Woo-hoo!" cheered Clive.

Mordent dropped his glass and it shattered.

He regained his composure.

"Minor setback, Rebecca," he muttered. "You haven't lost yet…"

"Right," said Rebecca. "And you've far from seen all that my deck can do, Yugi! Even your father didn't see all of it!"

"We'll see," smiled Yugi. "You've already drawn more than half the cards in your deck, you know. Unless you defeat me fast, you'll have to worry about being decked out!"

_Oh, I'm not too worried about that,_ she thought, drawing a card.

"I place one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

_With this Monster I might be able to win!_ he said. _I'll have to take a chance again…_

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the magician in the bulky, dark robe appeared.

"Buster Blader," he ordered, "attack the facedown card!"

Buster Blade swung his mighty sword at the hidden Monster…

And a strange object appeared. It looked like a small tree with a very thick trunk. Buster Blader cut it in half.

"A Fiber Jar!" gasped Yugi in surprise.

His three Monsters vanished, as did Rebecca's Infinite Cards and Destroy Defense.

"Okay," muttered Clive. "I'm confused. What's a Fiber Jar?"

"When a Fiber Jar is flipped," explained Mary, nervously, "all cards on the field, the player's hands, and in the Graveyards go into the owners' decks, the decks are reshuffled, and each player draws a new hand of five cards."

"Like starting the whole duel over!" explained Peter. "Aside from Life Points and the cards Yugi removed from play…"

"And one other thing…" said Mary, quietly.

The two duelists rebuilt their decks, and the Disks reshuffled them. They made their draws.

"Still your turn," smiled Rebecca. "Of course, you've already made you summon for this turn…"

"I can't do anything else…" said Yugi.

"Good," she smiled, drawing. She looked at her hand.

"Let's see, teddy," she said to the bear, with a smile, "who should we attack Yugi with? Oh, that one? Good idea!"

She took two cards.

"One card facedown," she said, fitting it into a slot. "And I summon Stuffed Animal in Attack Mode!"

A large teddy bear appeared on the field. The zipper on its chest opened, revealing ravenous jaws and a lolling tongue! (1,200/900)

"This guy _never_ attacks people who love teddy bears," said Rebecca. "Do _you_ love teddy bears, Yugi?"

Yugi was not about to dignify that with a response.

Stuffed Animal lunged at Yugi and chomped on his leg!

"OW!" screamed Yugi. "For the love of…"

"Guess you don't!" laughed Rebecca.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,375.

"Okay, this has gone beyond insane and gone into demented," groaned Mary.

"Don't worry," said Peter. "Yugi'll tear apart that Stuffed Animal."

Yugi drew.

He looked at two cards in his hand.

_I can use these two in a combo, _he thought.

He placed a Monster Card down.

"Remember my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian?" he said. "He's back!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared again, in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,200)

"Destroy Stuffed Animal!" ordered Yugi. "Silver blade slash!"

"Activate Trap!" laughed Rebecca.

As the Guardian charged, Rebecca's facedown card lifted, and once again, the three Waboku priestesses appeared.

Yugi was beginning to get frustrated. But he couldn't let this imp beat him…

"End turn," he said.

Rebecca drew.

She laughed again.

"You know Yugi," she said. "Rebecca had a lot of other hobbies besides dueling… ballet dancing, for one."

"Does this have ANYTHING to do with the present situation?" said Yugi, angrily.

Although deep down, he knew that it did.

"Why do you think she put this card in her deck?" she giggled. "Prepare to meet my second-favorite Monster. I play the Spell Card called Commencement Dance!"

"Commencement Dance?" Yugi questioned.

"It's a Ritual Card," explained Rebecca, as she put it into the slot.

A beautiful female dancer holding a sword appeared on the field, and stated to dance, swinging the blade dramatically.

"And to activate it, I offer as sacrifice my Stuffed Animal, and from my hand, my Spirit of the Harp!"

Spirit of the Harp appeared on the field. The dancer struck both Monsters with her blade, and they all vanished in a twinkling of light.

"Summoning the lovely yet lethal blade-dancer known as… Performance of Sword!"

A beautiful woman appeared on Rebecca's side of the field. She had long, pink hair down to her knees, wore a bikini top and a long skirt, and held two curved scimitars. (1,950/1,850)

"She's beautiful…" said Peter.

"Whose side are you on?" said Mary, somewhat annoyed.

"Performance of Sword, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" ordered Rebecca. "Dance of death!"

Performance of Sword, started dancing, swinging her blades wildly. She spun towards Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…

And the Guardian promptly caught her sword as she tried to strike.

"Huh?" said Rebecca. "She should have destroyed him!"

"For someone who claims to be as smart as Rebecca is, you sure don't know much about the rules," said Yugi, with a smile. "This isn't the regular Celtic Guardian, this is his evolved form, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. He's immune to attacks from Monsters with Attack Scores of 1,900 or more. Performance of Sword is simply 51 points too powerful."

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gave the dancer a kick, and she tumbled backwards.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 1,825.

"I may have lost some Life Points," smiled Yugi, "but I get to keep my Guardian."

"Fine," growled Rebecca, looking somewhat pissed. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, plugging a card into a slot.

The graceful angel appeared, and flew into his deck.

"I draw three cards," he said.

He drew and looked at them.

"And I discard two," he continued, making his discards.

"Now to complete my combo," he said. "I summon Celtic Swordgirl, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a young elven girl with green hair and pointed ears sprang up. She was dressed similar to the Warrior next to her, and carried a slender sword. (1,000/800)

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian seemed delighted.

"Huh?" stammered Rebecca. "Who's THAT?"

Mary, Peter, and Clive were equally surprised.

"Uh, either of you ever see this gal in Yugi's deck before?" asked Clive, puzzled.

"Um, no," pondered Mary. "Frankly, I've never heard of her…"

"This is Celtic Guardian's little sister," said Yugi. "And his protégé. And while she is on the field, her brother's Attack Score goes up by 400 points, to 1,800.

"True, that isn't enough to take down your Ritual Monster, but soon I'll have what I need to do so.

"End turn."

Rebecca drew.

She laughed out loud.

_Yugi just made a big mistake!_ she thought. _Now I'll finish him off!_

"That was a foolish move, Yugi!" she laughed. "Lookee at what I drew – the Equip Card Ritual Weapon!"

She threw it into the slot. One of Performance of Sword's blades vanished, and was replaced by a much fancier one.

"Ritual Weapon can only be Equipped to Ritual Monsters of Level Six or less," said Rebecca, "but for those Monsters, it increases their Attack Score by 1,500! Do the math!"

"Nineteen-fifty plus fifteen-hundred…" started Clive.

"Thirty-four-fifty…" sighed Mary.

"That's right!" laughed Rebecca. "Performance of Sword now has an Attack Score of 3,450! That makes her 2,450 points stronger than your Celtic Swordgirl!

"And Yugi… you only have 1,825 Life Points left! And no Traps to defend you!"

Yugi's three friends looked in shock.

"NO!" wailed Mary. "It can't end like this!"

"YES!" shouted Mordent. "Finish him!"

"Performance of Sword," grinned Rebecca with a wicked smile. "Attack Celtic Swordgirl with dance of death!"

Performance of Sword performed her lethal dance and spun towards Celtic Swordgirl! Mary covered her eyes…

She heard a clash of swords, and then opened them. She saw Obnoxious Celtic Guardian holding his sister in a one-armed embrace, and fending off the dancer's strike with his sword. Eventually, the Guardian won, and Performance of Sword was pushed back.

"Wha…?" gasped Rebecca. "HOW?"

"You didn't think Obnoxious Celtic Guardian would let his sister perish, did you?" smiled Yugi. "I suspected you were planning to use Ritual Weapon, so I neglected to tell you about Celtic Swordgirl's _other_ effect. When she's on the field with her brother, she can't be attacked! Why do you think I put her in Attack Mode in the first place?"

Rebecca seethed in rage.

"I'll beat you yet, Yugi!" she screamed.

"Not yet you won't," said Yugi. "Because it's my turn."

He drew.

"I place two cards facedown," he said, putting them into the slots.

They appeared before him.

"And I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and Skilled Dark Magician reappeared. (1,900/1,700)

"And I end my turn."

The demon in Rebecca's form gasped.

_If that Skilled Dark Magician is anything like his Skilled White Magician,_ she thought, _I could be three Spell Cards away from big trouble! I've got to get rid of it!_

She drew.

"Sorry Yugi," she exclaimed, in a voice that was clearly not Rebecca's, "But I will destroy your Skilled Dark Magician! Performance of Sword, annihilate that sorcerer with dance of death!"

Performance of Sword twirled toward Skilled Dark Magician…

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Yugi, as one of his cards lifted.

The shimmering pentagram surrounded Performance of Sword, and she froze in place! Her Attack Score fell to 2,750.

"Rebecca" hissed, and fangs appeared in her mouth. Her eyes started to glow red.

"Big deal!" she scowled. "You still can't destroy her!"

"I'll be able to in a minute," said Yugi. "Is that your move?"

"Yeah…" she said.

Yugi drew.

"Then I activate my other Trap Card," shouted Yugi. "Dust Tornado!"

The Trap Card lifted, and a wind blew across the field.

"This will destroy your Monster's Ritual Weapon," yelled Yugi. "Lowering her Attack power to a pathetic 1,250!"

Performance of Sword's Attack lowered.

"Now," continued Yugi. "I Tribute both Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Celtic Swordgirl to summon one of my strongest Monsters…"

The two elves waved to the imp, and they vanished.

"Behold, Dark Magician of Chaos!" exclaimed Yugi.

A portal opened on the field, and the dark sorcerer emerged, holding his long scepter. His glowing eyes fixed on the imp! (2,800/2,600)

"No!" cried the demon in a bestial voice. "NO!"

Yugi's discard pile slot opened.

"By summoning him," said Yugi, "I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard. And I chose this one that I discarded when I played Graceful Charity… Magic Formula!"

He fit the card into a slot. A large book appeared in front of Dark Magician of Chaos, and he glowed.

"Its eldritch pages raise his Attack power to 3,300!" exclaimed Yugi.

Mordent slowly got up from his chair, and started to sneak away.

"Now," shouted Yugi, "Skilled Dark Magician, attack Performance of Sword with dark magic attack!"

Skilled Dark Magician aimed his staff and blew Performance of Sword away. The demon's Life Points fell to 3,250.

The fiend with Rebecca's face drew back in fear.

"Consider this a gift from the _real_ Rebecca Hawkins!" cried Yugi. "Dark Magician of Chaos, attack her Life Points directly with chaos scepter blast!"

Dark Magician of Chaos dramatically spun his scepter and fired, blowing the last of the imp's Life Points away and throwing her backwards!

"I… I lost…" moaned the creature.

"Yes!" shouted Mary, Clive, and Peter at once, slapping hands.

Yugi's Puzzle burned with golden fire, and the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead.

"I told you that you would pay for this blasphemy, demon," he warned. "Now begone back to Hell!"

He reached out with his hand, and the demon screamed. She burst, and when the smoke cleared, all that was left was a scorched Duel Disk.

The Nightmare Steel Cage around Mary, Peter, and Clive crumbled, and the three rushed up to him. Mary hugged him.

"Thank God!" she cried. She wiped a tear from her eye.

_That was almost too painful to watch…_ she thought.

"Yeah," croaked Yugi. "Thank God. Now, Mordent, now for…"

He looked around, but the sorcerer was nowhere in sight.

"…you. He's gone. Little slime must have slipped down a drain somewhere."

Yugi glanced at his Disk. Unfortunately, the gem hadn't upgraded, but he really hadn't expected it to do so.

"Yugi!" shouted a familiar voice.

They turned, and saw Jade, followed by Amber and a squad of Centurions.

"Are you alright?" asked Jade.

"Am _I_ alright?" asked Yugi. "What about you?"

"It was a nightmare," sighed Jade. "A fiend captured Amber and forced me to duel for her release. He had this creature called a…"

"Let me guess," asked Clive. "A memory imp?"

"Yes," replied Jade. "Is that what happened to Yugi?"

"Uh huh," said Yugi. "And it was the worst."

"Um, Jade," asked Mary, "I'm curious… What form did your imp take?"

Jade looked uncomfortable.

"You…" she replied. "You do not want to know…"

"You can tell me…" said Mary.

"Um…" stammered Jade.

"Yes?" said Mary.

"It was your father, Mary…" sighed Jade.

Mary clenched her fist. Tears of rage started to form in her eyes. It was if this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"How dare they…" she muttered.

"It makes sense," sighed Yugi. "He was the first duelist to ever defeat your mother, Jade."

"If I ever catch the guy behind this…" snarled Mary, "I'm gonna…"

"Take heart, Mary," comforted Jade. "It was not truly him, and I knew that. If it is any consolation, he was quite a handsome fellow in his youth – if a little inarticulate. And judging from this imp's skill, he was quite the duelist. Fortunately, it attempted to use its Time Wizard to create Thousand Dragon while I had Yamoto on the field – the imp obviously did not know of Time Wizard's effects on Yamoto."

"People," said a Centurion, "We'll take you back to your hotel. I'm sure the Master will want to know about this."

"I'm sure…" said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Thirty minutes later in Yugi's hotel room.

Clive was with a KaibaCorp officer, who was trying to compose a composite sketch of Mordent.

"He wore dark goggles," explained Clive. "Yeah, like that. And he had a big nose… no, bigger…"

Four Centurions were in the room, while Yugi was on the videophone with the Master. Mary was still very upset, and Jade was still trying to comfort her.

"This is nuts," said the Master. "A 'memory imp' that took the form of Rebecca Hawkins? This thing can take the form of any duelist a member of your family has opposed?"

"Maybe more than that," replied Yugi. "It might be able to take the form of _anyone_ that a member of your family was familiar with. If one of your earliest ancestors was a friend of Cleopatra, it could likely take the form of Cleopatra.

"Was anyone except Jade and my group bothered tonight?"

"No," answered the Master. "No one else reported any strange happenings. But things have truly taken an ugly turn.

"Again Yugi, I take full responsibility for this, and I wouldn't blame you if you decided to leave for home…"

"You know we don't run from our problems, sir," said Yugi.

"Then I renew my offer," he said. "Are you certain you don't want bodyguards for the rest of the tournament?"

Yugi sighed.

"What would the other contestants say if they knew we were getting special treatment?" he asked. "We don't want to be outcasts."

"Then all I can do is increase the security I already have," said the Master. "I assure you, the Centurions will search long and hard for this wizard or whatever he is."

Yugi picked up the manual phone and spoke into it.

"Siegfried," he whispered. "Are you sure there isn't something special you want to tell me? You know you can trust me, don't you?"

"I trust you, Yugi," he replied. "Do you trust me? Is there anything special that _you_ want to tell me?"

Yugi thought for a minute.

"Well…" he started.

He considered telling Siegfried about his trip to the Bastion of the Hopeful – his discussion with Anastasia and about the Mandate which might be in Duelatopia, and the fallen angel who sought it.

But what would Siegfried do if he told him? He might become scared enough to shut Duelatopia down and cancel the tournament. He might try to level the place in some attempt to find and save the artifact. Siegfried had likely broken the bank building this place – if he were forced to end it prematurely, it would send KaibaCorp into financial ruin…

No, Yugi couldn't take the chance.

"No, there's nothing I need to tell you," he said.

"Then please Yugi," urged Siegfried, "watch yourself. And I must insist on one thing. Before they leave, Sergeant Connors will give each of you a beeper. Just hit the button on it and every Centurion within three-thousand yards will hone in on you. It's at least something."

"Fine," said Yugi. "I guess that will do."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dark place…

Mordent was on his knees before the hulking form of Saurius.

"Master, please," he begged. "I told the imp to take the form of someone who had defeated his father! It was the one who screwed up, not me! How was I to know that Yugi Sr.'s duel with Rebecca ended up… that way…"

Saurius looked at him coldly.

"It was the one who made the mistake!" screamed Mordent. "It didn't look a measly ten more minutes into the future of that event!"

"Memory imps are an expensive commodity," said Saurius. "You can't just walk into a store and buy one…"

He grabbed Mordent by the throat.

"And now one of the ones that I had available is somewhere lost in the Pits of Maladomini! Do you have any idea how long it will take to find it again, if it even wants to come back after such trauma?"

"Please don't kill me…" pleaded Mordent.

"Oh, I won't kill you," said Saurius with a smile. "You're far to valuable to kill. In fact, I'm going to give you some recreation time…"

He started dragging him down a hallway.

"Um, you are?" asked Mordent.

"Yes," smiled Saurius. "Time to play with Matilda…"

"What?" said Mordent. "No! _Matilda?_ No! Not her! Please!"

Saurius opened a cell door, and threw Mordent inside it. He quickly slammed it shut.

Two sounds came from inside – one, screams coming from Mordent, the other a fierce growl!

"Ah yes," grinned Saurius. "Matilda does love to play…"

He turned to a servant.

"Take him out after five hours," he ordered. "Matilda should be tired out by then."

"Lord Saurius," asked the servant. "What about Yugi and his disciples?"

"Continue to watch their progress for now," he responded. "Siegfried no doubt knows of our presence, and it will be harder for us to strike. We'll keep to the shadows for the time being and let this silly game continue. After all, we have the time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four members of the Team Supreme found it hard to sleep that night. Even Jade, a young woman with an iron will, had a hard time getting rest. She didn't tell Mary that her victory over the beast that had taken Joey Wheeler's form was one of the hardest duels she had ever had.

But eventually, sleep came upon the weary youths, and Day Six slowly turned to Day Seven.

Throughout the night, finishing touches were being made on the construction of the most important building in Duelatopia, one whose glory would be unveiled on Day Eleven.

And glorious it was.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JUDGMENT BLASTER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A burly, bare-chested muscleman wearing a pilot's helmet, carrying a large bomb on a chain over his shoulder.

**Card Description:** Discard 5 cards from your hand. Destroy all Monsters on the field.

_Note: "Judgment Blaster" was first used by Rebecca in the original anime episode "The Ties of Friendship." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CELTIC SWORDGIRL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description: **Your opponent cannot target this card for an attack if you control at least one face-up "Celtic Guardian" or "Obnoxious Celtic Guard". Increase the ATK of all Monsters named "Celtic Guardian" and "Obnoxious Celtic Guard" you control by 400.

"_Celtic Swordgirl" was created by .hack/Bellossom for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi."_


	25. Ominous Fortunetelling

_**I'm the daughter of a great duelist. My boyfriend is the son of a great duelist.**_

_**And it seems wherever we go, we tend to run into the children, relatives, and protégés of other great duelists that our parents knew. **_

_**Jade and Siegfried were only two of the ones we met in Duelist Labyrinth. We also met a jerk who was Bandit Keith's disciple, and was no less nasty than he was.**_

_**In the City of Souls, we met up with the son of Rex Raptor, a kid named Randy. He had sided with Remi in an attempt to gain revenge against me, and Clive had to duel him. We weren't able to talk sense into him or save him – Randy drowned in boiling tar for his futile efforts.**_

_**The cycle is continuing even now. We've met the son of Mako Tsunami, one of my dad's few opponents who knew how to duel with honor. I met the son of Duke Devlin, and even achieved a small amount of peace regarding the humiliating past event concerning our fathers.**_

_**And now I'm up against the offspring of another of my dad's old foes…**_

_**Wonder how this is going to turn out?**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Ominous Fortunetelling**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Into the wee hours of the morning, Yugi tossed and turned in his sleep.

Eventually, his dreams turned strange…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He found himself standing in a void. A void of light. Soft, white, cool light.

A strange look crossed his face.

_I've been here before,_ he thought.

Suddenly, he heard the galloping of hooves, as if a horse was approaching.

He shuddered. He remembered that sound too.

He turned, and saw the horse approaching. It was a pale horse.

The rider was dressed in a long black robe with a hood over his head, such that Yugi couldn't see his face. He wore gloves that were also black.

The horse came up to Yugi and whinnied, and the rider dismounted. Yugi stared, as the rider produced a large object – an old fashioned farming scythe.

"You?" asked Yugi. "Why are you here? Don't tell me I died in my sleep…"

"No Yugi," moaned the Grim Reaper's hollow voice. "You are very much alive. It's just been a while, and I thought we needed to talk, given the circumstances."

"Oh," said Yugi. "So how goes the reaping?"

"Ugh, do not ask!" replied the figure. "Being the Grim Reaper is a tiring and thankless job. I barely have time to rest between jobs, I never get a day off, and nobody is _ever_ glad to see me!"

"Understandable," commented Yugi.

"But I took time off from my busy schedule because you needed my advice, Yugi," he said. "You need to know the nature of the enemy behind that lunatic you faced last night. The foe you are facing is a murderer of unparalleled evil."

"Why do you care?" asked Yugi with a strange look. "Aren't you concerned with job security?"

The Grim Reaper chuckled.

"Yugi," he explained. "I am the incarnation of Death, but I do not truly kill people. I merely guide them to the afterlife when it is their time. And I firmly believe that all mortals' transition from life to death should follow its natural course. I despise unnatural death. Murderers irk me. Capital punishment is an abomination. Tobacco dealers drive me crazy. And let me tell you, the enemy you now face is responsible for more unnatural death that Mussolini himself."

Yugi paused.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," said Death. "Now, I know of the ritual you underwent with Jade, and also of your visit with Anastasia. Someone who will go nameless was kind enough to inform me. You are right in assuming that the fallen angel you saw, the one called Zaphikiel, is the one looking for the Mandate – but his name isn't Zaphikiel anymore…

"Remember this name: Saurius."

"Saurius?" asked Yugi.

"He was once an angel of great power, but also of great pride, Yugi," explained Death. "He wasn't the only angel who desired to be worshipped, but he was the only one who couldn't let it go when the true plan was revealed. Some say that in the Great Rebellion, his heart was pierced by Lucifer's sword, which planted a seed of evil which slowly grew, filling him with wicked arrogance.

"Several times over the millennia, he has launched expeditions to the mortal realm in order to find and shatter the Mandate so that his infernal master could invade – but every time he failed due to a great hero in one situation…

"You see Yugi, the seven Millennium Items were made to prevent the Shadow Games from occurring, but they also have other powers… powers designed to thwart evil and defend the world from unholy forces.

"Saurius has made six attempts in the past, and every time, he was defeated by a hero holding one of the Millennium Items."

Yugi looked down at his Puzzle in wonder.

"His first attempt was shortly after their creation, Yugi," continued the Reaper. "But a warrior wielding the Millennium Ring challenged him in a Shadow Game, and banished him back to Hell.

"Five centuries later, he attempted again. But a powerful sorcerer who wore the Millennium Eye confronted him and again he was defeated.

"And on it went. Over the centuries, he made three more attempts, and fell in turn to holders of the Key, Scales, and Rod, who sent him fleeing back to the infernal realms to lick his wounds each time.

"His last attempt happened in recent history, Yugi, about thirty-seven years ago…"

Yugi paled.

"It was in fact," continued the Reaper, "during the Battle City tournament. Saurius was in Domino, seeking a link that he believed existed between the game of Duel Monsters and the Shadow Games that defeated him so many times. He learned how to play Duel Monsters at that time, thinking it an amusing hobby."

"Perhaps you are familiar with Ishizu Ishtar…"

"Yeah," said Yugi. "My father mentioned her. She had the Millennium Necklace!"

"She wasn't one of the Archlords' Chosen Ones," explained the Reaper, "but her Millennium Necklace let her know many secrets, and she sensed Saurius's dark presence and what he intended to do.

"She confronted him is his own lair, and challenged the demon. He was wary of facing another holder of a Millennium Item, but Saurius thought he had the advantage – no woman had ever defeated him before, and he doubted that one could have the strength. And Ishizu made an especially tempting offer – she would place her own soul as the ante. But if Saurius lost the duel, he would have to return to Hell and never return.

"Saurius agreed, and his sixth Shadow Game began. He grossly underestimated Ishizu's talent, and was soundly defeated… for the sixth time, he was cast into the darkness…"

"But that should have been the end of him…" muttered Yugi.

"Not quite," explained the Reaper. "Saurius found a loophole. While he was unable to leave Hell on his own, mortals often summon demons by using evil magic. Two years ago, Saurius sent one of his henchmen, who tricked a foolish conjurer into casting a spell of summoning.

"Thus, Saurius returned, to make a seventh attempt."

Yugi looked in wonder.

"But there is a prophecy," stated the Reaper. "One that was made by that warrior with the Ring who defeated him the first time. It is said that when he is beaten by holders of all seven of the Millennium Items, his defeat will be final, and he will never again trouble the world. You hold the only Item that has not challenged him Yugi. It is up to you to complete the cycle.

"Be on your guard, and be careful and crafty. Saurius is clever, and will not put himself at risk. He knows the power of the Items, and he likely will not even put himself in a situation where you can challenge him if he can help it. But you must find a way.

"You must not fail, Yugi…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi woke up. It was seven AM.

But the words of the Grim Reaper echoed in his head.

He reached for his Puzzle.

"Yami, did you get all that?" he asked.

Yami appeared next to him.

"Yes," answered the Spirit, "and I guess you know the old saying… forewarned is forearmed…"

"I'd best shower," sighed Yugi. "Me and the others were going to go for breakfast at a waffle-house we saw yesterday…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends were chowing on Belgian waffles, the Master of Games was viewing several parts of Duelatopia in his control room.

_Ouch,_ he thought, watching a duel in progress. _That hurts just watching it…_

"Master of Games," said a man in a business suit, walking into the room.

"Yes, Leopold?" he responded.

"Everything is complete," said Leopold. "The Stadium is fully functional."

"About time," frowned the Master. "I'll go to inspect it immediately."

He turned to his technicians.

"All of you, I'll be gone for most of the day. But inform me of significant progress on any of the duelists I'm keeping close eye on."

"Yes, Master of Games," they said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his three companions were walking the street.

"Hey Yug'," asked Clive. "Exactly what do they have in Belgium besides waffles?"

"Um, not sure exactly," responded Yugi. "I've never been there… furniture, I think…"

Trailing them were their four bodyguards.

"I'm surprised the Master kept us on this job," muttered one of them.

"I'm surprised he didn't fire us," sighed another.

"He wasn't half as angry as I expected him to be," said a third, "but keep your eyes extra sharp. If anything strange shows up again, we shoot first and ask questions later!"

Peter looked up.

"Hey, there's a duel over there!" he shouted, pointing to a large crowd.

There was indeed a large crowd… and at least five armored Centurions who seemed interested in the dueling.

One of the duelists was a teenage girl in a Goth outfit – black shirt with a midriff and black pants. Her hair was cut short and she had bright earrings.

She had two Monsters facedown in Defense Mode, and no Spell or Trap Cards set.

The other duelist wore a pink outfit, and had her waist-length hair dyed aquamarine. She had what looked to be a journal tied to her belt.

She had only one Monster out, also facedown in Defense.

"You're move Amanda," said the green-haired girl.

Amanda drew.

"You're in for it now, Cleo!" she exclaimed. "I Tribute both of these facedown Monsters to summon the powerful Ryu-Ran!"

The two facedown Monsters vanished, and a huge egg appeared on the field. It hatched, revealing a ferocious red dragon!

"Ryu-Ran!" shouted Amanda. "Attack that facedown Monster!"

Ryu-Ran breathed a blaze of fire at the facedown card…

A small dragon with a knight riding it appeared on the card before it was incinerated.

"WHAT?" shouted Amanda.

Cleo chuckled.

"I knew you were going to use Ryu-Ran, Amanda," she laughed. "That's why I set Dragon Manipulator facedown on my last turn! And you know what happens when Dragon Manipulator is flipped!"

Ryu-Ran jumped over to Cleo's side.

"I'm predicting you can't do anything else this turn," smiled Cleo. "So just end it."

Amanda slowly nodded.

"Ryu-Ran," shouted Cleo, "attack your former master!"

Ryu-Ran blew a stream of flames, and Amanda screamed. Her Life Points fell to zero.

"Oh…" she moaned, picking herself off the floor. "How'd she know?"

"Didn't I tell you I had ESP?" smiled Cleo.

She looked at her Disk, which changed color to Violet.

"ESP?" pondered Mary. "Now that sounds familiar…"

Cleo laughed.

"So who's next?" she dared. "Who wants a piece of Cleo Roba?"

"I've had enough for one day…" whimpered Amanda, leaving.

"Cleo Roba?" said Mary. "Do you suppose…?"

"Who?" asked Clive.

"The name… sounds familiar…" said Yugi.

"Um, pardon me?" said Mary, walking up.

Cleo looked at her. Her eyes opened wide.

"Did you just say you're name was Cleo Roba?" she asked. "Is that any relation to Espa Roba?"

Cleo's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," she snarled, in a voice that didn't sound friendly. "I'm his daughter."

"Well hi," smiled Mary. "I'm…"

"I know who you are, Mary Wheeler!" scowled Cleo. "And I've been hoping to get a crack at you the entire tournament! I owe you for what your father did to mine!"

"What?" questioned Mary. "What are you talking about? They dueled, my father won…"

"And he stole my father's Jinzo!" sneered Cleo.

"_Stole?_" exclaimed Mary, somewhat offended. "Don't you know what the rules of Battle City were? The loser of each duel had to give the winner his rarest card. My father won it fair and square! And if I remember correctly, your father wasn't exactly playing fair… he had some help from his brothers to pull off a phony psychic act that was little more than outright cheating!"

"Phony psychic act?" sneered Cleo. "Let me explain something to you… my father was a _latent_ psychic. He had the power in him, but he couldn't use it too well. I however, can use it much better. I have the powers he didn't have!"

"This is a little hard to believe…" mused Peter.

"Really?" frowned Mary. "I'm willing to bet you're as much a cheater as your dad was!"

Cleo laughed.

"Take a good look at all the Centurions who are watching right now, Mary," she smiled. "They've been dying to bust me for cheating ever since I got started. But they can't, because they haven't found any way for me to do it other than the possibility that I'm truly psychic!

"And you and I are going to duel right now, unless you're scared!"

"I'm not scared," said Mary. "And besides, once I beat you, I'll be qualified for the finals!"

She raised her Disk.

"Want to make a little bet on it Mary?" dared Cleo. "If I win, you give back my father's Jinzo!"

The crowd gasped, as did Yugi, Clive, and Peter.

"What makes you think I'll take that wager?" asked Mary.

Cleo reached for her deck and leafed through the cards.

"Because," she said. "If you agree to the wager, I'll put THIS up as an ante!"

She held a card up.

The Fiend Megacyber.

Mary knew a little about that card. Her father had used it once in a while, but it had never found its way to her deck.

She'd sure love to have it…

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll take that bet!"

"Fine," smiled Cleo. "But this duel is already as good as over. I can already foresee you lying on the ground a bloody mess!"

Yugi went up to one of the Centurions and nudged him.

"Sir?" he asked. "Is this girl for real? She can really read minds?"

"All we know," replied the Centurion, "is that ever since she made that claim three days ago, we've been watching her like a hawk. We can't find evidence of any cheating, and she does have an uncanny knack for anticipating her opponents' moves."

"Wow…" muttered Clive.

The crowd watched as Mary and Cleo took their positions.

"Alright," started Mary, raising her Disk. "LET'S…"

She paused. She looked behind her to make sure.

"Uh, Cleo?" she said. "Why don't you stand over _here_, and I stand over _there_?"

Cleo laughed.

"Certainly," she smiled. "It won't help you…"

They switched places.

"Good," said Mary. "Now as I was saying… LET'S DUEL!"

They raised their Disks. The holo-imagers shot out with bursts of steam, and the Disks snapped into place.

They made their draws.

_Excellent,_ thought Cleo. _I couldn't have asked for a better first hand! I think I can psyche Mary out a little once I see what she does…_

"The first move is yours…" she said.

"Okay," said Mary. "I place one card facedown…"

She placed the card in the slot, and it appeared before her.

"And I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and the smiling toy soldier appeared. (500/1,200)

"Hmm…" mused Cleo, holding her forehead. "The psychic vibes are cloudy right now… but I think I can tell that your facedown card is a Trap Card…"

"Anyone could have told her that," muttered Peter.

Cleo took a card from her hand.

"Now watch," she said.

"First, I place my own card facedown," she said.

She put a card down, and it also appeared.

"Next, I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and a strange aura appeared. A beautiful woman dressed in armor holding a shining sword appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,600)

_Oh crud,_ thought Clive. _I know about that Monster… she's trouble…_

"And I'm not done!" continued Cleo. "I'll now use Polymerization…"

She fit the card into the slot.

"…to fuse together the brother-sister team of Roboyarou and Robolady!"

Two shining androids, one male and one female, appeared on the field. They melted into a metallic swirl and a burst of light flashed.

"To form the lovely yet deadly Super Robolady!" laughed Cleo.

A more powerful female android appeared on the field, holding a huge mechanical, double-spear. (1,200/500)

"And it's your turn," she said.

Mary drew.

"Okay," started Mary. "Then I'll…"

"WAIT!" shouted Cleo. "I'm having a vision… he's tall… he's dressed in orange… with a helmet… yes… I predict that you're going to Tribute Swordsman of Landstar for Flame Swordsman!"

Mary gave her an odd look, and then looked at the card she was about to play.

She placed the card down.

"I Tribute Swordsman of Landstar for Flame Swordsman," she growled.

The toy soldier faded away, and in his place rose Mary's favorite Warrior. The crowd gasped. (1,800/1,600)

"Yugi!" gasped Peter. "You don't think she's really…"

"Psychic?" responded Yugi. "Doubtful. More like an educated guess. Anyone who knows anything about Mary's dueling style knows that she'd try to bring out her Flame Swordsman as soon as possible. I wouldn't call Cleo a psychic just yet…"

"Now I'll…" started Mary.

"Hold on," said Cleo, pushing a button on her Disk. "Before you declare an attack, I'm activating my Trap Card…"

The card lifted.

"It's called Taunt!" laughed Cleo. "And I'm directing it towards D.D. Warrior Lady."

D.D. Warrior Lady motioned to Flame Swordsman and gave a beckoning gesture.

"What's the point?" asked Mary.

"Simple," explained Cleo. "If you make any attacks this round, you _have_ to direct them towards D.D. Warrior Lady!"

"Fine!" said Mary. "No skin off my nose!"

_Mary, no!_ screamed Clive in his head.

"Flame Swordsman," ordered Mary. "Attack D.D. Warrior Lady! Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman's blade blazed with fire, and he brought it down on the woman warrior. She gasped and fell dead at his feet. Cleo's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"How do you like that?" gloated Mary.

"I'll like THIS even better!" laughed Cleo.

Suddenly, a dark portal opened up above Flame Swordsman's head, and both he and D.D. Warrior Lady's body were sucked though it!

"What?" gasped Mary. "What happened?"

"He's gone, Mary," mocked Cleo. "And he's staying gone. Any Monster who battles D.D. Warrior Lady, win or lose, is banished to the Different Dimension! I may have lost 300 Life Points, but I was able to remove one of your best Monsters from play!"

Mary growled. "I end my turn," she said.

_No problem,_ she thought. _I still have my Negate Attack in place, so that android can't touch me… and I already have someone in my hand who can take her down…_

Cleo drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she exclaimed, placing a card into a slot.

A bright glow lit up overhead.

"Now we each must draw until we hold six cards!"

She drew five cards, and Mary drew two.

"Now," she smiled. "I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your Trap Card!"

She fit the card in the slot, and Mary's facedown card smashed to bits.

"My Negate Attack!" shouted Mary.

"And now that you have nothing to defend yourself with," said Cleo, "Super Robolady, attack her directly!"

Mary braced herself. She expected the android to charge. But instead, Super Robolady just walked up and looked her in the face…

And then she took her spear and rammed it into Mary's torso! She hit a button on it, and the weapon vibrated! Mary's Life Points fell to 6,800.

Mary gasped and clutched the point of the weapon – and then she saw that her blood was being drained with it!

"What's happening?" she gasped.

"It's Super Robolady's special effect Mary," smiled Cleo. "She doesn't gain much from attacking Monsters… but when she gets a crack at their master, meaning you, she can use your blood as fuel. In game terms, when Super Robolady makes a direct attack, her Attack Score goes up by 1,000 points!"

"Nasty!" cried someone in the crowd.

Super Robolady ripped the spear free, and her Attack went up to 2,200. Mary gasped for breath.

"Let's see you try to beat this," laughed Cleo. "I predict you have nothing in your hand that can beat my Super Robolady now…"

Mary drew.

_Well, she was almost right,_ thought Mary, looking at the Monster she had been planning to use. _But I can still take down that thing with one of the famous Wheeler combos!_

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!" she cried, throwing a card down.

In an instant, the mighty Gearfried rose and brandished his blade-arm. (1,800/1,600)

"Are you _trying_ to lose, Mary?" laughed Cleo. "Super Robolady will turn that Knight into scrap metal!"

"Cleo," smiled Mary, "you have to take all aspects of a Monster into consideration. When your vampire-bot drained my blood, she got a boost in her Attack, but it did nothing to help her lousy Defense."

"What does that have to do with it?" questioned Cleo. "She's in Attack Mode!"

_Oh, I see, Mary,_ thought Yugi.

"Did you predict this?" asked Mary. "I activate one of my dad's favorite Spell Cards… Shield and Sword!"

The Attacks and Defenses of both Monsters flipped.

"Now my Iron Knight has an Attack of 1,600," said Mary. "While Super Robolady has a pathetic Attack of 500!

"Gearfried, attack with iron blade slash!"

Gearfried charged forward and smote Super Robolady. The android fell, and exploded in a burst! Cleo's Life Points fell to 6,400.

"NO!" screamed Cleo.

"Your move now," laughed Mary.

Cleo drew.

_Good,_ she thought. _Mary might be able to nail me on her next turn, but this will let me bring out my secret weapon…_

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense mode," she said. "And end my turn."

She did so, and the hidden Monster appeared.

Mary drew.

_Hmm,_ she thought. _Not the best, but he can help._

"I summon Battle Warrior in Attack Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and the boxer in the blue jumpsuit and helmet appeared. (700/1,000)

"Gearfried," shouted Mary, "destroy that facedown Monster!"

_Wait!_ said Peter inside. _It might be…_

Witch of the Black Forest appeared on the card; she screamed as Gearfried cut her down.

…_a trap…_ thought Peter.

"I predicted you'd fall for that," said Cleo, reaching for her deck.

She searched through it, and selected a special holofoil card, adding it to her hand. She placed the deck back, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"Well, it's still my turn," frowned Mary. "Battle Warrior, attack Cleo directly!"

Battle Warrior raised his fists and lunged forward, striking Cleo in the eye and knocking her down. Her Life points fell to 5,700.

Cleo got up, with a black eye forming on her face. "You're going to regret that, Wheeler…" she sneered.

She drew.

"Well," she said. "Seeing as I'm wagering this card, I might as well use it… if by some miracle you happen to win, I'd like to use it one last time. The Fiend Megacyber in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a huge Warrior dressed in golden armor, a full-head helmet, and a tunic appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"What?" gasped Mary. "He's a six-star Monster! How could you summon him with no Tribute?"

"Didn't your dad ever tell you about his special effect?" gloated Cleo. "His effect states that your opponent currently has two or more Monsters more than you currently have on the field, The Fiend Megacyber can be summoned with no Tribute. You had two Monsters, I had none, so the conditions were right.

"Now let's see…" she continued. "I could do a lot of damage to you by attacking Battle Warrior… but then again, Gearfried is more powerful, and I can't risk you upping his strength with an Equip. So… Fiend Megacyber, destroy Gearfried with mega-punch!"

The Fiend Megacyber charged forward and threw a punch, smashing Gearfried into teeny-tiny pieces. Mary's Life Points fell to 6,400.

"And it's your move," she said.

"Humph, looks you also need to do some homework on Effect Monsters," frowned Mary. "I _couldn't_ have raised Gearfried's Attack with an Equip, because Gearfried can't be armed with Equips! Why do you think he's so powerful for a non-Tribute Monster?"

Cleo just gave a cold stare. Mary drew.

"Anyway," continued Mary, "I'll shift Battle Warrior into Defense Mode…"

Battle Warrior knelt.

"…and I'll summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, also in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and the armored Samurai appeared, leaning against his sword. (1,100/1,100)

"And I'll end my turn," said Mary.

Cleo drew.

"In that case," said Cleo, "Prepare to meet with defeat!"

She took two cards from her hand.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, placing it into the slot.

"And then," she exclaimed, "I'll Tribute The Fiend Megacyber to summon a Monster that I think we're both _quite_ familiar with!"

The Fiend Megacyber vanished, and a tall, imposing form rose upon the field…

"Jinzo!" gasped Peter.

It was indeed Jinzo. The tall, armored android stood before Mary with glowing red optic sensors! (2,400/1,500)

"So that was what she got from the Witch," said Clive.

"Hold on," said Mary. "Time out. I'm a little confused Cleo. If you have another Jinzo, then why are you so determined to get mine?"

"It's the principle!" shouted Cleo in anger. "This Jinzo is just an inferior 3rd Edition replica of the card that was the centerpiece of my father's deck! I want the original back, and I'm going to win this duel and get it, do you hear me! My father loved that card, and I swore when I entered this tournament that I'd defeat you and regain the original!

"And it's still my move! Jinzo, destroy Battle Warrior with cyber energy shock!"

A ball of dark energy appeared in Jinzo's hands, and he hurled it at Battle Warrior, obliterating him.

Yugi sighed.

"Well," he said. "Cleo's intentions sure are noble ones, even if she does have relatively few manners…"

"I'm a little confused about something else," pondered Clive, scratching his chin.

"Oh?" asked Peter.

"Before Cleo summoned Jinzo, she put a card facedown," continued Clive. "Logic would indicate that it's a Trap – if it was a Spell Card, she should have used it immediately… but…"

"But?" asked Peter.

"So long as Jinzo is on the field, _neither_ player can use Trap Cards. That's the downside of using Jinzo. So why did Cleo put that card facedown?"

"That is strange…" said Yugi.

_Interesting point, Clive,_ thought Cleo. _But you'll find out soon enough…_

Mary drew.

"I summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," she said.

The peaceful blue elf appeared, chanting her spell. (800/2,000)

"Your move," she said.

Cleo drew.

"Good," she said. "Now you'll see my strategy."

"First, Jinzo, get rid of that Swordsman!"

Jinzo fired his cyber energy shock, and Masaki was blown apart.

"Now watch this," started Cleo. "I'll add this Equip card to Jinzo… the incredible Amplifier!"

She put a card into a slot. A steel, dome-like helmet with prongs on it appeared on Jinzo's head, and the prongs embedded it into his cranium like nails.

"Confused?" explained Cleo. "Let me explain how Amplifier works. It's a symbiotic droid that…"

"Symbol-what?" asked Mary.

"A symbiote," continued Cleo. "An organism that lives off and aids another organism. Amplifier is a symbiote who aids Jinzo. Now that this symbiote has bonded with its host, Jinzo will prevent you from using any Trap Cards, as usual…

"But Jinzo's master, that would be me, can use as many Traps as I want! Ingenious, isn't it? And I think I'll use one right now…"

She hit a button and her Trap Card lifted…

And then, the ground rumbled, and a huge, rickety stone tower shot up from the ground!

Mary looked at the tower. It seemed ready to collapse. Four steel cables supported it.

"Behold Tower of Babel!" shouted Cleo. "Now allow me to demonstrate how THIS device works! I play the Pot of Greed!"

She fit the card into her slot, and the Pot appeared. She drew two new cards.

And then, one of the cables supporting Tower of Babel snapped! The structure swayed and trembled.

"As you can see," stated Cleo, "Tower of Babel has four support cables… or it [I]did[/I] have four, until I destroyed one by playing a Spell Card. Every time either of us plays a Spell Card, the Tower will lose another… when a fourth is played…"

"It will collapse…" muttered Mary.

"That's right," affirmed Cleo, "and it will land on whichever one of us plays the fourth card, smashing her flat and doing 3,000 points of damage to her Life Points!

"And that isn't going to be me! I can already see a vision of you crushed under its tremendous bulk!

"My turn is over…"

"Lovely," sighed Clive. "Now not only can Mary not play any Trap Cards, she has to watch how she plays Spell Cards!"

"And defeating Jinzo without Spell Cards is going to be hard…" muttered Peter.

Mary drew.

_This might help,_ she thought. _But it would only weaken that Tower..._

"I pass this turn," said Mary.

Cleo drew.

"Good," she laughed. "Then I'll summon Cyber Raider in Attack Mode!"

She threw a card down, and an android dressed in blue spandex sporting a fancy helmet leapt onto the field. (1,400/1,000)

"Jinzo, annihilate her Mystical Elf!" ordered Cleo.

Jinzo shot forth his blast, and Mystical Elf was vaporized.

"Now Cyber Raider," she laughed, "attack her directly with cyber fist!"

Mary gritted her teeth as Cyber Raider closed in, and socked her in the face! She tumbled over, and her Life Points fell to 5,000.

"Didn't see that coming?" asked Cleo. "Well I sure did!"

"This is getting bad…" moaned Clive.

"Are you kidding?" said another teenager. "You gotta PAY to see stuff like this on television!"

"I think I'll end my turn by weakening Tower of Babel even more," said Cleo. "I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

She threw the card into the slot, and the healing deity appeared behind her. He cast a spell, and her Life Points went up to 6,700.

And another of the Tower's support cable's snapped, leaving only two.

"You may think that you have me where you want me," said Mary, getting up. "But eventually, I'll draw a Spell Card that will destroy Amplifier. After that, Jinzo won't be able to play favorites, and your Tower will be destroyed."

Cleo looked at her.

_She's probably talking about Mystical Space Typhoon,_ she thought. _Hmm… I'd better let her in on the secret if I want to keep Jinzo around…_

"Of course," stated Cleo. "I knew you would want to try that. But let me tell you that it doesn't work that way…"

"Say what?" asked Mary.

"Like I said," explained Cleo, "Amplifier is a symbiote. Once a symbiote has bonded with a host, they cannot be separated without both of them dying.

"In other words, if you destroy Amplifier with your Spell Card, you destroy Jinzo as well. That would cost me some Life Points, but it wouldn't get rid of Tower of Babel. In fact, you would only weaken the Tower further, you having played a Spell Card.

"So make your move."

"Nuts," sighed Clive. "Now Mary's really in trouble…"

Mary drew.

As fate would have it, the card was Mystical Space Typhoon.

Then an idea struck her.

_Cleo thinks she has a foolproof plan,_ she thought, _but there is one flaw in it…_

She threw the card into the slot.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted.

"Weren't you listening a minute ago?" yelled Cleo. "If you destroy Amplifier, you destroy Jinzo too!"

"Who said I was aiming for Amplifier?" smiled Mary. "I'm using Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Tower of Babel!"

Tower of Babel exploded into dust!

"Mystical Space Typhoon can destroy Spell _and_ Trap cards!" exclaimed Mary. "Bet you didn't predict I'd do that!"

Cleo cringed.

"And now that I can safely play Spell Cards," said Mary, watch this Magic-Monster combination. First, the Monster…"

She put a card down.

"I summon Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the ferocious, feline Beast-Warrior appeared, holding his blade! (2,000/1,600)

"And now," continued Mary, "the Spell Card Graceful Dice!"

She put the card into the slot, and the teddy bear appeared in midair, holding its blue dice.

"Can you predict where this dice is gonna land, Cleo?"

Cleo started to sweat.

The teddy bear threw the dice. All of the eyes on the crowd were on it as it skipped and rolled…

And it landed on the four! Panther Warrior's stats changed to 2,400/2,000.

"HA!" laughed Cleo. "That roll makes Panther Warrior's Attack exactly equal to Jinzo's! If you attack now, both of them will be destroyed!"

"Panther Warrior needs a Tribute to attack, so I _can't_ attack now anyways," said Mary. "So it's your move."

"Lovely," said Peter. "It's a complete stalemate."

"Complete," said Yugi, "until one of them finds a way to weaken the other's Monster or strengthen her own. The question is, who will find a way to do that first?"

_Yugi's got a point,_ thought Cleo, nervously. _The fact is, I DON'T have any ways to improve Jinzo's Attack, and only a couple of ways to prevent that Panther Warrior from attacking. I'll have to remain alert…_

She drew.

"I'll shift Cyber Raider into Defense Mode and end my turn," she said.

Cyber Raider knelt in defense.

_Okay deck,_ thought Mary, reaching for it. _Show me what you've got…_

She drew.

_Yes!_

"Okay, Cleo, watch this!" she said.

"I'll summon Rocket Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

She placed a card down, and a cute little green robot that seemed to have rocket-like features and holding a sword and shield appeared hovering in the air. (1,500/1,300)

"Huh?" said Cleo. "I never saw you… I mean, how can THAT help you?"

"You ever see those toy robots that transform into things?" chuckled Mary. "Watch and learn… Rocket Warrior, transform into your invincible mode!"

With a whir, the parts of Rocket Warrior moved and changed, until he was far more rocket than warrior.

"In this mode," explained Mary. "Rocket Warrior can't be destroyed. Now launch yourself at Jinzo, Rocket Warrior!"

Rocket Warrior shot forward like a missile, striking Jinzo in the chest. Jinzo grunted and staggered backwards.

"What's the point?" asked Cleo.

"Any Monster hit by Rocket Warrior while he's in his invincible mode loses 500 Attack points for the remainder of the turn," explained Mary, as Rocket Warrior transformed back to his normal mode. "That lowers Jinzo's Attack Score to 1,900.

"And remember when I said Panther Warrior needed a Tribute in order to attack? Well I'll just Tribute Rocket Warrior!"

Rocket Warrior burst in a stream of pixels, and Panther Warrior raised his sword.

"Panther Warrior," ordered Mary, "attack Jinzo!"

Panther Warrior leapt forward and brought his sword down on the mighty Machine, and Jinzo was blown to pieces. Cleo screamed, as her Life Points went down to 6,200.

Everyone applauded.

"Talk about strategy!" said someone from the crowd. "That was the play of the day!"

Cleo was full of rage. She drew.

"I predict that you're going to use Scapegoat to let that Warrior attack again, right?" she scowled. "Well, if that's the case I'm safe for at least a turn…"

She fit a card into a slot.

"And I play Poison of the Old Man!"

"Poison of the Old Man?" asked Clive.

A wizened old alchemist appeared in the center of the field wearing a brown robe and hood. He held in his two hands one vial of smoking green liquid, and one vial of smoking purple liquid.

"This Spell Card can have one of two effects," explained Cleo. "I can use it to inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points, or I can heal 1,200 points of damage to my own."

The Old Man looked at Cleo as she considered.

"Think I'll use it to heal my own," she said.

The Old Man walked up to Cleo and handed her the bottle of purple liquid. She drank it, and her Life Points went up to 7,400. The alchemist vanished.

"Your move," said Cleo.

Mary drew.

"I play a Pot of Greed of my own," she said.

She made two draws.

"Well," sighed Mary, "Looks like one of your predictions came true again. I play Scapegoat!"

She set the card, and four multicolored sheep appeared.

"And I Tribute one so that my Panther Warrior can attack your Cyber Raider!"

One Scapegoat vanished, and Panther Warrior attacked, blowing Cyber Raider away.

"And I'll end by placing one card facedown," said Mary, setting another card.

It appeared in front of her.

Cleo drew.

_Mirror Force!_ she thought. _Now where were you two turns ago? Oh well…_

"I place a card facedown," she said, setting the card she just drew, "and also a Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

The two cards appeared.

"Now I predict that you're Panther Warrior is going to fall!" she warned.

"Cleo, cut the act," sighed Mary, drawing. "Or did you forget that with Jinzo gone, I can play Trap Cards again?"

She hit a button on her Disk and her Trap lifted.

"Go, Dust Tornado!" she shouted.

A wind blew across the field, and Cleo's Mirror Force was blasted to smithereens!

"Now, Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Mary.

She put the card down, and the ferocious gator-warrior appeared (1,500/1,200)

"Alligator's Sword, attack that facedown Monster!" shouted Mary.

As Alligator's Sword charged, a huge Monster appeared – it looked sort of like a huge red worm with a demonic face, a toothy mouth, and long, metallic arms ending in claws.

Alligator's Sword stopped short for a moment. But he regained his courage and stabbed the beast in the eye. It howled, and exploded.

"ARRGGHH!" shouted Cleo. "You destroyed my D.D. Crazy Beast!"

"D.D. Crazy Beast?" muttered Clive. "Some of these Monsters have weird names…"

"What does D.D. stand for in these names?" asked Peter.

"Different Dimension," replied Yugi. "That's where a Monster goes when it's sent out of play. I think that D.D. Crazy Beast can send out of play any Monster it destroys… fortunately, Mary got rid of it."

"Now I'll Tribute another Scapegoat," smiled Mary, as another sheep vanished. "Panther Warrior, attack Cleo directly!"

Panther Warrior charged and cut through Cleo in a spray of blood! She fell to her knees, and her Life Points fell to 5,000.

"The score is tied!" cheered Clive.

"Wowee!" shouted an onlooker. "This is the most exciting duel I've seen since I got here!"

"And I place one card facedown, ending my turn," said Mary.

She put the card down, and it appeared.

Cleo slowly drew.

She laughed.

"Here's a Monster for you Mary!" she exclaimed. "Reflect Bounder, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and an odd Machine appeared. It was a red android with wing-like protrusions on its back, a mirror on its chest, and with an inverted cone in place of legs. (1,700/1,000)

"See this?" laughed Cleo. "If you attack Reflect Bounder, he'll reflect the damage right back at you! But that doesn't mean HE can't attack!

"Reflect Bounder, attack Alligator's Sword with reflecting light attack!"

The mirror on Reflect Bounder's chest started to glow.

"Hang on, Cleo," said Mary. "See if you can guess what this facedown card is…"

"WHAT THE?" gasped Cleo, as the card lifted.

"Activate Skull Dice!" laughed Mary.

The imp rolled his dice, and it bounced upon the floor…

It came up a five! Reflect Bounder's stats dropped to 1,200/500.

"And since it's too late to call off your attack…" said Mary.

Reflect Bounder fired a blast of energy, but Alligator's Sword leapt over it. He cleaved through it with his blade, and the Machine exploded. Cleo's Life Points sank to 4,700

"Good work Mary!" said Yugi. "And since Reflect Bounder was the one who attacked, his reflecting power doesn't effect you at all."

"And I think I see just what a duelist you are, Cleo," said Mary, as the flames died down. "You rely so much on Jinzo protecting you from Traps, that without him, you grow careless, and walk right into them."

Cleo just sneered.

"I'll finish my turn my laying one card facedown," she said.

Mary drew.

"Fine," she said. "Now I'll…"

"Hold it Mary!" shouted Cleo, hitting a button on her Disk.

The card she had just set lifted, and a powerful knight in golden armor with a cape appeared.

"My Thunder of Ruler Trap Card will keep your Monsters from attacking this turn!" she yelled.

Bolts of lightning flew from the knight and paralyzed Panther Warrior and Alligator's Sword.

"Fine," frowned Mary. "Then I pass this turn."

_I've got to do something or I'm going to lose,_ thought Cleo. _I won't let you down, dad, I swear I won't! I'll get your prize card back!_

She drew.

_Hey..._

"Okay, Mary," she scowled. "I've been easy on you up to this point, but time it's time to take this duel to the next level…"

She chose a card.

"I summon Magical Scientist, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a dark figure appeared. It was a balding man in a lab coat wearing a strange pair of goggles. He was carrying what appeared to be a black medical kit. (300/300)

_Uh oh…_ thought Mary.

"Now just watch…" warned Cleo, rolling up her sleeve.

Magical Scientist produced a large hypodermic needle.

"Man, I hate doctors…" groaned Peter.

"Yugi, what's the point of this?" asked Clive.

"To activate Magical Scientist's potent effect," said Yugi. Cleo has to give up 1,000 Life Points…"

Cleo winced as Magical Scientist drove the needle into her arm, and started drawing glowing blood. Her Life Points fell to 3,700.

"…and in return for that," continued Yugi. "She can special summon any Fusion Monster of six stars or lower that her deck can produce, for the duration of one round – and given that restriction, it can attack immediately."

Magical Scientist deposited the blood into a capsule, and his goggles glowed red. Energy beams from his eyes struck it, and the liquid turned black. He opened the capsule and smoke poured out, and he dropped it on the floor.

A shape began to form.

"I summon one of my most lethal Monsters," laughed Cleo. "A combination of Jinzo and Shapesnatch. Meet Louie Kaboom!"

The form appeared in front of Magical Scientist. It was a fat robot, covered with pipes, sprockets, gizmos and gewgaws. Its head was flat and blunt, and its limbs were disproportionately small. (1,800/1,500)

"Well, that's… different," said Mary. "But I'll only take 300 lousy points of damage when you attack Alligator's Sword with it…"

"Who said anything about Alligator's Sword?" smiled Cleo. "I'm attacking your Panther Warrior with it!

"Louie Kaboom, attack Panther Warrior!"

_Is she nuts?_ thought Mary, as the fat robot ran to attack.

"Fight it off, Panther Warrior!" she yelled.

Panther Warrior raised his sword, and the two Monsters collided…

And then a huge explosion shook the field! Mary AND Cleo were thrown back.

Mary sat up to see a huge scorch mark and Alligator's Sword looking on in fear. Panther Warrior's sword and armor fell, burned and broken.

"Kaboom…" cackled Cleo, with delight.

She laughed. "I may have lost 600 Life Points from that Attack, but when Louie Kaboom makes an attack that normally fails, both Monsters are destroyed, and the owner of the attacked Monster loses Life Points equal to the Attack Score of the Monster. So you lost your Panther Warrior, AND 2,400 Life Points!"

Cleo's Life Point total was now 3,100, and Mary's was now 2,600.

"Talk about a dirty trick," sneered Clive.

"I predict that this duel is almost at an end Mary…" said Cleo. "And that you'll hand over that card very soon…"

She took another card from her hand.

"And I finish my turn by playing a card facedown."

Mary drew.

_The only Monster she has on her side is that wimpy Magical Scientist,_ she thought, _in Attack Mode no less. I could do some serious damage to her… but if that last move is any indication, she isn't an idiot. That facedown card might be something designed to stop me…_

"I'll Tribute Alligator's Sword for Giltia the Knight," said Mary.

She put the card down, and Alligator's Sword disappeared. In his place arose the green-garbed Warrior swinging his spear. (1,850/1,500)

"But I won't attack just yet," said Mary.

Cleo chuckled as she drew.

"Thought this was a Trap, didja?" she laughed, tapping a button on her Disk. "I knew you would fall for my bluff. It's actually Monster Recovery!"

Magical Scientist vanished.

"Now, I put my hand of cards back into my deck," she said.

The Disk reshuffled the deck.

"And now I draw a new hand," she said, doing so.

She looked at her cards.

_This may cost me some Life Points,_ she thought, _and a risk to me, but I can keep Mary from bringing back some of her big guns._

"I set one card facedown in Defense," she said, "and end my turn."

Mary drew.

_The card that The Gatekeeper gave me!_ she thought.

She looked at her Life Point total.

_If that facedown Monster's Defense is lower than Giltia's Attack, I can bring this duel to a close!_

"Okay, Cleo," smiled Mary. "You like doctors, but here's one you won't like…

"I summon Injection Fairy Lily in Attack Mode!"

She placed the card down, and a flurry of hearts filled the air. A beautiful young nurse with long, curly, red hair and angel wings appeared, sitting on top of a huge syringe. (400/1,500)

"Hel-looo!" she said sweetly, waving to Cleo.

_Huh?_ thought Cleo. _Why in the world did Mary summon THAT weak thing?_

"Now, Giltia, attack the facedown card!" commanded Mary. "Soul spear attack!"

Giltia fired, and an odd device appeared on the card. It seemed to be a silver cube of some sort that was geometrically impossible. The blast blew it to pieces.

"Ha!" laughed Cleo. "You just activated the flip-effect of my Dimension Jar! Now, each of us get to chose three Monsters to remove from play from each other's Graveyard… and I chose for you to remove Panther Warrior, Rocket Warrior, and Alligator's Sword!"

Mary chuckled as she punched the command into her Disk, and the cards were transferred into the removal pile.

"Now you get to choose three from mine…" said Cleo.

"By all means," smiled Mary. "Decide yourself."

"WHAT?" shouted Cleo. "Are you crazy?"

"I mean it," said Mary. "You decide."

"Well I'll certainly do that," frowned Cleo, pressing in the commands, "but you just wasted the chance to get rid of Jinzo."

"You won't get a chance to resurrect Jinzo, Cleo, because it's still my turn, and still my Battle Phase. Or have you forgotten that my other Monster has yet to attack?"

"You think I'm scared of your stupid nurse with her 400 Attack Score?" laughed Cleo.

"It's about to become a lot more," smiled Mary. "Injection Fairy Lily has a powerful effect. To activate it, I have to give up a whopping 2,000 Life Points…"

Injection Fairy Lily cast a spell, and energy flowed from Mary's body to hers. Mary cringed as her Life Points fell to 600.

"But in exchange for that," continued Mary. "Her Attack Score skyrockets from a weak 400 to a powerful 3,400!"

Lily's Attack Score changed.

"What?" gasped Cleo. "No…"

"Injection Fairy Lily," said Mary, "Finish her off with stabbing syringe strike!"

Cleo screamed as Lily flew forward, and screamed louder as she drove her syringe into her belly, impaling Cleo! A good amount of the crowd forced themselves to look away.

Lily giggled, and tossed Cleo on the ground with the huge needle still jammed through her. As her Life Points were depleted, the journal attached to her belt fell away and skidded towards Yugi and the others.

As the holograms shut down, Cleo was shaking in fear. Yugi curiously picked up the book.

"You won!" shouted Clive. "Gold Status, Mary! You're going to the finals!"

"Yeah, I guess I am," said Mary, still a little shocked. "Still I guess her ESP didn't do her much good."

"She doesn't have ESP," said Yugi, looking through the book. "She just plans ahead. Look in here…"

They looked. Inside the book were pages detailing several duelists, along with Monsters they used and observed strategies. Eventually they came to a series of pages where Mary's name was listed – along with Clive's, Peter's, and even Yugi's.

"That's her secret," said Yugi. "She was watching and taking detailed notes on every skilled duelist she could, so she could learn strategies and anticipate moves, pretending she had ESP."

A Centurion came up.

"Well, that doesn't fit the definition of cheating," he sighed, "even though it is a bit sneaky. At least now we don't have to waste time watching her…"

He waved to the other Centurions, and they left.

Mary went over to Cleo, who now had tears running down her face.

"Okay, Cleo, fork it over…" she ordered. "The Fiend Megacyber, remember?"

"Oh sure," sobbed Cleo, giving it to her. "Add salt to the wound why don't you?"

She didn't stop crying as Mary turned to leave.

"I'm sorry dad…" she wept softly. "I tried my best…"

Mary looked at Cleo.

"Cleo?" she said. "Listen up…"

She leafed through her deck until she found her own Jinzo.

"I have a question," asked Mary. "Why didn't you simply ask for this? Or offer to trade for it? I don't use it much anyway – I depend on Traps more than you do, I don't have that Amplifier, and Jinzo just gets in the way. We could have worked something out…"

"You might have said… no…" sobbed Cleo.

"Listen Cleo," said Mary. "I'm keeping The Fiend Megacyber because I won it fairly… but I might be willing to give you your dad's Jinzo… for a condition…"

Cleo looked up.

"What?" she asked.

"That you give up the journal, and stop with the phony ESP act. For the rest of the tournament, you promise not to duel with any tricks."

More tears ran down Cleo's face.

"I…" she stammered.

She paused.

"Sure… keep the journal. I promise…"

Mary handed over the card.

"I think we can end this the same way our fathers ended it," smiled Mary. "With a handshake."

They shook hands.

"Thank you," said Cleo, quietly. "And good luck in the finals."

As the Team Supreme left, Yami spoke up to Yugi.

"Mary certainly has a good heart," he said. "Traces of her father are certainly strong in her."

"True," said Yugi. "Her dad was a selfless guy…"

"To know the Heart of the Cards," said Yami, "one must know the Heart of Mankind."

He tossed the journal into a trash bin, and they left; their four bodyguards weren't far behind.

"I can't believe it Mary," smiled Clive. "You've got the Gold! Nothing's gonna stop you now!"

"Hey," said Mary, "you never know…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the grand Stadium in the center of Duelatopia, the Master of Games was continuing his inspection along with several workers and technicians.

"I think you'll find the announcer's booth adequate," said Leopold, as they entered a spacious booth.

"Let's test it," said the Master, flicking a series of buttons.

His face appeared on several screens around the arena. He picked up a microphone.

"Testing," he announced. "She sells sea shells at the sea shore."

He shut it down.

"Perfect," he approved. "Make sure Mike and Donna are adjusted to it."

"Master of Games," said a voice in his helmet.

"One minute," he said to his group. "Master of Games here."

"You'll be interested in knowing that we have our first Gold Status contestant," said the voice. "Mary Wheeler."

"Interesting," replied the Master. "More should come soon. Keep careful watch."

He thought for a minute.

_Mary reached Gold before Yugi?_ he thought_. Intriguing. But with her at the final level, the others should be more inspired to work harder._

_It doesn't matter much to me which one eventually wins… so long as they're all there, my plans stand an excellent chance of succeeding…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Saurius's dark chamber, the fallen angel brooded.

Mordent came up to him and kneeled.

"Master," he said. "The Wheeler girl has obtained Gold Status."

Saurius sneered.

He pointed towards Mordent, and shot a blast of energy at him, knocking him back ten feet.

"What was that for?" gasped Mordent.

"Nothing," growled Saurius. "I just felt like blasting someone."

Mordent limped out of the chamber.

"Well Yugi," said Saurius, "you've trained your disciples well. But you have no idea about the power you now have to face…

"Anastasia was nothing. Remi was an upstart. Even all of your sire's foes – Pegasus, Marik, Dartz – were not worthy of my consideration…

"You'll soon see how well your skills at a silly card game do you when I bring the wrath of Perdition down upon you and your allies. Duel Monsters is indeed an amusing way of handling things… but soon, you and your friends will be thrown in the discard pile…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LOUIE KABOOM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **_Jinzo + Shapesnatch_

When this card attacks an Attack Position Monster with higher ATK and is destroyed by battle, after damage calculation destroy the opposing Monster and deal damage to your opponent equal to the opposing Monster's ATK.


	26. Lightforce Sword

_**Like Mary said, we've encountered the legacies of a lot of great duelists on out travels. But the duelists aren't the only ones who produce legacies. In the game of Duel Monsters, sometimes the Monsters themselves produce their fair share.**_

_**Take Dark Magician, the most popular Spellcaster in the game, and the keystone of Yugi's and his dad's decks. When the game first came out (and was called "Magic and Wizards") he wasn't all THAT special. He was powerful, sure, but he was just a Normal Monster with no Effect. Just a Dark Spellcaster with stats of 2,500/2,100. A better Dark Spellcaster would have been Cosmo Queen.**_

_**But expansions changed that, as new Monsters arrived to aid him, inspired by his popularity. Dark Magician Girl came first, followed by Skilled Dark Magician, and Dark Magician of Chaos (I guess that proves further that while Dark Magician is the most popular Dark Spellcaster, he isn't the strongest). I've heard rumors of a Monster called Sorcerer of Dark Magic who's supposedly the most powerful Spellcaster in the game, but if Yugi has one, I've never seen him use it. You could even count Buster Blader as part of Dark Magician's legacy – he isn't Dark, he isn't a Spellcaster, but he can combine with his ally to form the mighty Dark Paladin.**_

_**Not to mention a host of Spell Cards meant to help this bunch out, like Sage's Stone, Curtain of the Dark One, Dark Magic Attack, Miracle Restoring, and Dedication Through Light and Darkness.**_

_**And now I've learned that **_**another**_** famous Monster has left a legacy behind him, and I'm about to face this offspring as I face my next opponent…**_

_**It would be exciting if I weren't so nervous…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Lightforce Sword**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In Saurius's dark throne room, he was strumming his fingers. The next phase of his plan had already been delayed two days, and he was not a patient man.

Mordent came up to him, holding two vials of dark red liquid.

"We're ready to start, my lord," he said. "Thanks to the human blood generously donated by our two recruits, we can finally summon him here."

"Well don't just stand there," growled Saurius. "Start already!"

"I'm way ahead of you," said Mordent, pouring the blood into a small cauldron. "Oh, I haven't seen the General in three years… Once he's here, it will be a most satisfying leap in our campaign…"

"I must thank our two recruits personally," said Saurius. "Speaking of which, how goes their training?"

"Rather well," said Saurius, adding other liquids to the cauldron. "If we ever have need of human duelists, they'll fit the bill. Besides, they both have gripes with some of the folks you have gripes with…"

He stirred the cauldron, and then took a bag out of his pocket containing nuts of some sort.

"On a world where magic isn't widely believed in," he said, "you can find some powerful stuff if you know where to look. Who'd have ever thought you could get some of the deadliest of alchemical ingredients in a local supermarket?"

"That is indeed ironic, Mordent," sighed Saurius. "Now hurry."

"I'll try master," he said. "But rush a ritual and you get a rotten ritual… We wouldn't want a failure, would we?"

"No," growled Saurius, "for _your_ sake we wouldn't…"

Mordent started to sweat nervously. He knew he couldn't afford to mess up again after what happened with the memory imp…

He added one more ingredient, and a flash lit the chamber. He opened a valve at the bottom of the cauldron, and a fine, red powder poured into a glass beaker.

He took the beaker, and slowly poured out the powder into a circle on the floor. He then formed the sand into a shape inside the circle – a five-pointed star, inverted.

"The ceremony should take about an hour and a half to complete, my lord," he said.

"Then start now!" demanded Saurius.

"As you wish," replied Mordent. He took out a deck of cards and selected a card.

"Candle of Fate!" he exclaimed.

Five candles shaped like hands appeared on the points of the star, and Mordent began to chant...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was noon.

In a heavily populated area of Duelatopia, a country-western singer was performing in front of assembled duelists, singing while playing her guitar:

'_**Cause I've got friends in low places,  
Where the whiskey drowns,  
And the beer chases my blues away…  
And I'll be okay…  
Yeah, I'm not big on social graces,  
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,  
Oh, I've got friends… in low places.**_

Everyone applauded.

"Thank you," she said, bowing. "And if you want more like that, the Battle Ox Bar and Grill is open every day from noon to midnight, with the best charbroiled food in Duelatopia and live music all the time. I might just be there myself if you're lucky. See you there!"

As she left, Clive stopped at a hot dog stand.

"Give me three," he said. "With mustard, relish, and extra sauerkraut."

He brought the dogs to a table where Peter, Mary, and Yugi were waiting with their own lunches. Peter made a face.

"You aren't actually going to _eat_ that mess, are you?" asked Peter.

"Hey, I have to keep my strength up if I'm going to catch up to Mary," chuckled Clive.

"Can't you at least think healthier?" exclaimed Peter. "Do you know what _parts_ of cows they put into hot dogs? The parts they don't use for other things!"

Clive paused. "You sure know how to take the fun out of eating," he frowned. "Besides, you should talk. You are going to get a stroke from the MSG in that moo goo gai pan. _Real_ Chinese chefs wouldn't be caught _dead_ making it that way, you know."

"Um, touché," said Peter, looking at his boxed take-out.

Yugi sighed. Yami appeared next to him.

"Take heart Yugi," he chuckled. "Your dad's old friends make these two seem tame by comparison…"

"Did Mary's dad and Tristan argue like this when they were young?" asked Yugi.

"It would start like this," laughed Yami, "and then escalate into 'playful' fistfights or wrestling matches. Sometimes I thought they would have gotten along better if they_ hadn't_ been such good friends…"

"Let's eat up and go, people," exclaimed Clive, "there's a whole city beckoning, and I can't wait to get started!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Eventually, they were in the business district again, and a crowd of people, unlike any gang of spectators they had seen to date, had gathered.

"Looks like a duel is in progress," said Mary.

"An exciting one from the looks of it," said Clive. "Wonder what the commotion is about…"

They went up and managed to see what the action was all about. Two male duelists were face to face.

One of them was an Asiatic boy with light hair. His side was clear, and his Life Point counter read 2,000.

The other was a teen about sixteen, with platinum blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail. He wore a silvery jacket and bleached white jeans. He had two Monsters on his side of the field, Maiden of the Moonlight, and Shining Abyss. His Life Point counter stood at only 600, but he didn't seem worried.

"Your move, Chan," he said, in a heavy British accent.

The Asiatic boy drew.

He chuckled.

"Take this, Sol," he said. "Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!"

The twin elves sprang up.

"Attack the Maiden!" he ordered. "Dual magic attack!"

Gemini Elf cast their spell, wiping out Maiden of the Moonlight. Sol's Life Points fell to 200.

"Make your move," said Chan, smugly.

"Don't give up, big brother!" called a girl behind him. She was about fourteen, and had the same platinum hair.

Sol drew.

"Heh, just what I needed," he said.

He fit the card into the slot.

"I first play Return of the Doomed," he said.

His discard pile opened.

"I discard one card to recover a Monster from my Graveyard…"

He did so.

"…and add it to my hand!"

He completed the action.

"Now, a second Spell Card," he continued, "Change of Heart!"

Chan gasped as Change of Heart appeared and flew into Gemini Elf. The elves leaped over to Sol's side.

"Now, I _could_ wipe out your Life Points with these two," chuckled Sol, "but with so many people watching, it would be a shame if I didn't bring my star back for an encore. I Tribute my Shining Abyss and your Gemini Elf to bring him back!"

The two Monsters vanished, and a huge shape appeared…

"No…" gasped Mary.

"It can't be…" stammered Peter.

Before their unbelieving eyes, a huge, silvery, winged Dragon appeared before Sol, and let out a roar!

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" gasped Yugi. "That's impossible…"

"Attack!" shouted Sol. "Lightning blast!"

The Dragon belched forth a blast of lightning breath, knocking Sol's opponent over, and reducing his Life Points to zero.

"Yay!" laughed the girl. "You win again Sol!"

She ran up and hugged him. He looked at his Disk, which changed hue to Violet.

"Okay, I'm beat…" groaned Chan, crawling away.

Yugi and his friends stared in disbelief as the holo-imagers shut down.

Sol looked at them.

"Surprised?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised someone other than Siegfried Kaiba has a Blue-Eyes," snapped Yugi, accusingly. "Where did you get that card?"

Sol laughed as he reassembled his deck.

"This isn't a real Blue-Eyes," he remarked, holding out the card. "See?"

They looked at the card. He was right. The illustration was different, and the stats were lower.

The name was "Son of Blue-Eyes."

"'Son of Blue-Eyes'?" asked Clive. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a father?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sol's sister. "You see…"

"Let me tell them, Penny," said Sol. "You always tell it wrong. It's quite a smashing tale, one that most historians of Duel Monsters have forgotten…

"Long ago, you see," he began, "the great Blue-Eyes White Dragon found that he lacked something. While he was feared and respected by others, he had no true companions. He only had servants. Emptiness started to well in his heart, and he felt a sadness that he had no mate amongst his many subjects.

"Eventually, he decided to find one, to ease the sadness and sate his need for companionship. And eventually he found one – another mighty Dragon of Light, the powerful Hyozanryu."

"Wait," questioned Mary. "Hyozanryu is female?"

"Who's telling the story here?" said Sol.

"Sorry," said Mary.

"Yes," continued Sol. "Hyozanryu was a female, one who touched the heart of the mighty Blue-Eyes. And eventually, their love was fruitful, and Hyozanryu bore an egg which hatched a baby Dragon that resembled her mate in most ways. The young Dragon grew fast, as most Dragons do, but he never managed to achieve the sheer might of his legendary father. Still, he managed to manifest other powers that set him apart."

"Interesting…" said Yugi.

"What kind of powers?" asked Mary.

Sol smiled.

"Care to duel?" he grinned. "I'll show you!"

"Don't have to," said Mary, showing off the Gold luster of her gem.

"Hey, I'll take you on!" exclaimed Clive.

"Clive…" cautioned Yugi. "That Monster he has might be powerful…"

"Yugi, I want to…" said Clive. "All my life, I've dreamed of going up against a Blue-Eyes. The chances of that are slim. But going up against a Monster with even a connection to Blue-Eyes… Even if I lose, it would be an experience!"

"Well you are gonna lose!" smirked Penny. "No one beats my big brother!"

"Penny, please, don't embarrass me!" said Sol.

He whispered to Clive. "She kind of makes it seem like I'm a little better than I am, ever since I became National Champion of Great Britain… that's how I got the Son of Blue Eyes card in the first place…"

But inside he chuckled.

_Chump,_ he thought. _I'll blast this bloke away before he knows what hits him! Son of Blue-Eyes never fails!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The crowd had gathered again (apparently, Sol's rare card had created quite a stir), and Clive was a little nervous. He turned towards his friends, and unfortunately, Sol's little sister was with them. He really wished at this point that Phoebe could have come with him as a guest. He wondered how she was doing in Hawaii.

He was also starting to have regrets about facing a duelist with a Monster that was likely very strong. But he knew the key to facing a duelist who used double-Tribute Monsters – try your best to prevent him from having enough Tributes. That was easier said than done, of course, but he could at least try.

"Ready to go, wanker?" smiled Sol, loading his deck.

"Uh huh," said Clive, loading his. "And don't call me that."

"Smashing," grinned Sol. "Prepare to face the power of the raw brilliance of my Shining Power Deck!"

The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks flipped into position.

"LET'S DUEL!" they shouted.

"Shining Power Deck?" said Mary. "Yugi, what's that?"

"I don't know…" said Yugi, scratching his head. "I've never heard of one…"

"I hate it when you say that…" moaned Peter.

Penny giggled. "You'll see," she laughed.

Clive made the first draw.

_Hello,_ he thought, with a smile.

"For my first move," he said, "I'll summon Getsu Fuhma, in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the dark, redheaded Warrior-woman leapt forward, swinging her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"Interesting," said Sol, drawing. "I'll summon Hoshiningen in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a small star with a smiling face appeared in front of him. It danced around, leaving behind a trail of sparks. (500/700)

"Oh wow," sighed Peter sarcastically. "It's the attack of Super Mario's starman!"

"When this little star is on the field," explained Sol, "the Attack power of all Light Monsters, including itself, go up by 500, and that of all Dark Monsters go down by 400!"

Hoshiningen's ATK went up to 1,000, while Getsu Fuhma's went down to 1,300.

"I end my turn," said Sol.

The crowd started to murmur.

"What the?" exclaimed Mary. "Sol screwed up!"

_Or did he?_ thought Yugi.

"I hate to break this to you, Sol," chuckled Clive, "but even with his own power boost and his weakening effect on Getsu, Getsu is STILL stronger!"

"Oh," muttered Sol. "Sigh, guess I messed up…"

"You bet you did," smiled Clive, drawing.

He put the card down.

"Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

Meanae appeared, and lashed her whip! (1,000/1,800)

"Hoshiningen might bring her Attack down to 600," said Clive. "But not for long… Getsu Fuhma, whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu Fuhma made a sweeping strike, and Hoshiningen exploded into sparks. Getsu's Attack went back up to 1,700, and Meanae's went back up to 1,000.

"Meanae, attack him directly with Scorpion lash attack!"

Meanae leapt up in the air and vanished.

"Where's she go?" said Sol, looking back and forth.

"Look behind you," grinned Clive.

Before he could, Meanae appeared behind Sol, and her whip lashed across his buttocks! Sol shrieked.

Meanae laughed and leapt back over beside Getsu Fuhma. Sol's Life Points were now at 6,700.

Sol rubbed his behind. It hurt, but inside he was laughing softly.

_If only you knew my long-term strategy,_ he thought, as he drew. _Your two tramps are going to fall…_

_And this card will help…_

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" he shouted, throwing a Spell Card into a slot.

A cage of glowing swords crashed down around Clive.

"That will…" started Sol.

"I know what the Swords do!" snapped Clive.

"In that case," continued Sol. "I'll summon Hourglass of Courage in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and a strange Monster appeared. It was a man-sized hourglass with feathered wings, with orange sand in the top half. (1,100/1,200)

"What on earth?" said Peter, confused.

"Unfortunately," said Yugi. "This Monster is a stranger to me."

"This is a complicated Effect Monster," explained Sol. "When I summon it, its Attack and Defense are cut in half…"

Hourglass of Courage's stats went down to (550/600).

"That's gotta be the most stupidest effect I've ever heard of!" sneered Clive.

"That's only part of the effect," smiled Sol. "Notice that the sands of Hourglass of Courage are slowly starting to slip from the top to the bottom. When the bottom is full… something happens.

"But worry about that later," he continued, picking another card out. "In the meantime, I'll strike at your Life Points… with Ookazi!"

He slid another Spell Card into a slot.

"What?" gasped Clive. "No!"

A rain of fiery meteors fell from the sky, striking Clive where he stood with a deafening explosion! He screamed, and his Life Points fell to 7,200.

"And guess what Clive?" said Sol. "I have two more Ookazi cards in my deck, each one capable of blasting you for 800 points of damage in one stroke!"

"Yeah, well, just because you have them doesn't mean you'll draw them," gasped Clive, panting.

"We'll see, won't we?" said Sol. "I'll lay one card facedown too…"

He set the card.

"…and it's your move."

"Fine," said Clive.

He drew. He noticed that Hourglass of Courage's sand took a major rise at the bottom.

_Okay…_ he thought. _I doubt that's good…_

"Before you summon anything…" said Sol.

His facedown card lifted.

"…I activate Light of Intervention! No putting Monsters facedown in Defense Mode, meaning no sneaky plays…"

"Lovely," snarled Clive. "I summon Dark Scorpion Chick the Yellow in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the teenaged member of the gang appeared and gave his quarterstaff a twirl. (1,000/1,000)

_I can't attack with these Swords in play,_ he thought. _But once they're gone, I'll hit him hard!_

Sol drew, and the sands of the Hourglass slipped even more.

"I'll summon Royal Magical Library in Defense Mode," said Sol, putting a card down.

He put the card down, and a strange structure rose up beside him. It was a tall bookshelf shaped like a half-heptagon, with three lamps (all unlit) hanging from the shelves. (0/2,000)

"Another mysterious Monster," pondered Yugi. "What on earth is he up to?"

"It has to be more than a defensive wall…" said Mary, rubbing her chin.

"And I'll finish by playing the Pot of Greed," said Sol.

He played the card, and the Pot of Greed appeared. He drew two more cards… and one of the lights of Royal Magical Library lit up.

_Curiouser and Curiouser…_ thought Yugi.

"Okay," exclaimed Clive, as he drew. "I'll first arm Chick the Yellow with the Dark Scorpion Shiv, to bring his Attack up to 1,700.

Chick tossed his quarterstaff aside, and a long dagger appeared in his hand. His Attack went up.

"Then I'll… huh?"

Another lamp in Royal Magical Library lit up.

Penny chuckled.

"Not the smartest move old chap," laughed Sol. "You just helped me out."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Clive. "And I'll also summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the silver clad Samurai appeared, bearing his sword. (1,100/1,100)

"One round to go," he warned. "Then your Swords are gone."

"Yes," chuckled Sol, drawing. "Unfortunately, the time is up…"

The sands of Hourglass of Courage ran out.

"And now Hourglass of Courage's true effect can be unleashed," he explained. "You see, its stats are only halved for the three total rounds after it is summoned. After that, its original stats return… and then they are permanently doubled!"

Hourglass of Courage's stats shot up to 2,200/2,400.

"Oh great," moaned Mary.

"You go brother!" shouted Penny.

"Consider this revenge for lashing me on the back you harlot!" yelled Sol. "Hourglass of Courage, attack Meanae the Thorn!"

Hourglass of Courage flew forward and Meanae screamed. It landed on top of her, and she was smashed flat. Clive's Life Points fell to 6,000.

"Your move, bloke," said Sol.

_Harlot,_ thought Clive, angrily. _I'll teach him to call Meanae a harlot!_

_But there's nothing I can do now, even if I could attack…_

"I'll switch all my Monsters to Defense Mode," he said. "And end my turn."

All of his Warriors knelt in Defense. The Swords of Revealing Light vanished.

"Smashing," smiled Sol, drawing.

"I play a Spell Card," he said, placing a card into a slot. "It's called Back To Square One!"

The card appeared. It was a humorous picture of strange Monsters on a board game.

"This card may look funny," chuckled Sol, "but it's powerful. I discard one card, and get to send one of your Monsters back to the top of your deck, and I'll choose Chick the Yellow!"

He discarded a card, and Chick vanished.

"Which, by the way, means that if you summon him again, he'll come back without that Equip Card you gave him. And look at my Royal Magical Library…"

The third and final lamp on the Library lit up.

"Now I can let you in on the secret," he explained. "Each time each of us plays a Spell Card, one of Royal Magical Library's lamps are lit, and when they are all lit, I can extinguish them…"

They darkened.

"And draw an extra card."

He did so.

So that's what it does, thought Yugi. _A continuous way to increase your hand…_

"Now, Hourglass of Courage, attack Masaki!"

Hourglass of Courage flew forward and smashed Masaki to pieces. His sword fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Now what?" gasped Mary. "What's Clive gonna do?"

"It depends on what he has in his hand right now," said Yugi. "The only card he can draw on his next turn is Chick the Yellow. Sol was right – Back To Square One is a powerful card."

Clive drew, and he looked at Chick the Yellow.

He took another card from his hand.

_I was saving this for a special occasion,_ he thought. _But now I'll have to use it to protect my Monsters for at least one more round…_

"I lay one card facedown," he exclaimed, putting it into the slot. "And I'll summon, you guessed it, Chick the Yellow, in Defense Mode."

He put the card back down, and Chick reappeared, kneeling against his staff. (1,000/1,000)

"Your move," he said.

Sol drew.

"Well then," he laughed. "I'm taking out your other harlot next! Hourglass of Courage…"

The Hourglass rose up to attack.

"…attack…" he started.

"HOLD IT!" shouted Clive hitting his Disk. "Activate Zero Gravity!"

"Zero Gravity?" mused Sol, as the Trap Card lifted.

"This card switches the position of every Monster on the field," shouted Clive, switching those in Attack Mode to Defense Mode, and vice-versa!"

All of Clive's Monsters and Royal Magical Library moved up into Attack Mode, while Hourglass of Courage slunk back into Defense Mode.

"And since I forced your Hourglass of Courage into Defense Mode at the start of your Battle Phase," said Clive, "it can't attack this round!"

"Humph," frowned Sol. "Fine. Since I didn't officially declare an attack, I'll finish my move by switching it BACK into Attack Mode!"

He turned the card, and the Hourglass flew up into offensive position again.

"Oh no…" whispered Penny.

"Your brother just made a mistake…" chuckled Peter.

"Don't be cruel, Peter," said Mary.

Clive drew.

"Just what I needed," he said. "I Tribute Chick the Yellow to summon Freed the Matchless General!"

He threw the card down. Chick vanished, and the mighty General appeared! (2,300/1,700).

"Oh well," said Sol. "So long, Hourglass of Courage…"

"It's worse than you think," smiled Clive. "You messed up… _royally!_"

"Oh ye gods!" shouted Sol. "I forgot to shift Royal Magical Library back into Defense Mode!"

"Ha!" laughed someone in the crowd. "You should have known better than that, dope!"

"You got it," shouted Clive. "And it has zero Attack Points! Freed, smash that blasted Hourglass! Sword of the battle scarred attack!"

Freed raised his mighty sword and brought it down on Hourglass of Courage, The timepiece exploded in a burst of orange sand. Sol's Life Points slipped to 6,600.

"Time to hand in my homework," yelled Clive. "Your turn Getsu Fuhma! Demolish Royal Magical Library with whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu charged and made a sweep with her sword; Royal Magical Library exploded on impact, and papers filled the air. Sol's Life Points fell to 4,900.

"Go Clive, go Clive!" cheered Mary and Peter together.

"You want to apologize now for calling her a harlot?" sneered Clive.

"No," cursed Sol.

He drew.

"I'm done playing around with you, Clive," growled Sol. "This is getting bloody annoying. I've had a Monster in my hand from the start of this duel that I've just been waiting for a chance to summon, and now that I can, I'm going to summon her now…

"But first, one card facedown…"

He set the card and it appeared.

He entered a command on his Disk.

"Now," he said, "I'm removing Hoshiningen and Royal Magical Library from play, and by removing two Light Monsters from play, I'm able to special summon this damsel…"

He put a card down.

"Meet Soul of Purity and Light, in Attack Mode!"

A silvery rain of mist descended on his side of the field, and gradually took the form of a graceful, shining woman with angelic wings. (2,000/1,800)

"Soul of Purity and Light is the embodiment of kindness and gentleness," explained Sol. "In fact, her victims don't truly die – they surrender peacefully to become part of her!"

"How comforting…" said Clive, sarcastically.

"Soul of Purity and Light," said Sol. "Attack Getsu Fuhma with pure embrace!"

The Fairy floated towards Getsu Fuhma, who looked with wonder. The Warrior dropped her sword and reached out her arms and the two hugged. Before Clive's eyes, Getsu Fuhma was absorbed into Soul of Purity and Light!

Clive's Life Points went down to 5,700.

"I end my turn," said Sol.

Clive drew.

_Monster Reborn,_ he thought. _Think I'll save this for later._

_Well, gentle or not, Freed should handle her…_

"Freed the Matchless General," he yelled. "Attack Soul of Purity and Light!"

Freed raised his sword…

And then his Attack Score went down to 2,000.

"What?" said Clive, shocked.

"Oh right," laughed Sol. "Soul of Purity and Light has an added effect. Her aura of calmness makes enemies lose the will to attack. During every one of your Battle Phases while she's on the field, your Monsters will permanently lose 300 points from their Attack Score."

"You screwed up again," snarled Clive, as Freed started to charge. "Now they're both doomed!"

"No," said Sol softly, tapping his Disk, "This time I prepared myself…"

His Trap Card lifted, and the three Waboku priestesses sprang up, halting Freed's advance.

"On your next Battle Phase," chuckled Sol, "Freed's score will drop further, to 1,700 Attack points, and Soul of Purity and Light will welcome him into her arms!

"And now it's my turn…"

He drew.

"And I summon Maiden of the Moonlight in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

Beams of light fell from the sky, and an elf-like woman dressed in a toga bearing dove-like wings appeared. She smiled sweetly. (1,500/1,300)

"Sheesh," muttered Peter. "Now I know what it means to 'kill with kindness'!"

"Lame!" groaned Mary.

"Your move," said Sol.

Clive drew.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, throwing the card into his slot.

The graceful angel appeared and flew into his deck.

"I draw three cards, and discard two…"

He made the three draws.

_Crescent Moon Queen,_ he thought. _Usually she doesn't show up until the end of my duels… I could use her now, but I'd best do so conservatively…_

He made the two discards.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said, placing the card in the slot. "To bring back Getsu Fuhma!"

Getsu reappeared on the ankh, with her sword drawn. (1,700/1,200)

"What good will that do?" said Sol. "Soul of Purity and Light already defeated her."

"I'm not done," continued Clive. "Since that was a special summon, I can now Tribute both her and Freed the Matchless General to summon Crescent Moon Queen!"

He switched cards. The two Warriors vanished, and Clive's most powerful Warrior appeared. She lifted her twin scimitars and opened her glowing eyes! (2,600/1,700)

"Call _this_ one a harlot, why don't you!" dared Clive. "Not only does she have an Attack power as strong as Buster Blader, but she can attack _twice_ in one round. That means I _could_ wipe out both your Monsters right now…

"BUT, since she'd have to shift into Defense Mode after such a feat and would be more vulnerable, I'm only going to attack once, and wipe out your Soul of Purity and Light!"

"Wait!" gasped Sol, as the Queen raised her swords.

"Yeah, I know, her Attack falls to 2,300," said Clive. "But that's still high enough to take out your angel! Crescent sword slash!"

Crescent Moon Queen ran forward and drove a sword through Soul of Purity and Light; she gave a cry and dissolved into formless mist. Sol's Life Points fell to 4,600.

"I can't believe you would strike down a practical embodiment of kindness!" growled Sol. "You'll pay for that…"

"Cash, check, or Visa?" laughed Clive. "I don't have American Express."

The spectators chuckled.

"Funny," sneered Sol, drawing. "I'll shift Maiden of the Moonlight into Defense Mode…"

Maiden of the Moonlight crouched and covered herself with her wings.

"…and since you liked this so much the first time, I'll use my second Ookazi card!"

"No!" shouted Mary, as Sol played the card.

Fire rained from the heavens again, and blasted Clive! He screamed, and fell over.

Clive got up, and his clothes were burnt. His Life Points were reduced to 4,900.

"I end my turn," said Sol.

Clive drew.

_Can't get mad,_ he thought_._ _I'll bet he WANTS me to get mad. As much as I want to attack him with the Queen, I can't risk her shifting into her weaker Defense Mode right now…_

_After all, he did hint that his Son of Blue Eyes was an Effect Monster… what if that Effect was some way to summon him without a Tribute? Still have to play conservatively…_

"Crescent Moon Queen," he yelled, "Attack Maiden of the Moonlight!"

The Queen ran forward and struck Maiden of the Moonlight. She screamed and was torn apart.

"Your move," said Clive.

Sol drew.

_Smashing,_ he thought. _I have what I need in my hand to bring out what I need to really give this audience a show..._

"First I place one card facedown," he said, fitting a card into the slot.

It appeared before him.

"And then I summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Attack Mode!" he pronounced.

A large, humanoid creature covered with armor that seemed to be made from black, scaly fins, holding a spear tipped with shark teeth appeared in a flash of light. (1,700/1,650)

Clive drew back.

"An Aqua?" he asked.

"A Sea Serpent," said Sol. "And it's your move."

"Yeah, well I'm not that gullible, Sol," said Clive. "That Monster is 600 Attack points weaker than my Queen, and you put it in Attack Mode. Your facedown card is a Trap, and I'm not walking into it!"

_I dunno,_ thought Yugi. _Clive might be making a mistake now… I've heard something about Kaiser Sea Horse… something about Light Monsters…._

Clive drew.

"So I'm passing for this turn," he said.

Penny smiled an evil smile.

"Now he's in for it…" she chuckled.

"I don't like that…" muttered Peter, looking at her.

"Well, who messed up now?" said Sol, drawing. "You should really do more research on Monsters, bloke. Kaiser Sea Horse has a potent effect. When you use him as a Tribute, he counts as two Tributes, so long as you use him to summon a Light Monster!"

"Aw nuts…" groaned Clive.

"Looks like _you_ messed up this time," called someone in the crowd to Clive.

He switched cards.

"So I Tribute my Kaiser Sea Horse to bring out the star of my deck… arise, Son of Blue-Eyes!"

Kaiser Sea Horse vanished, and a huge form arose. The dragon that appeared had a great resemblance to his parent, but perhaps had rougher scales. They glittered in the sunlight as the great beast roared! (2,300/2,000)

"You're in for it now!" shouted Penny.

"Well," said Clive, smiling. "That is impressive. But I've got news for you. He and Crescent Moon Queen have exactly the same Attack Score right now."

"What do you think this facedown card is for?" said Sol.

The facedown card lifted.

"It wasn't a Trap by the way," he smiled. "Activate the Spell Card known as… Enemy Controller!"

"Enemy what?" said Clive, puzzled.

A strange Spell Card appeared. It had a picture of a video game controller of some sort on it.

As the card activated, a large controller similar to the one on the card materialized in Sol's hand, and a wire shot out of it, striking Crescent Moon Queen in the navel! She gasped.

"What are you doing?" gasped Clive, shocked.

"Let me explain how this Spell Card works," said Sol. "When I activate it, I have two options. I can either change the position of one opposing Monster… Or I can sacrifice one of my Monsters on the Field to take control of one opposing Monster for one turn."

Clive started to sweat.

"Of course," said Sol, "since I don't want to sacrifice my Son of Blue-Eyes, I'm choosing the first option, and shifting your Queen into Defense Mode!"

He hit a button on the Controller, and Crescent Moon Queen strained as she shifted into Defense. The Controller vanished.

"Now, Son of Blue-Eyes, destroy her with lightning blast!" he commanded.

Son of Blue-Eyes shot forth a lightning bolt, and Crescent Moon Queen covered her eyes. She was vaporized, and the crowd cheered.

Clive chuckled.

He then broke out into laughter.

"Hey, what's so funny?" growled Sol, annoyed. "Didn't I just blow your best Monster to Kingdom Come?"

"Tell me something Sol," said Clive, still chuckling. "Do you happen to have a Monster Card in your hand right now that you can summon with no Tribute?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" snapped Sol. "Why?"

Clive laughed again.

"Then you just made the dumbest mistake you've made all duel, you jerk!" laughed Clive. "You could have won on that round!"

"What?" exclaimed Sol, in surprise. "EXPLAIN."

"Think about it, stupid!" laughed Clive. "When I passed that turn, thinking you had set a Trap, you could have summoned that weaker Monster. Then you could have used Enemy Controller and used its _other_ effect, sacrificing the weaker Monster to gain control of my Crescent Moon Queen.

"I would have been totally defenseless, and Crescent Moon Queen could have attacked me directly _twice_, for 2,300 points of damage apiece. Along with your Kaiser Sea Horse, the damage total would have been 6,300, more than enough to bring my Life Points into negative territory!"

"And likely make him sore for days," added Peter.

"But you were so proud of your precious Son of Blue-Eyes that you just HAD to bring him out," continued Clive, "so you wasted that opportunity, and instead of winning, did no damage to me at all!

"You may have a rare and powerful card, Sol, and he's certainly a magnificent Monster. But you didn't need him to win this duel. Being a show-off and bragging about your valuable prize cards is a sure way to lose. Nobody loves an egotist. As a wise man once said, 'Pride goeth before the fall'."

There was silence for a minute. And then everybody started to laugh. They laughed soundly at Sol.

"Don't laugh at him!" cried Penny. "Stop!"

She started to cry.

"I think that Dragon is smarter than you are!" laughed an onlooker.

Sol seethed in rage.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" said Clive, smugly.

"Alright!" yelled Sol. "So I made a little mistake…"

"I'd say you made a really _big_ mistake," said Yugi, who was the only one kind enough not to laugh.

"Well I'm still going to beat you Clive!" seethed Sol.

"You'll have to wait," said Clive, "because it's my turn."

He drew. The laughter died down.

_I may have had a chance to gloat,_ thought Clive, _but I'm still up against a powerful Monster and all I can do right now is Defend… I don't even know yet what effect that Dragon is hiding…_

"I summon Frontier Wiseman in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

A Spellcaster in a royal green robe with a golden crown, holding a large book appeared. (1,600/800).

"And I end my turn."

"And I'll start mine," muttered Sol, drawing.

"By the way," he said. "The non-Tribute Monster I could have summoned wasn't exactly 'weak'. I summon Helping Robo For Combat in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and an odd, jury-rigged Machine appeared in a brilliant light. It had a cylinder-shaped head with one golden eye, a hammer for one hand, another hand shaped like a frying pan, and tank treads instead of legs. The whole contraption looked rickety, and lights flashed all over it. (1,600/0)

"Now might be a good time to mention that wonderful effect that Son of Blue-Eyes has," explained Sol. "You see, as the offspring of two of the most powerful Light Monsters in existence, every Light Monster on the field, aside from himself, gains a 400-point bonus to its Attack score when he's on the field. That includes Monsters on both sides of the field, but from what I've seen of your deck so far, I'm guessing all you have are Dark and Earth Monsters."

Helping Robo For Combat's Attack went up to 2,000.

"Helping Robo For Combat," ordered Sol. "Attack Frontier Wiseman with hammer smash!"

The Robo rolled forward with a racket of squeaks and squeals, and pounded its hammer into Frontier Wiseman, crushing him.

"And," said Sol, "when Helping Robo For Combat destroys an enemy Monster, I get to draw one card…"

He drew.

"…and put one that I don't need at the bottom of my deck."

He slid one card from his hand under his deck.

"Now I'll show you who's the stupid one!" shouted Sol. "Son of Blue-Eyes, attack Clive directly! Lightning blast!"

Mary covered her eyes, as Son of Blue-Eyes shot forth his deadly beam. Clive let out a bloodcurdling scream as it hit.

He got up, gasping, with his clothes reduced to tatters. Smoke rose from his flesh. His Life Points were at 2,600.

"Clive!" yelled Mary.

"I'm… fine…" gasped Clive. "At least… I think so…"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" laughed Sol.

"Go big brother!" yelled Penny. "Blast him to smithereens!"

_Blast him to smithereens,_ she says, thought Clive, drawing. _I'm really starting to dislike that kid…_

He looked at the card he drew. He grinned.

"Sorry Sol, but I'm taking down your big, bad Dragon," he smiled.

"Huh?" smirked Sol. "That's big talk coming from someone with nothing on the field."

"First," started Clive. "I summon the leader of the Dark Scorpions, Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and in a dark flash, Don appeared with weapons drawn. (1,400/1,500)

Sol gave a quizzical look.

"And then, a little Spell Card called Negative Energy!" exclaimed Clive.

He fit the card into the slot.

"This card doubles the Attack power of all Dark Monsters, bringing Don's attack up to 2,800!"

Don glowed, and his Attack Score went up.

"Go!" ordered Clive. "Sting of the Scorpion attack! Slay his Dragon!"

"No!" yelled Sol, as Don Zaloog leapt to Attack. The bandit leapt and drove his rapier through the mighty Dragon's neck! Son of Blue-Eyes roared, and the great beast fell with a crash.

"NOOO!" yelled Sol.

The crowd applauded again. Sol's Life Point's fell to 4,100.

"And there's more," said Clive. "When Don damages your Life Points, he gets to steal a card from your hand!"

Don swiped a card from Sol's hand, and shoved it into the discard pile. Sol growled.

"And naturally," said Clive, "without Son of Blue-Eyes, your Robo's Attack falls back to 1,600."

The Robo's points fell.

"It's your move," smiled Clive, triumphantly.

Sol drew.

_I can't believe I was so bloody stupid to make such a __stupid__ mistake!_ he thought, looking at his hand. _And now I don't have a single Monster left in my hand that I can summon! Hyozanryu needs two Tributes!_

"I'll shift Helping Robo For Combat into Defense Mode," he said, "and end my turn."

He turned the card, and the Robo shielded itself with its arms.

Clive drew.

_Now let's see how he likes it,_ he thought.

"I summon Mad Dog of Darkness, in Attack Mode," he announced.

He put the card down, and the fierce, orange canine appeared. (1,900/1,400)

"Aw, blimey…" gasped Sol, nervously.

"Mad Dog of Darkness, demolish the Robo!" shouted Clive.

Mad Dog of Darkness pounced, and Helping Robo For Combat fell into a heap of scrap metal.

"Figures," said Peter. "Looked like it was ready to fall apart on its own."

"Now Don Zaloog," shouted Clive, "attack him directly!"

Sol looked in fear, as the leader of the Dark Scorpions leapt into the air. He landed behind Sol and rammed his dagger between Sol's shoulder blades!

Sol screamed and fell to his knees. His Life Points dropped to 1,300.

Before he could get up, Don stepped in front of him, and yanked another card out of his hand.

"No, not that one!" shouted Sol.

Don grinned and threw it into Sol's discard slot.

"He took my Hyozanryu!" cursed Sol, under his breath.

He spoke up to Clive as he got up.

"Are all your Monsters such blooming cowards that they all have to hit me in the back?" he sneered.

"My Dark Scorpions are brave," smiled Clive. "If you want Don to finish you off next turn looking you in the face, just say the word and I'll arrange that! I end my turn…"

"He's got this match cold!" exclaimed Peter. "He can't lose!"

"Don't get too comfy yet," said Yugi. "I doubt Sol will make another mistake like he did last time…"

Sol drew.

"I play Pot of Charity," he said, putting it into the slot. "By removing a Light Monster from play, I can draw three cards. So I'll remove Helping Robo For Combat..."

The Pot appeared, and an image of the Machine was sucked into it. He made three more draws.

He looked at the cards. He made a slight grin.

He added them to his hand.

"I play two cards facedown," he said, putting two cards into slots.

They appeared in front of him.

"And now, I play Return of the Doomed," he said. "Discarding one card to let me add one defeated Monster from the Graveyard to my hand."

He discarded a card. His discard slot opened, and he retrieved a card.

"And I end my turn."

The crowd looked on with a shocked look, and Clive was no less shocked.

_He ended his turn without summoning a single Monster?_ he thought. _Something's up…_

_He's been playing this whole game with me all duel – making bluffs and goads. But he knows as well as I do that another direct attack from me will cause him to lose – he wouldn't make such a bluff. One of those cards has to be a Trap designed to stop me… And that card he retrieved is likely Son of Blue-Eyes…_

He drew. He looked at the card.

_Don't have anything to summon, and no way to destroy those Traps. Maybe I should wait._

"I pass this turn," he said, softly.

Sol chuckled and drew.

"Since you like old quotations so much, old boy" he said, "here's a really old one you should know about: 'He who hesitates is lost'…"

Clive drew back.

"There's also another saying," sneered Clive. "The one that says, 'A rolling stone gathers no moss'."

"Mine is better for this situation," chuckled Sol. "Now you're the one who screwed up. Activate facedown card… Change of Heart!"

The card lifted, and the winged half-angel/half-demon appeared in front of him. She flew into Don Zaloog!

The bandit leapt over to Sol's side.

"Here's another old saying," said Sol, "an old American one I believe – 'He who refuses to learn the lessons of the past is doomed to repeat them.' Thus, I'm not making the same mistake I made last time! Don Zaloog, skewer the Mad Dog of Darkness!"

The possessed Don Zaloog leapt up, and drove his rapier through the Mad Dog, who howled in his dying rage. Clive's Life Points dropped to 1,700.

Then Don reached over and grabbed a card from Clive's hand! He threw it into Clive's discard pile.

_Crud,_ thought Clive.

"How do YOU like it?" mocked Sol.

"It doesn't matter," sneered Clive. "Once your turn is over, I'll regain control of Don, and I'll finish you off!"

"Not quite," said Sol. "Now I'll reveal my _other_ facedown card… the powerful Cost Down!"

The card lifted.

"Now I can discard one card, and Tribute your Don Zaloog to summon the Monster I got from Return of the Doomed," he continued. "So I'll just discard this..."

He discarded a card, and put his last card down, and Don Zaloog vanished.

"Son of Blue-Eyes, welcome back!" he said, as the fierce Dragon reappeared. (2,300/2,000)

"Yes!" shouted Penny.

"Now it's your turn," said Sol. "And you'd best make it count!"

Clive looked at the two remaining cards in his hand.

_I have two Trap Cards that I could use to defeat this guy,_ he said. _But the problem is, there's only one Monster left in my deck that I could summon that will make them work. If I don't draw him now, and I mean NOW, I don't know how much longer I'll hold out…_

He closed his eyes, and with a surge of trust, made his draw. He looked at the card.

"I place two cards facedown on the field," he exclaimed, fitting two cards into slots. "And then I summon the Dark Scorpion's master of disarmament – Cliff the Trap Remover, in Attack Mode!"

He put his last card down. The two facedown cards appeared, and Cliff arose, brandishing his dagger. (1,200/1,000)

"And I end my turn."

"Humph," muttered Sol. "You can't fool me, Clive," said Sol. "You're playing the same trick I tried to play on you. Those two facedown cards are nothing but bluffs."

He drew.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed," he said, putting it into a slot.

He made two more draws.

"Now I'll first play Dian Keto the Cure Master, on the off chance that I'm wrong," he said, putting another card into a slot.

The god of healing appeared behind him and cast his spell, raising his Life Points to 2,300.

"And Clive?" he said sweetly. "Look what I just drew! My third Ookazi card!"

"Not again…" moaned Clive, as Sol threw it into the slot.

For the third time, a rain of meteors fell down upon Clive, and he screamed. His Life Points were blasted down to 900.

Clive struggled to get up. His clothing was practically gone by now, with barely enough to preserve his modesty, and his skin was badly charred.

"Clive is really taking a beating now!" moaned Mary.

"And if those facedown cards don't stop that Dragon's attack," gasped Peter, "it will wipe out the rest of his Life Points!"

"Time to end this," grinned Sol. "Son of Blue-Eyes, attack Cliff with lightning blast!"

A ball of energy formed in Son of Blue-Eyes's jaws…

"Not so fast, limey!" shouted Clive. "Activate Great Escape!"

One of his Trap Cards lifted, and Cliff produced a grappling hook. He threw it, and swung out of the way of the blast!

"The Dark Scorpions are masters of escaping from danger," pronounced Clive. "This Trap lets one of them avoid all attacks for one round."

"Pitiful," muttered Sol. "I'll get him the next round. End turn."

"There won't be a next round," chuckled Clive, drawing. "Not while I have this other Trap Card… another great Dark Scorpion tool…"

The card lifted.

"Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

"Yes!" shouted Peter. "I love that trick!"

"Dark Scorpion Pilfer?" questioned Sol. "What does that do?"

"With this card," said Clive. "I can direct a member of the Dark Scorpions to steal from your Graveyard any Spell or Trap Card that I want…"

Cliff looked at Clive and gave him "the eye".

"Oh, so sorry Cliff," muttered Clive. "I meant any card that _he_ wants. But we tend to agree on what's best for the occasion…"

Cliff gestured with his hands, and a Spell Card appeared in them.

"I believe he just robbed you of your Enemy Controller card, Sol!" laughed Clive.

"WHAT?" shouted Sol.

Magical energy flowed from Cliff to Clive, and the card materialized in his hand. He placed it into a slot.

The large video game controller appeared in Clive's hand, and a wire shot out, striking Son of Blue-Eyes in the chest!

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you how this works, Sol," said Clive. "I can sacrifice one Monster to take control of one of yours. So I'm sacrificing Cliff the Trap Remover to take control of Son of Blue-Eyes!"

Clive hit the button on the Controller. Cliff grinned and vanished, and energy flowed through the wire. Son of Blue-Eyes's eyes glazed over, and he flew over to Clive's side.

"No!" cried Penny. "I can't watch!"

_It's over…_ thought Sol. _I lost… all because I made such a stupid mistake..._

"Son of Blue-Eyes," shouted Clive. "Attack him directly with lightning blast!"

The Dragon blasted forth his mighty breath weapon, and Sol screamed as it hit him. His Life Points fell to zero and he collapsed.

The holo-generators shut down, and the dragon faded away. Clive's clothing slowly reformed.

"Phew!" gasped Clive.

"Yes!" shouted Peter, running up. "Slap me some skin!"

The two friends clasped hands.

Mary hugged him. "Talk about close!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, Mary," muttered Clive. "I'm still a little tender…"

"Sorry," she said, letting go.

Clive looked at his Disk. _Violet Status at last,_he thought. _I'm getting there…_

"Big brother!" sobbed Penny, running up to Sol. "Are you all right?"

"I… will be…" he groaned.

A sinister thought started to go through his head.

"Uh, Clive," he said, getting up.

"Yeah?" said Clive.

"No hard feelings…" he muttered. "And I'm… sorry I insulted your Monsters. I'll make it up to you… take this."

He took a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket.

Clive looked the color-copied document. It was a map of the park, the place where Peter had fought his first duel of the tournament.

"Someone sold this to me," exclaimed Sol. "She claimed it lead to the lair of an Eliminator. I don't want to go myself… I'm too chicken, heh, heh."

Penny started to say something, but Sol stopped her.

Yugi looked at it. A hand was pointing at a depiction of a pyramid.

"That must be the pyramid monument that Peter dueled Brick in front of," said Yugi.

Clive looked at it.

"It's worth considering," he pondered. "Thanks."

"Good luck if you try," said Sol.

"Good luck to you too," said Clive.

The crowd dispersed, and the team started to leave.

An evil smile crossed Sol's face.

"Sol!" cried Penny. "You told a fib! You beat that Eliminator… barely. That's how you got Soul of Purity and Light…"

"Yeah," smiled Sol. "But Clive doesn't need to know that. Hopefully, that wanker and his Dark Scorpions will climb into that lair and meet their doom…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So are you going to do it, Clive?" asked Mary.

"Dunno," pondered Clive. "It's tempting. I'm Violet now. If I beat this guy, I'm guaranteed a spot in the finals…"

He gave the map a long look.

"But it doesn't have to be today," he said, putting it away. "I'll think about it some more."

They passed by an interesting looking store.

It was called "Precious Cards From Beyond."

"Look at this," exclaimed Yugi. "A place to buy cards!"

"Well, let's see what we can find," said Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and Clive were the first ones to buy anything. They had merely gotten a bunch of booster packs to try their luck.

_Hmm..._ thought Yugi, looking at one of his. _Black Tyranno. A powerful card, but Dinosaurs really aren't my style._

Still, he figured it might be of some use later, so he put it in his side deck.

Clive meanwhile, had made a lucky find.

_Wow!_ he thought. _Swords of Revealing Light! Yugi loves this card!_

He slipped it into his deck.

_Think I'll keep it secret for now…_

He looked at another card he had gotten.

_Hmm,_ he thought. _A Trap Card. Didn't Yugi's dad tell me something about this? Something about a Rare Hunter in Battle City?_

_Well, its effect is quite impressive. It just might do the job…_

He put it in his deck too.

Meanwhile, Mary looked at a set of three Monster Cards in the display case. Three Warriors. She smiled.

"I'd like those three," she grinned, holding up her credit card.

"Of course," said the clerk. "Those cards make an excellent combo."

"That's what I'm hoping," said Mary.

_Yugi's dad used these guys a lot,_ she thought, looking at them. _Won't Yugi be surprised…_

Peter bought a couple of booster packs, but he didn't have much luck. Not many Fiends, and few other cards he could use. He was about to consider it a waste of money when he got to the final card in the last pack.

_Hello?_ he thought, looking at it.

The title of the colorful Spell Card was "Archfiend's Favor."

He thoroughly read the description. THIS was perfect!

He added it to his deck and put the rest of the cards in his backpack.

"So now what?" asked Mary.

"Well, said Yugi. "It's only two. Maybe we can find something else to occupy us before supper… This island is pretty big. And Peter just needs one more victory before he can make the finals.

"You too, Yugi," said Peter.

"Yeah," said Yugi. "But I have to find the next challenge carefully. Who knows what's waiting out there?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

What indeed?

In Saurius's dark lair, an unholy ritual was happening, and the fallen angel was waiting with baited breath.

Mordent chanted, and the five candles glowed brighter. Finally, the powder that made up the pentagram caught on fire, and let off a blaze that lit the whole chamber in a hellish glow.

Finally, a column of flame erupted from the circle, and Mordent was thrown back. He landed on his rump.

He got up… and held his nose. Even for a man like him, this sort of stench was unpleasant. The other servants watching also winced. The only one who wasn't turned off by the smell was Saurius.

A dark shape arose in the center of the circle.

"Welcome to the mortal plane, General Bezelbub," said Saurius.

A set of glowing eyes opened...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SON OF BLUE-EYES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **Increase the ATK of all LIGHT Monsters except this one by 400.


	27. Arsenal Summoner

_**When we got off the boat and arrived on Duelatopia, Mary said it quite clear – the four of us are a team, and we should support each other at every turn.**_

_**I should have thought of that about a forty-five minutes ago when I felt a need to go off for a snack. But then, I didn't think I be challenged by one of most annoying folks I've ever encountered.**_

_**Now I'm in it deep. I'm up against a good duelist, and I don't have my friends to back me up. The only real support among these spectators that I have is from an old opponent who I don't know too well. **_

_**While my Archfiends are team, I'm on my own, without mine. I just hope I can do without them…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Arsenal Summoner**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried had worked hard to make every part of Duelatopia perfect. There was practically no part of it that he could not control to his liking.

But there was one part of it that no human could control, no matter how hard he tried – the weather.

It was now three PM, and intense heat pounded down upon the island. Nary a breeze broke up the heat wave that covered Duelatopia. As the Team Supreme wandered in search of their next challenges, they saw other duelists swamped from exhaustion and seeking shade.

"Wonder where Jade is…" sighed Mary. "That armor she's wearing must be a regular oven…"

"Orin must be doing better," panted Clive. "That Legendary Ocean of his really cooled me off…"

Peter was feeling it the most. The Chinese food he had for lunch had served as a massive dehydrator.

"Guys," he gasped, wiping sweat from his brow, "why don't you go on ahead of me? I'm going to go for ice cream at that store I saw a few blocks back."

"Well, sure," said Mary. "Just don't get into any trouble…"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," warned Yugi. "Meet us at that restaurant we saw at four-thirty, okay?"

"Sure guys," he said, walking off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Eventually, he found his goal. Amid the stores was a small shop with a picture above it of Penguin Soldier, holding his sword in one hand and a triple-scoop ice cream cone in the other. Peter went in, and as he expected, there was a line. No problem. He was an artist, after all, and artists needed to be patient.

When he got up to the counter, he knew what he wanted: "One large chocolate soft-serve cone, please," he asked.

The fat, jovial clerk went to the soft serve machine and dispensed the ice cream into cone.

He chuckled as he finished. "Looks like you were _really_ lucky, son," he smiled. "That was the last of the chocolate!"

"Really?" said Peter, paying for it. "Guess I got here just in time."

He took the ice cream and started to leave.

As he left, a strange boy entered. He was dressed in cowboy clothing, with a leather buckskin and pants, boots with spurs, and a white cowboy hat. Two pistols rested in holsters at his hips, and a Duel Disk at Violet Status was on his arm.

Peter gave him an odd look as he lapped his cone. The boy gave him a look back.

As Peter left, the cowboy went up to the counter and tipped his hat. "Large soft-serve chocolate, Freddy," he said.

"Oh, sorry, Shane," said the clerk. "That guy who just left got the last of it. Could I get you anything else?"

Shane turned around with shifty eyes towards Peter, who was outside sitting at a park bench licking the cone.

"So he did…" he muttered. "Well, I reckon I'll have to have a word with him…"

He took a pack of bubble gum out of his pocket and removed a piece. He put one in his mouth and chewed as he went outside.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Peter finished the ice cream and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

_You have to wonder who the genius was who invented ice cream,_ he thought. _Strange, really, everyone knows that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but no-one knows who invented some other really important things. Why doesn't anyone ever mention the guy who invented the television set? He should be known as one of the greatest inventors in history… Maybe I should look that up sometime…_

At that point, Shane appeared twenty feet in front of him. The two exchanged looks.

The young cowboy whipped out his six-shooters and pointed them at Peter.

"Okay, varmit," he sneered, "freeze and put your hands in the air!"

Peter gave him a look and got up as a few onlookers watched.

"Um, excuse me, pal," he quipped. "Technically, it is impossible for me to both 'freeze' and put my hands in the air. 'Freezing' implies a lack of movement, whereas putting my hands in the air would in fact create movement, and furthermore…"

He paused as the onlookers started to chuckle.

"…if you don't put those things away right NOW, I'll scream for a Centurion. Who do you think you are, anyway?"

The gunslinger gave a smug look. He twirled the six-shooters and holstered them.

"The name is Shane, yew low-down sidewinder," he grumbled. "An' they were just fakes anyway. An' I've got a score ta settle with yew…"

"What did I ever do to you?" asked Peter, now annoyed.

"I wanted that chocolate ice cream that yew took," growled Shane, "an' I don' like it when I don't get what I want!"

"For God's sake, man, have the chocolate-chip cookie dough!" groaned Peter. "Are you so spoiled that you want to fight because of an ice cream cone?"

"Not fight," smiled Shane, lifting his Disk, "duel! It's time for a showdown, the same way they did it in the Old West. Unless yer a chicken-livered coward."

"OOHH!" gasped many of the onlookers.

"I'm not afraid of you," snarled Peter. "Besides, I'm one duel away from qualifying from the finals. If you want a duel, you spoiled brat, you've got it!"

"Fine," smiled Shane. "But I warn yew… I was regional champion of Texas. It's a large state…"

"I beat the national champion of Ireland!" laughed Peter. "So get your deck ready!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Speaking of the national champion of Ireland…

As Peter and Shane started to shuffle and the small ensemble of onlookers gathered around, a boy walked out of the ice cream store with a Neapolitan bar. At the moment, he was thinking he was crazy wearing a black costume at a South Seas island.

Maligno had been having mixed luck since his duel with Peter. He'd win one duel, but lose the next, and right now, his Disk was still where it was when Peter had beaten him, Green.

He looked over at the crowd as he finished his ice cream bar.

_Peter, dueling?_ he thought. _And he's at Silver!_

He took out his deck and skimmed through it. He found the card Peter had given him, Marie the Fallen One.

_Maybe he could use some support,_ he thought, going up to where the spectators were.

He eyed Shane. _A cowboy outfit,_ he thought. _Interesting. Wonder what sort of theme this guy uses?_

Shane chewed his gum as he faced Peter. He blew a large bubble and snapped it.

"I hope yer ready fer a painful showdown, Pete," mocked Shane. "I'm gonna beat yew worse than the Earps beat the Clantons!"

Peter was starting to have second thoughts. He remembered Yugi's words – "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Would Yugi have accepted a challenge without his friends as backup? He would have to fight this duel more or less on his own…

But he couldn't exactly give up. And he couldn't rely on others for everything. If he did make it to the finals and got to duel in the splendid arena, he likely couldn't have Yugi, Clive, or Mary acting as his corner-men. If they got to finals as well – and Mary already had – they might even be his opponents eventually.

He shuddered at the thought of having to duel Clive. Could he even do such a thing? If he had to, he'd have to conduct it with honor, unlike the way his current opponent was acting.

"Listen, Billy the Crud," snarled Peter, loading his own deck. "You have the manners of a common thug. Real duelists are supposed to respect their opponents and duel with honor and integrity, not sour the duel with insults.

"So I'll just have to teach you some respect…"

He lifted his Disk and the holo-imagers shot out. Shane did the same.

"Okay yew polecat," mocked Shane, putting his arms to his side. "We draw on the count of three! One…"

A breeze blew across their field.

"Two…"

Everyone tensely waited.

"Three!"

They both lifted their Disks, and quickly made their draws.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

"Why don't I get this started?" said Shane.

"By all means," said Peter.

Shane made a draw.

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

Peter was surprised at this announcement. Shane put the card down, and the elven Warrior that Yugi was so fond of using appeared, brandishing his silver sword. (1,400/1,200)

_That should shake the varmit up,_ thought Shane, looking at his hand. _And once I summon my next Monster, it will shake him up even more!_

Peter drew and looked at his hand.

_I have a pretty good idea about what else his deck holds if he has that card in it_, he though. _And he might not know it, but I'm well aware of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's powers, so Archfiend Soldier isn't the right card to use…_

He chose a card.

_This guy will do._

"Baron of the Fiend Sword, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and a bulky, yellow-skinned Fiend wearing a grey suit and brandishing a sword made of red crystal appeared. (1,550/800)

"Baron of the Fiend Sword," ordered Peter, "attack with fiend sword slash!"

Baron of the Fiend Sword lurched forward and made a swipe. The Guardian's sword flew from his hands. The Baron made a downward cut, blasting Obnoxious Celtic Guardian away. Shane's Life Points slipped to 7,850.

Shane drew back in surprise.

"Thought I didn't know about his defensive power, huh?" laughed Peter.

"All right, Peter!" shouted Maligno. "Show that cowpoke who's boss!"

_Huh, Maligno?_ thought Peter.

Well, someone was supporting him at least.

"My turn," said Shane, drawing.

He smiled. He tapped his disk and opened his Field Card slot.

"I'll play my Field Spell Card," he called out. "Sogen!"

He inserted the card, and the terrain around the whole area changed, transforming the street into a beautiful, grassy meadow. Daisies bloomed, and butterflies flew about.

Peter looked on with worry.

_The Sogen card increases the Attack and Defense of Warriors by 200 points,_ he thought. _His deck is probably packed with Warrior-types!_

"And now," smiled Shane. "Meet one of my favorite Monsters. She was named after one of the best gunslingers and trick-shots of all time… I summon Calamity Jane!"

He put down the card, and a female cowgirl appeared. She was beautiful, but had an angry look on her face. Her blonde hair was tied in two long braids, and she wore a white leather outfit and a stylish cowboy hat. She whipped out two silver pistols and twirled them dramatically. (1,700/1,000) –) (1,900/1,200)

Calamity Jane eyed Baron of the Fiend Sword. She spit tobacco juice on the ground.

"Awright, Jane," ordered Shane, "plug that Baron with six-guns shot attack!"

Calamity Jane fired her pistols and Baron of the Fiend Sword fell back with a groan. He vanished, and Peter's Life Points sank to 7,650.

_Nuts,_ thought Peter, drawing. _I don't have anything that can defeat that gunslinger, but I do have someone with equal strength… Let's hope he doesn't have anything stronger than this…_

"Archfiend Soldier, in Attack Mode," he said, placing a card down.

A burst of flame erupted on the field, and the infernal footsoldier appeared, brandishing his sword. (1,900/1,500)

"My Fiend may not be able to defeat your Warrior," stated Peter. "But she can't defeat _him_ either! I end my turn."

"No, _she_ can't," chuckled Shane, as he drew.

_I don't like the way he said that…_ thought Peter.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" shouted Shane, throwing a card down.

The imposing form of Dai Grepher appeared on the field, holding aloft his huge sword. He stared at Archfiend Soldier. (1,700/1,600) –) (1,900/1,800)

"It's still a standoff…" muttered Peter.

"Think so, varmit?" smiled Shane.

Calamity Jane and Warrior Dai Grepher turned to each other. Jane smiled and nodded. Grepher's Attack Score went up further, to 2,200.

"What?" said Peter.

"Look at Jane," grinned Shane, tipping his hat. "She's real purty, ain't she? She serves as an inspiration to all other Warriors, so much that when she's on the field, all other Warriors gain a 300-point bonus to their Attack Score!

"So then… Warrior Dai Grepher, attack Archfiend Soldier!"

Grepher leapt forward, and slashed through Archfiend Soldier, shattering his sword. He made another stroke and cut him in half! Peter's Life Points fell to 7,350.

"Now, Calamity Jane," yelled Shane, "show Peter how it's really done, with a direct attack!"

Jane spit on the ground and lifted her pistols…

_Aw, this isn't going to be nice…_ thought Peter.

Jane fired six rounds, and Peter toppled over.

His Life Point counter tumbled to 5,450. Peter winced in pain. Calamity Jane blew the smoke from her pistol.

"Don't give up, Pete!" shouted Maligno. "It's never hopeless!"

"Yeah, thanks Maligno," groaned Peter, getting up. He was bleeding from six bullet-wounds, but fortunately the pain went away quickly.

He looked at his hand. He had something that could get rid of Dai Grepher, but the trouble was, it needed to survive two rounds to do so. His next draw had to be something good.

He drew.

"I set one card facedown," he said. "And I summon Crass Clown in Defense Mode!"

He put the two cards down. First the facedown card appeared, and then a fiendish, fat clown in a green outfit with yellow polka-dots and a purple ruff appeared, carrying a staff. It let out a wicked cackle. (1,350/1,400)

"And it's your move," said Peter with a grin.

_Oh, I see what you're trying to do, Peter,_ thought Maligno. _But will it work?_

Shane started to get nervous.

_I know what that Clown kin do,_ he thought. _And Peter probably set a Trap to protect it… but what? Have to take a chance…_

"Warrior Dai Grepher, attack!" he commanded.

Grepher raised his sword and charged at Crass Clown.

"Not this time, lunkhead," yelled Peter. "Activate Waboku!"

His card lifted up, and the three blue-robed priestesses sprang up to block Grepher's attack.

"Dagnabbit!" cursed Shane. He calmed down. "I end my turn."

Peter drew.

"Perfect," he said, adding the card to his hand.

"I first shift Crass Clown to Attack Mode," he said, turning the card, "which lets it send one of your Monsters back to your hand! And I'm choosing Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Crass Clown cackled and aimed its staff and fired a beam of light at Grepher. He vanished.

"Now," said Peter. "I'll Tribute Crass Clown for Lesser Fiend!"

Crass Clown cackled again and vanished. In its place rose a huge, muscular demon with yellow skin and four arms, wearing a black kilt. (2,100/1,000)

Lesser Fiend roared, and Calamity Jane gasped in fright.

"Lesser Fiend," ordered Peter. "Attack Calamity Jane with fiendish fists attack!"

The demon lumbered forward. Jane screamed as it hit her, and she was blasted out of existence. Her cowboy hat fell to the ground; Lesser Fiend stomped on it.

Shane's Life Point's fell to 7,650. He seethed in anger.

"My Lesser Fiend just sent her straight to Boot Hill," laughed Peter. "And she's staying there, because any Monster destroyed by Lesser Fiend is removed from play!"

"Yeah, that's showing him!" shouted Maligno.

"What a Monster!" said someone else who was watching.

"All right yew rattlesnake, now ah'm mad!" cursed Shane drawing.

_Warrior Dai Grepher is one of my strongest Warriors,_ he thought, _and if I summon him back now I'll just lose him for good! Best just defend with something weaker…_

"I summon Science Soldier in Defense Mode," he said, "and end my turn."

He put the card down, and a soldier wearing science-fiction style armor, holding a rifle appeared, and knelt in defense. (800/800) –) (1,000/1,000)

Peter drew.

"I play – Graceful Charity," he said.

He put the card in the slot, and the angel appeared, flying into his deck.

He drew three cards.

"Excellent," he said, making two discards.

"Time to replace your Field Card with my own," smiled Peter, opening his own Field slot. "I play… Pandemonium!"

He slipped in the card and shut the slot. Flames started to erupt around them…

"What's happening?" said a girl in the audience in fear.

"Don't worry," said Maligno. "This looks scary, but it won't hurt anyone…"

The meadow vanished, and haze filled the air. The monuments around them became demonically twisted, and the buildings took on a fiendish look. What was once a fountain with a waterfall became a lava flow. Other members of the audience started to shiver…

Science Soldier's stats went back to (800/800).

"Where the Hell are we?" said Shane, somewhat shaken himself.

"Good choice of words, Shane," said Peter, softly. "Pandemonium is the capital of the Underworld, the ultimate home of all Fiends. And its rulers are the driving force of my deck, the Archfiends!

"You see, Archfiends hate mortals, and they hate being summoned. The only way I can summon them without them harming me is by using this Field Card.

"Now you're about to meet one of them… Arise, Infernalqueen Archfiend!"

A bonfire erupted before Peter, and the fiendish queen stepped out of it. (900/1,500)

"Infernalqueen Archfiend," said Peter, "attack Science Soldier with cross-the-board capture attack!"

The Archfiend charged forward and smote Science Soldier with a fiery fist; he fell to the ground with his armor sparking. He blew up.

"Lesser Fiend," ordered Peter, "attack Shane directly!"

The hulking Lesser Fiend lurched forward and socked Shane with a roar. He tumbled back about ten feet. The crowd cheered.

Shane got up, and felt his eye, which was blackening. His Life points fell to 5,550.

"I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," said Peter.

The facedown card appeared.

"Dirty pool, yew rattlesnake," mumbled Shane, drawing.

He chuckled.

"I summon Marauding Captain, in Attack Mode!" he laughed, putting a card down.

A young soldier in armor holding a sword appeared. (1,200/400)

"And by summoning Marauding Captain," he continued, "I kin summon another Warrior of Level Four or less! So I summon Exiled Force!"

He put another card down, and a ragtag band of armored warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"What does that…" started Peter.

"Ah'll tell yew what!" said Shane. "By offering Exiled Force as a Tribute, I can wipe out one Monster on the field. So I'm getting rid of yer lousy Lesser Fiend!"

Exiled Force vanished, and Lesser Fiend screamed. He exploded. Peter's Life Points fell to 4,925.

"Now ta take care of yer queen," he shouted. "Marauding Captain, attack that sheela!"

Marauding Captain raised his sword and charged.

"Hold, on, buddy," said Peter, hitting a button on his Disk.

"Huh?" said Shane. "A Trap?"

"A powerful one," said Peter, as the Trap lifted, "called Sakuretsu Armor!"

A shield of force formed around Infernalqueen, and when Marauding Captain hit it, he screamed and was blown to bits. Shane's Life Points fell to 5,250.

Shane growled. "In that case," he said, "I'll lay one card facedown and end my turn."

He fit the card into the slot and it appeared before him.

_Be careful, Peter, that may be a Trap,_ thought Maligno.

Peter drew.

"I first use Infernalqueen's effect, which can raise the Attack Score of any Archfiend by 1,000 points… and I'll have her use it on herself!"

Flames shrouded Infernalqueen, and she cackled as her Attack went up to 1,900.

"Now, I summon Vilepawn Archfiend in Attack Mode!" he continued.

The ground rumbled, and the hulking, bony Archfiend crawled out of the ground with his sword drawn. (1,200/200)

"Go my Vilepawn!" commanded Peter. "Attack him directly with en passant strike!"

Vilepawn closed in on Shane.

"Not so fast, hombre!" yelled Shane, hitting a button on his Disk.

His card lifted, and three women who looked sort of like the Waboku priestesses sprang up to block him.

"I activated my Hallowed Life Barrier Trap," said Shane, smiling. "It keeps me from taking any damage this turn."

He discarded one card.

"Then I end my turn," sneered Peter.

Shane drew.

He looked at Peter. He chewed his gum slowly and blew another bubble.

"I place one card facedown," he said softly, "and end my turn."

The facedown card appeared.

Peter looked at him suspiciously.

_I've seen week-old fish that smelled better than this,_ he thought.

He drew.

_Well, just in case it's fish…_

"I'll use Infernalqueen's power again, this time on Vilepawn," he said.

Infernalqueen gestured, and flames erupted around Vilepawn. He flexed, and his Attack Score went up to 2,200.

"Then I'll shift Infernalqueen into Defense Mode," he continued.

Infernalqueen drew back, and folded her wings around herself.

"Now Vilepawn, attack!" commanded Peter.

Vilepawn raised his sword.

"Bad idea," laughed Shane, hitting a button. "Activate Mirror Force!"

The Trap Card lifted, and the shining mirror blasted a light forward. Vilepawn screamed and was vaporized.

"Yer lucky yer other Monster was in Defense Mode," chuckled Shane.

Peter's Life Points fell down to 4,375.

"Still my turn though," said Peter. "I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend in Defense Mode…"

He put the card down, and a column of foul water shot up. The demonic bishop appeared, shielding himself with his robes. (300/1,400)

"And also, a card facedown," said Peter, fitting it into a slot.

Another facedown card appeared.

Shane drew.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army!" he exclaimed, throwing a card into a slot.

He reached for his deck.

_Nuts,_ thought Peter. _Clive uses that card. It lets him search for any Warrior of Level Four or less!_

Shane got what he wanted and plugged his deck back in. The Disk reshuffled it.

"Now," he continued, "I'll summon a second Marauding Captain, this time in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and Marauding Captain appeared, kneeling against his sword. (1,200/400)

"And due to my summoning him…" he continued. "Yew remember Warrior Dai Grepher, dontcha?"

He put another card down, and Warrior Dai Grepher reappeared. (1,700/1,000)

"Now I'll..." he said.

He paused.

_As much as don' like that there Infernalqueen,_ he thought, _I like the look of that Darkbishop even less! Best take 'im out when I have the chance before he can do anything…_

"Warrior Dai Grepher," said Shane. "Attack Darkbishop Archfiend!"

Grepher charged. Darkbishop tried to block with his staff, but Grepher sliced it in half, and ran the Archfiend through. Darkbishop collapsed into a puddle of water.

Infernalqueen sneered.

"Don't worry," said Peter, drawing. "That was a foolish move, Tex," he said to his opponent.

"Yeah?" sneered Shane. "Well it's your turn."

Peter drew.

"I'll have Infernalqueen use her spell on herself again," said Peter, "bringing her Attack score up to 2,900!"

Infernalqueen laughed as flames surrounded her, and her Attack Score went up.

"And I'll switch her into Attack Mode," continued Peter.

Infernalqueen bore her claws and her eyes glowed.

"Ah well," sighed Shane. "So long Grepher…"

"You don't know how right you are," said Peter, fitting a card into a slot. "Behold the Spell Card known as Falling Down!"

The Spell Card appeared. Infernalqueen let out a cruel laugh and flew forward. She grabbed Warrior Dai Grepher and dragged him over to Peter's side!

"What?" said Shane. "What did she do?"

"Falling Down allowed Infernalqueen to make Warrior Dai Grepher her complete and utter slave, Shane," said Peter with a smile. "And he'll remain one so long as I pay 800 Life Points during each of your turns… But since I don't feel like doing that…"

He took a card from his hand.

"…I'll Tribute your Warrior Dai Grepher for my Great Maju Garzett!"

Warrior Dai Grepher vanished. A huge form appeared on the field, and everyone in the crowd gasped.

_The card I gave him,_ thought Maligno. _He's gonna fry this chump!_

The huge, hairy, armored Fiend stood in all his glory! (00/00)

"The Attack Score of Great Maju Garzett becomes twice that of the Monster I used as a Tribute to summon him," said Peter, "making his attack score 3,400!"

"What!" said Shane. "No!"

"Now, Infernalqueen Archfiend, destroy his Marauding Captain! Cross-the-board capture attack!"

Infernalqueen sped forward in a stream of flames, and socked Marauding Captain, who was burned to a cinder.

"Great Maju Garzett," he continued, "attack Shane directly with hellfire blast attack!"

Shane screamed as Great Maju Garzett cast forth a blast of flame, toasting him and charring his clothes. His Life Points took a nosedive to 1,850.

"And finally," said Peter, to replenish my Life Points, I'll activate my facedown card, Altar of the Archfiends!"

The facedown card lifted, and the fiendish altar surrounded Great Maju Garzett.

"I have to sacrifice Maju," he said, "but I get Life Points equal to half his current total, meaning 1,700."

Maju vanished and Peter became awash in white flames. His Life Points went up to 6,075.

"And it's your turn."

Shane drew. He added the card to his hand.

_Nothin' good in my hand,_ thought Shane, drawing. _That low-down sidewinder is gonna bury me! No choice, I have ta take the chance…_

"Yer dueling skills are pretty impressive pilgrim," said Shane. "So that's why I'm gonna risk this whole duel on one draw!"

"You just made your draw!" accused Peter.

"Well now I'm gonna play a little game," snickered Shane, placing a card into a slot. "A gambler's ante. It's called Reversal Quiz!"

The Spell Card revealed itself.

"Reversal Quiz?" quipped Maligno, puzzled.

Peter was ash-faced. He used to have this card in his deck. He took it out because it was far too risky.

"Reversal Quiz is one of the riskiest moves in Duel Monsters," quipped Shane. "First I gotta fold my whole hand…"

He put his one remaining card into the discard slot.

"Then I'm allowed one draw. But if I kin guess what _kind_ of card I'll draw, our Life Point scores will switch!"

"You're crazy!" shouted someone in the audience. "That will never work!"

"Too late to change my mind now!" he laughed. "And a true cowboy LIVES to gamble!"

He looked at his Disk.

"I do believe…" he mused.

Everyone looked at him.

"…that the next card is…"

Sweat poured down his face.

"…a Spell Card!"

He quickly drew.

"Ha, ha!" he cackled. "I win! And what a draw it was!"

He showed the card up high – Card of Sanctity!

"D'oh!" said Peter, clutching his head.

The scores switched, with Peter's changing to 1,850 and Shane's changing to 6,075.

"Now I'll use Card of Sanctity," said Shane, inserting it, "which lets us each draw until we have a hand of six cards!"

They both replenished their hands.

"And look at this!" laughed Shane. "I'll make my Life Points even higher, with my Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

He put in the card, and Dian appeared behind him. A shower of dust fell on Shane, and his Life Points went up to 7,075.

"And I'll finish my turn by summoning Hayabusa Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

He placed the card down, and a sleek Warrior in silver armor with a green cape, a birdlike face, and a curved sword appeared. He knelt in defense.(1,000/700)

"Don't give up, Peter!" shouted Maligno.

"Yeah," muttered a girl next to him. "It doesn't look _that_ hopeless…"

Maligno gave her a look.

Peter drew and grinned.

"I'll use Infernalqueen's power on herself again!" he said.

Infernalqueen flamed up for the third time, laughing more than ever as her Attack score rose to 3,900.

"And now I summon Terrorking Archfiend in Attack Mode!" he said.

He slapped the card down, and the king of the Archfiends arose! Lightning flashed in the skies of Pandemonium! (2,000/1,500)

"Terrorking Archfiend, attack Hayabusa Knight with charging checkmate attack!" commanded Peter.

Terrorking flew forward and socked the Knight. His sword fell to the ground with a clatter as he was crushed.

"Go Infernalqueen!" shouted Peter. "Attack Shane directly! Cross-the-board capture attack!"

Infernalqueen sped forward with a laugh and hit Shane with a fiery claw. He gasped and fell over with a burning wound in his chest.

His Life Points now stood at 3,175.

"Ugh, gosh darnit," he cursed, getting up.

"Your move," said Peter. "But on my next turn, my king and queen will flatten you!"

"That's what yew think," said Shane, drawing. "I summon Zombyra the Dark, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down. An inky vortex appeared, and the dark superhero with the fiendish mask and cape emerged. (2,100/500)

"Attack Terrorking Archfiend!" shouted Shane. "Super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra flew forward and threw a mighty punch at Terrorking; Terrorking groaned and toppled over. He vanished.

Peter's Life Points slipped to 1,750, while Zombyra the Dark's Attack Score fell to 1,900.

"And I'll finish by laying one card facedown," said Shane, setting the card.

It appeared behind Zombyra.

Peter looked at the situation hard as he drew.

_He's up to something,_ he thought. _He wouldn't have put that Monster in Attack Mode in front of Infernalqueen unless that facedown card was something deadly…_

He looked at Infernalqueen.

_If I raise her Attack score again, it will hurt me even more if she's destroyed, so I'd better not. And I know Zombyra's weakness – he can't attack me directly. I can take a risk…_

_And put this gal in Defense, just in case…_

"I summon Glasya, Duchess of Desire, in Defense Mode," said Peter.

He put the card down, and a beautiful female Fiend with horns, batlike wings, and long, raven tresses, dressed in skimpy black leather, appeared in front of him. (800/2,000)

She smiled a wicked smile at Shane and waved.

"And now, Infernalqueen, attack Zombyra the Dark!"

Infernalqueen charged forward in a stream of flame…

"Not this time, sheela!" shouted Shane, hitting a button on his Disk.

The facedown card lifted, revealing a Negate Attack Trap! Infernalqueen bounced off an invisible shield.

Peter grimaced. "I end my turn," he sighed.

"Then I'm gonna get rid of that slut!" cried Shane, as he drew.

He put a card down.

"Throwstone Unit in Attack Mode!"

A huge form appeared in front of him. It was a large catapult, manned by an armored soldier. (900/2,000)

"Confused?" questioned Shane. "They usually are. With Throwstone Unit, I can Attack a Monster by sacrificing one Warrior Monster… and if the sacrificed Warrior's Attack is greater den the target's Defense, the target is automatically destroyed! Zombyra's Attack right now is 1,900…"

"And Infernalqueen's Defense is 1,500!" gasped Peter.

"Ex-actly!" laughed Shane.

Zombyra the Dark leapt into the catapult's basket.

"Throwstone Unit," said Shane. "Launch Zombyra at Infernalqueen Archfiend!"

The soldier pulled the lever, and Zombyra was sent flying. Infernalqueen Archfiend screamed as the living missile honed in on her…

A deafening explosion shook the field, and Infernalqueen was destroyed. Glasya screamed in fright.

Peter's Life Points fell to 775.

_Aw no,_ thought Maligno. _Come on Peter, you can't let this hick beat you…_

Peter drew.

_He's got me on the ropes,_ thought Peter_. But he made one mistake, and now he's gonna pay for it!_

"I summon Opticlops, in Attack Mode!" shouted Peter.

He threw the card down, and the hulking one-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Attack Throwstone Unit with fiendish gaze!"

Opticlops shot a beam of energy from its eye, and Throwstone Unit burst into a mass of broken wood, metal, and ropes. Shane's Life Points went down to 2,375.

"Tell me again, Shane," snarled Peter, "was all this worth an ice cream?"

"Tough talk coming from someone who's losing," said Shane.

He drew.

"I set a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn," he said.

"I'm, not afraid of your facedown Monster, Shane," stated Peter, making a draw. "It's likely another Warrior. Opticlops, attack!"

Opticlops shot forth its beam, and a shape appeared on the facedown card…

A Morphing Jar! The crowd gasped, as did Peter.

Shane chuckled.

"Did yew really think I'd be so dumb as ta use Reversal Quiz without ways to replenish my hand?" he said.

They both discarded their hands and made five new draws.

_Darn,_ said Peter, noticing a card in his new hand. _I have one card that could make a killer combo, but the problem is, I need the other card!_

_Well, here's a card I can use right now. Good thing we stopped at that store…_

"I finish my move by playing Archfiend's Favor!" he said, fitting the card into a slot.

"Archfiend's Favor?" asked Shane, as the card revealed itself. "What's that?"

"It can only be played so long as Pandemonium is active," explained Peter. "But when it is, it heals my Life Points for 500 points for every Fiend that is currently on the field – and there are two of them!"

Opticlops and Glasya turned towards Peter and raised their arms. Red energy flowed from them into Peter, and his Life Points went up to 1,775.

_Now that's a useful toy,_ thought Maligno. _I really should look into putting together an Archfiend deck..._

Shane drew and looked at his card.

_Time to carve up that freak like the turkey he is,_ he thought.

"I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a dark ronin in green leather armor appeared. He drew his katana and glared at Peter's two Fiends. (1,300/800)

"And now ah'll use this accessory card," shouted Shane. "Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

Mataza the Zapper sheathed his katana, and a much larger, nastier sword appeared in his hand. Peter cringed – he had seen Clive use that Equip.

"This'll bring Mataza's Attack all the way up to 2,100!" said Shane. "And…"

"And he can attack twice," said Peter. "I know."

"Yew got it," laughed Shane. "Mataza the Zapper, attack both of them Fiends with zapping blade attack!"

Mataza hollered a war cry and sped forward. He slashed through Opticlops and he was down, and with the same stroke, he beheaded Glasya! Mataza glared at Peter before flipping back towards his master. Peter's Life Points went down to 1,475.

"Yer move, Pete," laughed Shane. "And pretty soon yer gonna be more overwhelmed than Custer was at Little Bighorn!"

Peter looked at his hand.

_He's right,_ he thought. _If I don't draw the second part of my secret weapon on my next draw, whatever I summon next will be mowed down, and Mataza will hit me for a direct attack on his second strike… I'll lose the duel!_

_Remember what Yugi always says. Have faith, and the Heart of the Cards will guide you…_

He closed his eyes and drew.

He looked at the card. He paused.

"Well, are yew gonna move, or aren't yew?" said Shane, tapping his foot.

"Here's my move, amigo," said Peter, putting a card down. "I summon Warrior of Zera in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down and a strange Warrior appeared. He wore a green helmet with red horns, green gauntlets and a vest, and blue trousers with a golden buckle. He lifted a fancy sword with a hilt shaped like a skull. (1,600/1,600)

Everyone in the audience went silent, as if questioning the move.

"Huh?" sneered Shane. "That ain't no Fiend! And he kin barely stand up to Mataza…"

Mataza and Warrior of Zera stared at each other.

"True, he's no match for Mataza the Zapper," grinned Peter. "But with my Pandemonium card still active, I can instantly Tribute Warrior of Zera to bring forth his ultra-powerful alter-ego! Girls, better hold onto your boyfriends…"

He put a card down.

"Arise!" shouted Peter.

The skies above Pandemonium darkened, and lightning flashed. Warrior of Zera screamed, and the spectators started to draw back in fear as a transformation started to undertake him…

Darkness shrouded Warrior of Zera, and a huge, demonic form arose. He had brown flesh, with green, bony plating over his head, huge green claws, and large red horns. Huge green wings grew from his back. He had trousers similar to Warrior of Zera's, but his legs were goat-like, and he had a long tail.

He howled in pure bloodlust!

"Presenting the _true_ lord of Pandemonium," cried Peter. "One whom even Terrorking Archfiend calls master. The lord of Fiends known throughout the Underworld as… **MAZERA DeVILLE**!"

(2,800/2,300)

_Good lord!_ thought Maligno. _I've… I've heard rumors of this Monster before, but I never thought I'd… he's… he's just as strong as my Zera the Mant!_

Shane slunk back in fear, as did Mataza.

"Now watch," continued Peter. "Mazera?"

Mazera DeVille gestured, and three flaming daggers appeared in his claw. He threw them and they flew at Shane, striking and impaling three of the four cards in his hand!"

"AAHH!" shouted Shane. "He struck my hand!"

"When Mazera DeVille is summoned," said Peter, "the opposing player must discard three cards at random!"

Shane's hand shook as he discarded the cards.

_I was wrong,_ thought Maligno_. He's even stronger than Zera the Mant!_

"Now Mazera Deville," ordered Peter. "Attack Mataza the Zapper with hellstorm flame attack!"

A ball of glowing flames appeared in Mazera's hands. Mataza the Zapper panicked and tried to run, but the fiend hurled the ball and incinerated him in a hellish display of pyrotechnics!

Shane's Life Points fell to 1,675.

"It's your move, _Mild_ Bill," smiled Peter.

Shane started to shiver. He drew.

_I only have one Monster in my deck who kin possibly stand up to that thing!_ he thought. _But I need three cards to summon him, and I only have one!_

"I place on Monster facedown in Defense," he stammered. "And my last card facedown."

He set the cards down, and they appeared, one in front of the other.

"And I end my turn."

"You won't fool me again, Shane," stated Peter. "Mazera DeVille, destroy that facedown Monster!"

Mazera shot forth his hellstorm again. Axe Raider appeared on the card, and he was incinerated.

"Your move now," said Peter. "And you can't defend forever."

Shane drew.

"Then I'll activate this Trap Card," he said. "Reckless Greed!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"This lets me draw two cards," he said, "at the expense of skipping two draw phases…

He made two draws.

He looked at them.

"Now I'll use one of them – Pot of Greed!" he stated.

He put the card into the slot and made two more draws.

He looked at the three remaining cards in his hand.

"How-dee!" he shouted. "I just hit the mother load!"

"Huh?" said Peter.

"I first play Monster Reborn," said Shane, "to bring back the guy you just destroyed, in Attack Mode!"

He set the card, and Axe Raider appeared on the ankh. (1,700/1,150)

"Now," cried Shane. "I'll summon Goblin Attack Force, also in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the squad of goblin Warriors appeared. (2,300/0)

"And finally," shouted Shane. "I bring 'em together with Polymerization!"

He threw the card into the slot, and a vortex appeared on the field. Goblin Attack Force and Axe Raider were drawn into it.

"What?" gasped Peter. "You can fuse those two?"

"Yes indeedy!" laughed Shane. "Presenting my mightiest Warrior… Hobgoblin Chieftain!"

The vortex vanished, and a large figure appeared. It was a tall, fat goblin in armor and a helmet topped with a skull, holding a huge axe. His face had watery eyes, a snout-like nose, and small tusks. (2,500/2,000)

Shane chuckled. "Since he's a Fusion Monster, I have to end my turn there. So it's your move."

_What's he up to?_ thought Peter. _This Hobgoblin Chieftain might be strong, but Mazera DeVille is still stronger! This creature must be special… and I have a suspicion he's not going to tell me…_

He rubbed his chin. He drew.

"Mazera DeVille," he yelled. "Attack Hobgoblin Chieftain!"

The ball of flame appeared in Mazera DeVille's hands, and he hurled it towards his foe…

But at the last moment, Hobgoblin Chieftain dodged aside with a grunt, and the blast blew up harmlessly behind him.

"Well," chuckled Shane. "Now yew know Hobgoblin Chieftain's secret! Once per turn, he can automatically avoid one attack! So yer fancy pants fiend can't destroy him!

"And once I draw my second Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, yer big bad Mazera DeVille will fall!

"Fortunately for yew, I used Reckless Greed, so I can't draw on my next two turns."

"I end my turn then," said Peter.

"Well, I can't do nothin' now, so I pass this turn," he said.

Peter drew.

_This might work,_ he thought. _But this is going to take perfect timing…_

"I place one card facedown on the field and I end my turn," he said, placing the card down. It appeared behind Mazera.

Everyone looked at him. Then they looked at Shane.

"I pass this turn to," he shrugged. "But it's only a matter of time…"

Peter drew again.

_Yes!_ he thought.

"I'll first summon Shadowknight Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he called out.

A whirlwind erupted over the field, and the armored, clawed Archfiend with his huge sword appeared from out of the wind. (2,000/1,600)

"My Chieftain will make mincemeat out of that tin can!" yelled Shane.

"Will he now?" grinned Peter. "Activate Trap… Archfiend's Curse!"

The Trap Card lifted. Hobgoblin Chieftain moaned and drew back.

_He used this trick on me!_ thought Maligno.

"Archfiend's Curse is a hard move to pull off," said Peter. "First, an Archfiend has to be on my side of the field. Then I have to give up 1,000 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 475.

"But if those conditions are met, all opposing Monsters have their Attack Scores cut in half!"

Hobgoblin Chieftain's Attack fell to 1,250.

"So tell me, Tex," mocked Peter. "Can your Chieftain dodge _two_ attacks? Let's find out!

"Shadowknight Archfiend, attack with four-square fury attack!"

Shadowknight charged forward, and Hobgoblin Chieftain leapt aside in fear.

"Mazera DeVille, attack with hellstorm flame!"

Mazera fired forth his hellfire, and this time the Chieftain wasn't so lucky. The blast hit him, and a scream echoed across Pandemonium, blowing him out of existence.

Shane's Life Points fell to a pathetic 125.

"I end my turn," smiled Peter. "Your move, and then you're heading… for the last roundup!"

Shane was truly terrified now. He looked at the two Fiends. Mazera DeVille crossed his arms and let out an evil chuckle.

Shane drew and looked at the card.

"Yes?" said Peter.

Shane put his card back on top of the deck and put his hand over it.

"I surrender, Peter," he muttered. "You win."

"Huh?" said Peter.

Mazera DeVille and Shadowknight Archfiend looked disappointed.

"I don' even have anything that kin defend against that Shadowknight," stammered Shane, "and I _really_ don't want that Monster you've got to attack ME on your text turn…"

"Well then," said Peter, hitting a button on his Disk, "maybe next time you won't get so upset when someone takes the last of the chocolate ice cream!"

Mazera DeVille and Shadowknight Archfiend faded, and the streets around them turned to normal as Pandemonium vanished.

Shane hung his head. He hit a button on his own Disk, and his holo-imagers retracted.

"Chicken!" yelled somebody as he left.

_Well, I'm Finals bound,_ thought Peter, looking at the Gold luster of his gem. _And with Mazera DeVille on my team, even Mary had better watch out!_

"That was amazing mate!" yelled Maligno, coming up to him. "Where do you get that killer Monster? Why didn't you even try to use him in our duel?"

"Well, I didn't exactly have him then," sighed Peter, as he reconstructed his deck. "Come on, Maligno, I'll buy you a banana split and we can talk…"

As they walked towards the ice cream store, Persephone slunk out of the shadows.

_So, you made it Peter,_ she thought. _And before I did even..._

She looked at her Silver Status Disk.

_But I'll make it there soon too… and that rude hick may have been scared of Mazera DeVille, but he didn't scare me…_

She took a card out of her deck. A very handsome Monster.

…_because Mazera DeVille isn't the only secret that Warrior of Zera hides inside him…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Still at Green I see," said Peter.

"Well, I've been having mixed luck," sighed Maligno, spooning ice cream into his mouth. "I can get to Blue, but I can't seem to keep it for long. The last one I dueled must have seen me duel before – she prepared her deck with an Exile of the Wicked card…"

"Uh oh," said Peter. He dreaded that card – it meant instant doom to Fiends.

"Yeah," muttered Maligno. "It wiped out my entire side, and then I was a sitting duck for her Cosmo Queen."

"You ever think of getting a DNA Surgery Trap?" asked Peter. "If you turned all your opponent's Monsters into Fiends, it would mean more power for your Goblin King…"

Maligno thought for a moment.

"Now there's an idea," he pondered. "Maybe I'll look for one…"

"You know," started Peter. "I probably shouldn't do this… I'd feel guilty if you lost… but if you really want to get ahead in the tournament…"

"Well by all means, tell me," said Maligno, perking up.

"Well, I got the Mazera DeVille card by beating an Eliminator…" continued Peter. "And I know where to find her…"

"Where is she then?" asked Maligno, getting excited. "I can take her on!"

"Maligno, these people are trained to scare and defeat duelists…" warned Peter.

"I'm not scared of anybody!" proclaimed Maligno.

"Well, it's possible that you'll be turned to stone if you lose!" warned Peter.

Maligno stopped short.

"I'll explain…" started Peter.

He quickly explained his meeting with Echidna, and an overview of her strategy.

"A medusa?" pondered Maligno. "Who uses Dark Magician? Intriguing…"

"Look, I'll tell you if you really want it," said Peter. "It's just that I'd feel responsible if…"

"I'm in control of my own actions," assured Maligno. "If I choose to go there and I lose, it will be my own fault entirely."

"Okay," said Peter, taking a notepad out of his backpack.

He quickly wrote down the directions to Echidna's temple and handed them to Maligno.

"Good luck if you decide to go there," he stated. "At least you'll know what to expect…"

"Sure," assured Maligno. "And if I don't make it out alive, good luck in the finals!"

They finished the ice cream and parted company.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At 4:30, Peter's friends were waiting at 7-Colored Fish seafood restaurant, when Peter ran up.

"Hey guys!" he shouted.

"Hey Pe…" started Clive. "PETER! You won Gold Status?"

"Uh yeah," muttered Peter. "I guess I did. It sort of happened suddenly…"

"I want details!" shouted Mary.

"So do I," said Yugi.

Peter put his arms around them as they entered the restaurant.

"Boy, do I have a story for you!" he exclaimed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CALAMITY JANE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **All Warrior-Type Monsters you control except this one gain 300 Attack Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLASYA, DUTCHESS OF DESIRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Flavor Text: **_This attractive female noble of Pandemonium delights in seducing mortals and consuming their souls._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HOBGOBLIN CHIEFTAIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **_Goblin Attack Force + Axe Raider_

Once per turn, you can negate one attack that targets this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARCHFIEND'S FAVOR (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A male and a female human on their knees, bowing before Terrorking Archfiend and Infernalqueen Archfiend.

**Card Description: **Activate only when the field is "Pandemonium". Increase your Life Points by 500 for every Fiend-Type Monster on the field.


	28. Spirit Reaper

_**It's time to take my spot in the tournament to the next level. I not only want to get to the finals, I want to WIN. **_

_**I know I can't get overconfident like I did before. That almost led to disaster. But after I took down Toro's Master of Oz and Sol's Son of Blue Eyes, I think I truly have a chance.**_

_**I'm going to take a dangerous step now, and try to prove that I'm every bit a duelist as Yugi is. **_

_**My Dark Scorpions show no fear, and I won't be any different. Eliminators play by psyche-out warfare – but Des Fist couldn't scare me, and this guy won't either!**_

_**Because I want this more than anything else…. Anything to make her happy…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Spirit Reaper**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Clive was wandering around in a garden; one of the most beautiful places he had ever been in. Lovely flowering bushes and fruit trees surrounded him, and exotic songbirds sang in the branches overhead. Some would compare this to the classic Secret Garden.

But he didn't care for the beauty right now. Someone was waiting for him who was even more beautiful.

He walked into a clearing and there she was. By a lovely waterfall sitting on a bed of down was Phoebe, wearing a white bikini and roses in her hair.

"Come," she purred.

Clive approached, and sat down beside her.

"Phoebe…" he muttered.

"Shhh," she whispered, putting her finger to her lips. "Don't you think it's time, Clive?"

"I love you, Phoebe…" he said.

She smiled.

Slowly, she removed her bikini top and tossed it into the water…

"Phoebe…" said Clive, in awe. "Beautiful…"

Phoebe slowly reached for her bottoms. Clive reached out to hug her…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

And then Clive woke up. The morning sun shone through his window at the Cosmo Queen's Castle.

He punched his mattress. Hard.

"Damn!" he cursed.

The dream. Again.

He'd been having that dream on and off since a few months after he and Phoebe had met. Whoever had been sending him that dream was toying with him. Every time he had that dream, he had gotten closer! That was the closest he had come yet.

He got up and headed to the shower, and as the water rained down on him, he thought.

Even if he ever managed to make love to Phoebe in his dreams, he wouldn't be satisfied. He truly loved her, and she loved him back. They had, some months ago, made an oath that neither of them would lose their virginity to anyone else. It was a beautiful oath to make, and it was all the proof Clive needed that she would agree to marry him someday.

Clive thought hard for a minute.

When Yugi won the twelve-million dollar prize for winning Anastasia's Duelist Labyrinth tournament, he had split it six ways with everyone involved. Clive still had about half of his two-million share, and it was more than enough to get him through the best college he could get into.

But now he was in another tournament in which he was actually competing, one with a twenty-million dollar prize…

Twenty-million U.S. dollars. That would be enough to keep Phoebe happy for the rest of their lives, if he could win the tournament.

And then there was the big prize that the Master had mentioned for the winner…

_**"And in addition, he or she will have the option of an exhibition match with yours truly, the Master of Games. Should I be defeated, the winner can make any request he desires that the vast resources of KaibaCorp can fulfill."**_

Clive didn't know if he could defeat Siegfried, but if he could, there was nothing that said the request had to be fulfilled immediately. When Phoebe did agree to marry him, he could have KaibaCorp arrange the most grandiose of weddings, one fit for royalty.

He made up his mind then, he was going to try his hardest not only to win his way to the finals, but to win the finals.

He eyed the map Sol had given him on his bedside table as he left the bathroom.

He was willing to take any risk to do it…

He took out his luggage, and took out a special outfit he had brought…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Hey Clive, ready to go?" asked Peter, knocking on the door.

"Be right out!" called Clive.

"Good," responded Peter, because it's Day Eight and you're running out of…"

Clive opened the door, and Peter stepped back in surprise.

"…time?"

Clive had changed his wardrobe considerably. He wore a black, leather, sleeveless shirt; his trousers were also leather and tight fitting, and colored maroon. Bandanas were tied around his legs, and a red bandana with a trailing ribbon was around his head. He wore a strange bandoleer over his chest. His Duel Disk was on his left arm, and a large, spiked, leather wristband was on his right.

"Uh, I like your new look," said Peter, in shock.

"Thanks," answered Clive. "I was saving this in case I got to the finals, but there's no time like the present."

"Wait…" frowned Peter. "I know that costume. That's the outfit that the Dark Scorpions wear!"

"Um… maybe," sweated Clive.

"Oh geeze, Clive," groaned Peter, "we've seen enough people here with crazy costumes, do you have to do it too? Just because you like the Scorpions doesn't mean you have to join them!"

"I don't _have_ to," stated Clive, "I want to. It will make me more in tune with the duel. And besides, it's fun!

"Now let's find Yugi and Clive, there's a place I wanna go!"

"You don't mean…" stammered Peter.

"That's right," exclaimed Clive. "I'm gonna go for all of nothing and take on that Eliminator! If you three had the guts to do it, I'm gonna try as well!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After a large, leisurely breakfast, Yugi and his friends were on their way towards the park where Peter had dueled his first foe, with a determined Clive in the lead.

Unbeknownst to them, four bodyguards were still trailing them, intent on protecting them.

"Yugi," said Peter, "aren't you going to even try to talk him out of it?"

"Clive is in control of his own destiny, Peter," stated Yugi. "It's his choice, and his alone. No matter what I do, I can't change that."

Peter ran up to Clive.

"Clive," he warned. "You do know what happens if you're beaten… and what _might _happen…"

"I know Peter, I know," he answered. "But if there's one thing I'm not, it's a coward. And I'm going to show this whole island that I'm not a coward, even if I have to risk it all."

At that point, the pyramid monument where Peter had dueled Brick in front of was in sight. Clive went up to it, and looked over it. There didn't seem to be an opening of any sort.

He looked at the map again…

And then the surface of the pyramid started to change. It became covered with hieroglyphics, and a sentence in plain writing:

"**DUELISTS BEWARE, LEST THE TOMB THAT LIES BELOW BECOME YOURS."**

Clive took his deck out his bandoleer and thought for a minute.

"A tomb, huh?" he said. "Good thing my deck has a bunch of tomb raiders!"

He chose a card.

"I summon Don Zaloog!"

He slid the card into his Disk, and the Master of Thieves known as Don Zaloog materialized in front of him.

Don turned to the pyramid and ran his hand over it. He rubbed his chin.

"Hmm," pondered the Warrior. "Interesting… mechanism is top-grade… so's the lock…"

"Don?" asked Clive. "Can you open it?"

Don chuckled. "Sure I can open it, mate," he said. "You're looking at a guy who opened the vault of the largest bank in Switzerland in under five minutes. But I'm more concerned about these here hieroglyphics. Let's see…"

He read:

"Woe to thee who invades my tomb, for unless your Heart and skill reign supreme, the curse of the Spirit of the Pharaoh will be upon you."

_Spirit of the Pharaoh?_ thought Yugi.

Don turned to Clive.

"I can get you in," he assured. "Me and my mates can even help you out if you manage to pull us out of your deck. But you'll have to do most of the work yourself. This isn't going to be easy, Clive…"

"Would you turn down a challenge just because it 'wasn't easy'?" asked Clive.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Don. "I guess not. Okay then…"

He took out his dagger and ran it through a seam in the pyramid. A clicking noise was heard, and then a rumble. A secret door opened on the pyramid's side, revealing a stairway going down.

"Good luck," said Don with a wave. "Until such time as we meet each other again…"

He vanished.

Clive led the way down the stairway.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A hundred yards away, one of the bodyguards turned on the radio in his Disk.

"Master of Games?" he said into it.

In his command center, Siegfried tapped his helmet.

"Master of Games here," he responded.

"Clive has just opened the entrance to Imhotep's lair," said the bodyguard.

Siegfried sighed.

_Figures,_ he thought. _Yugi, Mary, and Peter all did it, I should have known Clive would want to._

"What do we do sir?" asked the bodyguard. "We aren't allowed in the lairs of Eliminators."

"Just stay outside and wait for them," assured the Master. "Imhotep will provide adequate security. Over and out."

He turned to his technicians.

"Put the Tomb of the Spirit on the main screen," he ordered.

"Yes sir," said the technician.

_This will be interesting, to say the least,_ thought Siegfried. _If Clive succeeds, he's guaranteed a spot in the finals… I just hope he isn't over his head…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yugi and his friends came to the bottom of the stairs, they entered what they expected – a spooky Egyptian-style tomb. Strange hieroglyphics depicting the various gods of Egypt decorated the walls, and serpentine pillars supported the ceiling. Murals depicting the Nile, the Great Pyramids, and the Sphinx were also pained on the walls. The colors were mostly orange and gold. Despite the splendor, there was a definite sense of foreboding around the place.

They looked up upon the archway leading to the next room, and were shocked to see paintings of the three Egyptian God cards – Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and the Winged Dragon of Ra!

_Get a grip, Clive,_ thought Clive, feeling a little afraid. _This guy can't possibly have those cards!_

"Yugi, I don't like the look of this place at all," muttered Yami to his partner.

"What's the matter, Yami?" asked Yugi. "I thought this place would remind you of home…"

"It _does_!" answered Yami. "Now you know why I'm not so keen on going back there!"

"Why do I have the feeling I'm in the middle of an old Indiana Jones movie?" asked Mary.

They walked into the archway under the three God Monsters, and as they expected, a gateway slowly lowered behind them, sealing them in. They looked around.

They were in a circular arena, with more of the fancy hieroglyphics. To their right were five iron sarcophagi, each of which held a mummified form. To their left were five more iron sarcophagi, three of which held mummies, but two of which were empty.

In front of them was an elaborate golden sarcophagus, similar to the coffin that held Pharaoh Tutankhamen when his tomb was discovered. The coffin was standing between the legs of a large statue, depicting an Egyptian king with the royal crook and flail.

Before they could react, the golden sarcophagus started to open, and a smell of death wafted through the hall…

Out of the coffin stepped an imposing form. A mummy wrapped in rotting linens stepped out, wearing a purple cloth headdress and a Duel Disk on his left arm. His dead eyes stared at Clive.

"Welcome Clifford," he pronounced in a hollow voice. "I am Imhotep, keeper of the Tomb of the Spirit…"

He pointed to Clive.

"…and will be the opponent in your final duel!"

"Uh, yeah," stammered Clive, somewhat nervous. "So are these other mummies your relatives?"

"Oh no, Clifford," smiled Imhotep. "They are my prisoners, fools who thought that they could defeat me. Of all the Eliminators, I have lived the longest, and with age comes the wisdom I needed to make my strategy in Duel Monsters nearly perfect."

"I'm not afraid of you," gulped Clive. "I've had scarier birthday parties!"

He was lying, but he tried not to show it.

"I'll explain the rules of this particular situation, Clifford," started Imhotep. "You've entered the tomb of a powerful entity called the Spirit of the Pharaoh. Your goal is to win past his traps and guardians to claim his treasure – the only way to do that is to defeat me. But this tomb is a dangerous place, and you can see what happened to those who braved it and failed… And frankly, now that you've entered, there's no turning back."

"Bring it on," exclaimed Clive. "The Monsters in my deck are some of the greatest thieves in the world!"

"That remains to be seen," warned Imhotep

Yugi's spiritual partner merged with him, and the change overcame him.

"Clive," he said. "Remember all I've taught you. Believe in yourself. Have faith in your deck, and you can make your way through. We all believe in you…"

His voice sank to a whisper.

"And so does Anastasia. She's watching right now."

"Thanks Yugi," replied Clive, plugging his deck into his Disk.

He took his wallet out of his bandoleer and opened to where a picture of him and Phoebe was.

"I won't let you down, Phoebe," he muttered. "I'm going to beat this creepshow, and then win the finals! I'll do anything to make you happy…"

"Okay, dust brain, time to get things started," he said. "ACTIVATE!"

The holo-imagers shot out, and his Disk snapped into position. Imhotep did the same thing.

"Good," muttered Imhotep. "The doors of the tomb open and await!"

"LET'S DUEL!" they both yelled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his command center, Siegfried was watching.

_You'd best be careful, Clive,_ he thought. _With Imhotep, it's one big guessing game. You'll never know whether it's wise to attack, or not to attack… What would an Egyptian tomb be without a few traps?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They made their draws.

_Hmm, not bad…_ thought Clive.

"Why don't I start this game, Clifford," said Imhotep, making his draw.

He chose two cards.

"I'll lay one card facedown on the field, and summon Royal Keeper in Defense Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and a tall gaunt mummy, wearing a golden headdress and carrying a staff appeared on the field. (1,600/1,700)

"And with that, my move is complete," stated Imhotep. "The first guardian of this tomb has shown his face, Clifford, and he waits to be challenged."

_A Zombie?_ thought Clive. Figures. _Well, crummy, have I got a gal for you…_

"I summon Getsu Fuhma in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the female redheaded warrior in her dark armor appeared, brandishing her katana. When she saw Royal Keeper, she seemed a little more pissed than usual. (1,700/1,200)

"Getsu Fuhma, attack with whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu uttered a war cry and charged.

_What's he doing?_ thought Imhotep. _Her Attack is equal to Royal Keeper's Defense! And it's soon going to become unequal…_

"I activate my Quickplay Spell Card," he yelled, tapping his disk. "Pyramid Energy!"

The Spell Card lifted, and an energy pyramid surrounded Royal Keeper.

"This will increase Royal Keeper's Defense Score by 400 points for the rest of the turn!" he said. "Making him far too much for Getsu Fuhma to handle."

Getsu Fuhma struck Royal Keeper with her sword, and he whacked her with his staff, sending her flying back on her rump.

"Which means you lose 400 Life Points!" laughed Imhotep.

Clive's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"Maybe so," said Clive, smiling, "but take a look at your Royal Keeper!"

Royal Keeper started to sizzle and smoke. He screamed, and melted into a puddle of flesh.

"What?" said Imhotep. "HOW?"

His Life Points fell to 7,450.

"Long ago," exclaimed Clive. "Getsu Fuhma made an oath that she signed in her own blood, swearing that she would devote her life to battling the evil forces of Zombies and Fiends. As a result, whenever she battles such a creature, that Monster is automatically destroyed, even if she loses the battle! So you lost more Life Points than I did!"

Imhotep growled.

"Clever," he snarled, making his draw.

_Wow,_ thought Peter. _I hope I never have to go up against Clive in the finals… He has someone who could even wipe out Mazera DeVille!_

"I'll summon one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," proclaimed Imhotep.

The hidden Monster appeared. He chuckled softly.

Clive drew.

"Double Pinaska, in Attack Mode!" he said, laying a card down.

The machete-wielding Spaniard appeared, and slashed the air with his blades.

"Getsu Fuhma, attack that facedown Monster!" shouted Clive.

Getsu Fuhma leapt forward and impaled the card with her sword…

And then, a swarm of fist-sized beetled scurried out! Getsu screamed as they crawled all over her!

"Ga-ross!" gasped Mary.

"That was my Swarm of Scarabs," chuckled Imhotep. "It's sort of like Man-Eater Bug, except that its Flip-Effect can be reused. Of course, since that attack was enough to destroy it, I can't reuse it – but try telling _that_ to Getsu Fuhma!"

Getsu Fuhma collapsed, and she and the Swarm of Scarabs vanished. Clive's Life Points fell to 6,975.

"Did you forget I also had another Monster on the field?" asked Clive. "Double Pinaska, avenge Getsu Fuhma! Attack that dust-bag's Life Points directly!"

Double Pinaska leapt up and made a slash with his machetes. Dust flew as Imhotep was thrown backwards, and his Life Points fell to 5,975.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Well, you're winning, Clive, but don't get too self-confident,_ thought Siegfried. _There are far deadlier things in Imhotep's deck…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Hmm,_ thought Imhotep, getting up. _Clifford is no rookie, that's for sure._

He drew.

_But I'm far from finished. He got past the entrance hall; let's see how he deals with the second chamber… _

"I'll summon one Monster facedown in Defense, and conclude my turn," he stated.

Clive drew.

_Heh, let's see him wrestle THIS guy!_ thought Clive.

"I'll Tribute Double Pinaska for the strength and endurance of the Dark Scorpion Gang," exclaimed Clive. "Meet Gorg the Strong!"

Double Pinaska crossed his machetes and vanished into the darkness. In his place rose the mighty Gorg, brandishing his large mace! (1,800/1,500)

"He may look tough and mean," smiled Clive, "but he's just a big teddy bear once you get to know him… except when he's in the middle of a battle! Gorg, attack that facedown Monster with Scorpion crush!"

Gorg raised his mace and ran forward…

On the card, a foul looking Zombie dressed in tattered purple wrappings appeared. (1,000/1,800)

Gorg struck the creature, but his blow simply bounced off. A cloud of purple dust filled the air.

"That was my Poison Mummy, Clifford," grinned Imhotep, "and Gorg just isn't strong enough to beat his Defense."

"No biggie…" said Clive, as the cloud of dust started to drift towards him.

Then he gasped. He fell to his knees and started to choke.

"Clive!" shouted Mary. "What's wrong?"

"Feels like my lungs are on fire!" shouted Clive.

His Life Points dropped to 6,475.

"As its name suggests, Poison Mummy is _poisonous_, Clifford," explained Imhotep. "His flip-effect does you 500 points of direct damage."

"Fine," growled Clive, getting up and sweating. "It's your move then."

Imhotep drew.

"And speaking of poison," said Imhotep, "I'll play a Spell Card… Poison of the Old Man."

"Huh?" said Mary, nervously. "Cleo Roba used that card… what did it do?"

Imhotep put the card down, and an old alchemist with a brown robe appeared in front of Clive. He carried one small bottle of green liquid and one small bottle of purple liquid.

"With this card, I can either raise my Life Points or decrease yours," explained Imhotep. "And I think I'll use the second option!"

"Huh?" gasped Clive.

And then suddenly, a mass of chains sprouted out of the floor, securing him in place!

"Hey! Leggo!" he yelled.

"Don't bother struggling Clifford," laughed Imhotep. "This won't hurt… much!"

The alchemist floated up to him and lifted the bottle of green liquid. As Peter, Yugi, and Mary looked on in horror, the Old Man forced it to Clive's lips and poured it down his throat!

The chains and the Old Man vanished, and Clive fell to the floor, his skin turning a shade of green. His Life Points fell to 5,675.

"That tasted nasty!" he gasped.

"Hang in their partner…" urged Peter.

"Still my turn," continued Imhotep. "And I'll Tribute my Poison Mummy for another Monster…"

He switched cards.

"Which I'll again put facedown in Defense Mode."

The hidden Monster appeared.

"And now my turn is complete."

He chuckled.

_Just TRY to attack this one, Clifford,_ he thought. _If your next Monster can't beat my Giant Axe Mummy's Defense, it will be destroyed! _

Clive drew.

_I'm starting to get the idea,_ he thought. _He's relying on flip-effect defensive Monsters. This tomb is keeping most of its secrets hidden… _

He looked at the card he just drew.

_This Trap might be risky, but it might do the job. _

"I'm shifting Gorg the Strong into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

Gorg knelt in defense.

"And now I'm summoning his ally, Don Zaloog, also in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and Don appeared, also kneeling in Defense. He and Gorg looked at each other and nodded. (1,400/1,200)

"And, one card facedown," he continued.

He set the card, and it appeared.

"And I'll turn it over to you."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Yugi had turned his attention to the mummy cases behind him, the ones that Imhotep claimed to contain his prisoners.

"Yugi," said Yami, "I think we can safely confirm now that the Eliminators' threats are all bluffs."

"How come?" asked Yugi.

"I checked these mummies," said Yami. "There's no sign of any souls in them, or any sign that there ever was. These are inanimate objects – most likely wax dummies. These Eliminators are no more than actors."

"Well, that is a relief," said Yugi. "Still, I have to wonder what they do to the ones they do defeat…"

"Let's have faith in Clive, and hope we don't have to find out…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Now, it's my turn," said Imhotep.

He drew.

_Excellent,_ he thought.

"I'll put a Monster facedown in Defense," he continued, "and one card facedown."

The two cards appeared.

"Do your worst," he dared.

"Okay," said Clive, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"Oh, before you do anything else," smiled Imhotep, "why don't I just activate the Trap Card I just put down…"

"Trap Card?" gasped Clive.

"Yes!" cried Imhotep. "Your Monsters have delved far into this tomb, and now they reach the part where traps await to destroy them! What would a tomb be without a few of them?

"I activate… Needle Wall!"

The Trap Card lifted. Gorg and Don looked at it nervously.

"Needle Wall?" gasped Mary. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"You shouldn't little girl," chuckled Imhotep. "Right now, Clifford's two thieves are in the middle of a chamber where a Needle Wall awaits to strike at them. Of course, the term 'Needle Wall' is a misnomer… rather than needles, it has three-foot-long iron spikes, and rather than a wall, it's a hinged ramp that springs out of the floor to impale whoever is above it…

"But since this Trap doesn't come into effect until it is my turn, I'll explain what it does later, and let you and your Dark Scorpions sweat it out a little. So go on with your move…"

"Fine," said Clive. "I activate Zero Gravity!"

His own Trap Card lifted.

"This card switches all Monsters in Defense Mode to Attack Mode, and vice-versa! So let's see what you were hiding!"

Don Zaloog and Gorg the Strong leapt into Attack Mode, while Imhotep's two hidden Monsters appeared. One was an incredibly large and fat mummy carrying a huge axe (1,700/2,000). The other was what looked like a mummified camel. (500/600)

"Ah!" said Imhotep. "My Giant Axe Mummy and my Des Lacooda!"

"And since I seem unharmed by their flip-effects," said Clive, "Gorg the Strong, attack Giant Axe Mummy with Scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg charged forward. He swung his mace once, and Giant Axe Mummy's axe flew from his hand. He swung again, and the Zombie exploded into a cloud of dust.

"Don Zaloog, your turn!" shouted Clive. "Destroy Des Lacooda with Sting of the Scorpions!"

Don leapt up, and drove his rapier through the undead camel. It fell and collapsed into dust as well.

Imhotep's Life Points were now at 4,975.

"And since Don Zaloog damaged your Life Points," said Clive. "Don?"

Don snatched a card from Imhotep's hand, and threw it into the discard pile.

"And since Gorg damaged your Life Points," continued Clive, "well, just look!"

Gorg grabbed the top card from Imhotep's deck and threw _that_ into the discard pile.

"Clever," snarled Imhotep. "But that didn't harm me as much as you think. You see, when Des Lacooda is flipped, I get to draw an extra card…"

He made a draw.

"Second, as luck would have it, the card which Don Zaloog made me discard was Regenerating Mummy. And as you might discern from its name, when you force me to discard that Monster Card from my hand…"

His discard slot opened and a card slid out.

"…I get it back."

He added it back to his hand.

"So, is that your turn?"

"Yeah," said Clive.

"Then before I draw, allow me to explain the danger of the Needle Wall which now threatens your two Warriors," continued Imhotep. "During my standby phase, the Needle Wall will randomly slash at one of the slots in your Monster Zone. If that slot is occupied, then the Monster who occupies it will be destroyed!

"And from what I can tell, Gorg the Strong is now in Slot #3, whereas Don Zaloog is in Slot #5."

Gorg and Don looked at each other nervously.

"Now, I draw!" exclaimed Imhotep, drawing. "And here it comes!"

A sound like a rusty drawbridge rang out, and a bed of rusty spikes sprang up on Clive's side!

Fortunately, it was some feet to the left of Gorg.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Imhotep, as the Needle Wall retracted. "Seems it slashed Slot #1, so your Monsters are safe for now. But that will happen every time it's my turn, because Needle Wall is a Continuous Trap."

Sweat poured down Clive's face.

"Now, I'll summon Regenerating Mummy in Attack Mode," he pronounced.

He put the card down, and a vile stench arose over the arena. A badly decayed Zombie appeared on Imhotep's side. (1,800/1,500)

"Now, I could Attack with that," continued Imhotep, "but it would be easier to let my Needle Wall do the work, so I end my turn."

Clive drew.

_I don't have anyone who can beat his Regenerating Mummy,_ he thought, _and besides, putting another Monster on the field will increase the chances of one of them getting skewered from two-in-five to three-in-five..._

He looked at a card in his hand.

_Cliff the Trap Remover could get rid of that Needle Wall, but he'd have to damage Imhotep's Life Points, and he's far too weak to do that now…_

"I place one card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

The facedown card appeared.

"Good," said Imhotep, with a fiendish smile. "I draw…"

He drew.

"And here it comes again!"

The Needle Wall sprang upward, this time slashing the area right between Gorg and Don!

"Huh," sighed Imhotep. "Missed again. Well, I'll just put these two cards facedown on the field, and end my turn."

The two cards appeared.

"That was a little too close for comfort," gulped Peter. "They can't avoid that Trap forever…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_This is getting serious,_ thought Siegfried, _He can't avoid that Needle Wall for the rest of the duel. And he can't just keep skipping his turn…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive drew.

His eyes opened wide!

"Now I have you," he smiled.

"I summon Cliff the Trap Remover, in Attack Mode!" he shouted, slapping a card facedown.

The Dark Scorpion's master of disarmament appeared, wielding his dagger. (1,200/1,000)

"And now I'll give him this," said Clive, fitting a card into a slot. "Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

Cliff sheathed his dagger, and a large, nasty sword appeared in his hand. His Attack Score went up to 2,000.

"Now Cliff the Trap Remover, demolish Regenerating Mummy!"

Cliff charged forward, and swung the sword. The rotting corpse fell apart.

Imhotep's Life Points slipped to 4,775.

"And since Cliff damaged your Life Points," said Clive. "Your Needle Wall is disarmed!"

The Trap Card shattered.

"Any good band of thieves needs a trap expert," smiled Clive.

"Indeed," said Imhotep.

"Now, Don Zaloog, attack him directly!" yelled Clive.

_Clive, no!_ screamed Peter in his head. _His other two facedown cards!_

"Sorry Clifford," gloated Imhotep, "but I warned you that this tomb was laden with traps, and it seems that Don Zaloog has just stumbled upon another one! Activate Ballista Cannon!"

One of the Trap Cards lifted, and a huge, ancient cannon made of gold appeared pointing towards Clive. Don stepped back.

"This Trap negates any damage done by a direct attack, and blasts the intended damage back at you!" exclaimed Imhotep.

Don Zaloog hit the dirt, as the cannon fired a blast which plowed into Clive! He screamed, and his Life Points fell to 4,275.

"Clive!" yelled Peter. "Are you all right? Speak to me!"

"Ugh!" groaned Clive. "I think my spleen and my pancreas just switched places!"

He stood up.

"Uh," continued Clive. "Don't think I'll attack with Gorg just yet…"

"Then I'll activate my last Trap on him," said Imhotep.

The card lifted.

"Ring of Destruction!"

Gorg gasped, as a swirling red pinwheel appeared around his neck.

"In a few seconds," mocked Imhotep, "Gorg will be vanquished, and you'll lose 1,800 Life Points. I'll lose the same amount, but to paraphrase one of your modern sayings, you have to spend Life Points to take Life Points!"

An explosion rocked the field, blowing Gorg away. Clive's Life Points dropped to 2,475, and Imhotep's dropped to 2,975.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_This is getting intense,_ thought Siegfried. _Clive is in trouble, and Imhotep hasn't even brought out his secret weapon yet. When that happens, it's going to take a miracle for Clive to win this duel…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Sorry, ash-breath, but Gorg isn't gone just yet," laughed Clive.

"Huh?" questioned Imhotep.

"I activate a Trap of my own, Fallen Comrade!"

His card lifted.

"The Dark Scorpions are a team, Imhotep," said Clive, and they won't leave a member behind to perish if they can help it. This Trap works when more than one of them is on the field – I can discard one card…"

He made a discard.

"And bring Gorg back!"

Gorg the Strong arose again. (1,800/1,500)

"Make your move, you rusty relic," dared Clive.

"I will," said Imhotep, drawing.

"I play the Spell Card Cost Down," he said, putting a card into a slot.

"And with it I'll discard a card, and summon this Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

He discarded a card, and put a card down. Yet another hidden Monster appeared.

"And I'll end my turn."

"Yeah right," chuckled Clive, drawing. "You used Cost Down to set that Monster, so it likely has a powerful Defense AND a powerful flip-effect.

"So I'll just put one card facedown, and shift my three Monsters into Defense Mode."

He put the card into the slot, and turned his cards. The card appeared, and the three Dark Scorpions knelt.

"Well," chuckled Imhotep, drawing, "actually, you were right on both counts, but setting them into Defense won't help. You see, you and your Monsters made it past the traps of this tomb… and now they must face a Guardian!"

He hit a button on his Disk.

"I flip-summon Guardian Sphinx!"

A huge form appeared on the card. It looked like the Great Sphinx of Gaza – only a lot more intimidating. (1,700/2,400)

"When Guardian Sphinx is flipped, all enemy Monsters are sent back to my opponent's hand, leaving you defenseless!" laughed Imhotep.

Don Zaloog, Cliff the Trap Remover, and Gorg the Strong vanished.

"No!" gasped Peter.

"Now, by Sphinx," ordered Imhotep, "attack him directly with monolith smash!"

The huge statue roared and bore down on Clive.

"Sorry, dustbunny, but you won't be getting a free shot this time!" yelled Clive. "Activate Negate Attack!"

His Trap Card lifted, and Guardian Sphinx was stopped dead in its tracks. Imhotep snarled.

"Any other move you'd like to make?" laughed Clive.

"No," said Imhotep.

"Then it's my turn," said Clive, drawing. "And I summon Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the ferocious canine appeared. (1,900/1,400)

"Mad Dog of Darkness, demolish the Guardian Sphinx!"

Mad Dog roared and leapt forward; the statue exploded into a shower of pebbles!

Imhotep gave him a look, as his Life Points sank to 2,775.

He drew.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed," he said, fitting a card into a slot. "The Egyptian kings were a greedy bunch… why do you think they had such elaborate tombs?"

He made two draws.

"Well, congratulations, Clifford, your tomb raiding is progressing," he pronounced. "You've made it past the Guardian, and now the minor treasures are within sight. As you know, the Pharaohs had all their belongings buried with them in their tombs…"

He laid a card down.

"Behold, Yomi Ship, in Defense Mode."

A very strange Monster appeared on the field. It looked like a large Egyptian barge, with a long figurehead. (800/1,400)

"And I'll lay two cards facedown as well," he continued, putting the cards into the slot, "completing my turn."

Clive drew and looked at his hand.

_I have Don, Cliff, Gorg, and Meanae in my hand right now,_ he thought. _If I could get Chick and the Mustering, I could bring them all out at once… fortunately, I have a way to get Chick out…_

"Ooh, be careful, Clive," said Mary. She didn't like the look of that Yomi Ship…

"I summon Dark Scorpion Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the ravishing female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared and lashed her whip. (1,000/1,800)

"Mad Dog of Darkness," ordered Clive, "take out the Yomi Ship!"

The Beast lunged forward, and slashed a hole in the side of the huge barge. It cracked and fell apart.

"Not the brightest of moves!" laughed Imhotep. "That treasure was cursed!"

A huge claw reached up from the ground and seized Mad Dog of Darkness! He yelped, and was dragged into the shadows.

"When Yomi Ship is destroyed, the Monster who destroys it is also destroyed!" said Imhotep.

Clive's Life Points fell to 2,000.

"Now I'm mad," shouted Clive. "Meanae, attack him directly with Scorpion lash attack!"

_Clive, no, his Trap Cards!_ screamed Peter in his head.

Meanae leapt into the air and lashed at Imhotep with a downward blow. The mummy tumbled over and Meanae landed with a giggle.

_Or maybe not…_ thought Peter.

Imhotep's Life Points fell to 1,775.

"And, since she damaged your Life Points," said Clive, "I get to pull another member of her team out of my deck!"

He took his deck and leafed through it.

_There he is, Chick the Yellow,_ he thought. _Now all I need is the Mustering to give him a surprise!_

He put his deck back, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"Your turn," smiled Clive.

Imhotep drew.

"In that case," said Imhotep, "I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master to boost my Life Points!"

He put the card down, and the god of healing appeared above him. His Life Points shot up to 2,775.

"Now then," he said. "I'll play a second card, Card of Sanctity, allowing both of us to draw until we have six cards."

He played the card. Clive drew one card, while Imhotep drew five.

"Excellent," he continued. "I'll have you know Clive, that your goal in is sight… but to reach the inner sanctum of this tomb, you must go through a narrow pass.

"Thus, I activate the Continuous Trap Card known as… Narrow Pass!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"What?" asked Clive.

"When this card is in effect, both of us are limited to having no more than two Monsters on the field at a time," said Imhotep.

_Hmm,_ thought Yugi. _This is an odd strategy if I've ever seen it…_

"Now, I'll reveal my other Trap," continued Imhotep. "Ultimate Offering!"

The second card lifted.

"That lets you make as many extra summons as you want for 500 Life Points apiece!" gulped Clive.

"Correct!" said Imhotep. "And I'll use it now, to summon not one, but two creatures known as Pharaonic Protectors, in Defense Mode!"

He fit two cards into the slots, and two man-shaped creatures arose. They were faceless Zombies, dressed in blue, royal, Egyptian-style clothing. (900/0 x2)

His Life Points fell to 2,275.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Clive. "You used Ultimate Offering to summon a pair of weaklings?"

"Well, they're in your way, in this Narrow Pass." said Imhotep. "And I'll finish by laying one card facedown."

A third card appeared in behind the two Protectors.

_This is really odd,_ thought Clive. _Why do I have the feeling he's leading me into something?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Careful Clive,_ thought Siegfried. _This strategy looks strange, but I assure you, there's a method behind the madness._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive drew. He placed a card down.

"Cliff the Trap Remover, in Attack Mode!" he pronounced.

Cliff appeared again, holding his dagger high. (1,200/1,000)

"Cliff, Meanae, tear apart those Zombies!" he commanded.

Meanae lashed with her whip. Cliff struck with his dagger. The two Pharaonic Protectors were obliterated.

"My move again?" asked Imhotep, drawing. "Then I reveal my third Trap Card… say hello to… THE FIRST SARCOPHAGUS!"

The Trap Card lifted, and then a form materialized on the field. It was a large, black sarcophagus with a tutan mask on the front.

"What does THAT do?" gasped Clive.

"Nothing… yet!" chuckled Imhotep. "And now I'll finish my turn by playing Ultimate Offering again, sacrificing 500 more Life Points to summon two other tomb guardians, known as Pharaoh's Servants! In Defense Mode."

His Life Points dropped to 1,775, as he put the cards down, and two more Zombies, resembling Egyptian soldiers carrying scimitars arose. (900/0 x2)

_This is seriously weird,_ thought Yugi. _It's almost as if Imhotep WANTS his Graveyard to be loaded with weak Zombies. But that makes no sense… there's no Monster that you special summon by removing Zombies from play…_

Clive drew.

_I can't summon another Monster with Narrow Pass in play, so I'll have to make due with what I have._

"Cliff, Meanae, ATTACK!"

The two Dark Scorpions rushed forward; they made short work of the Pharaoh's Servants.

"Clifford, before you announce the end of your turn," stated Imhotep, "I'm playing a Spell Card…"

"You can't play a Spell Card when it's my turn!" said Clive.

"The rules of The First Sarcophagus say I can!" exclaimed Imhotep. "Specifically, it says I can take a _certain_ Spell Card from my deck, and play it during your End Phase!"

He got the card out of his deck and put it down.

"So here comes… The Second Sarcophagus!"

Another mummy case appeared on the field, this one made of wood and colored brown.

"That… doesn't look good," stammered Clive.

"And now, it's my turn," said Imhotep, drawing.

"Since I don't need them anymore," he said. "I'll play Emergency Provisions to send Narrow Pass and Ultimate Offering to the Graveyard, and heal myself of 2,000 Life Points!"

He put the card down, and a large mouth opened on the field, swallowing the two Trap Cards. Imhotep's Life Points went up to 3,775.

"And I'll end my turn by laying one more card facedown," he said.

[I]Huh?[/I] thought Clive. [I]He didn't summon a Monster?[/I]

He thought.

_This HAS to be a Trap, no doubt about it. But I guess summoning someone else wouldn't hurt..._

"Don Zaloog, in Attack Mode," he said, putting the card down.

Don Zaloog flipped onto the field, with weapons drawn. (1,400/1,200)

The three Dark Scorpions looked at each other and turned to face Imhotep.

"Clever," smiled Imhotep. "But I activate my Trap Card… Thunder of Ruler!"

The Trap Card revealed itself, and a man in golden armor appeared on the field. Lightning flashed from his hands, and the three Scorpions screamed.

"That will force you to skip your Battle Phase for this turn," grinned Imhotep.

"Joke's on you, worm-brain," smiled Clive. "I wasn't planning on attacking anyway."

"Well then, now that it's your end phase again, I get to play yet another Spell Card from my deck," said the mummy. "And I'll bet you can guess what it might be…"

He played the card.

"The Third Sarcophagus!"

Another mummy case appeared next to the first two,. this one colored in bands of blue and gold with a fancy mask.

"Now then, it's my turn," chuckled Imhotep, drawing. "And let me congratulate you Clifford, you and your Monsters have made it to the final room, the inner sanctum of this tomb. But now the greatest challenge awaits, as you must deal with its owner… and he's incredibly angry at this intrusion!"

The three sarcophagi glowed, and then started to meld together.

"Okay…" muttered Clive. "I'm gonna file this under the category of 'not good'."

"You see Clifford," explained Imhotep, "when The First Sarcophagus, The Second Sarcophagus, and The Third Sarcophagus are on the field together, they merge into one magical relic…"

A huge, pure white sarcophagus took the place of the three minor ones.

"Allowing me to special summon the owner of this tomb, a Monster who was undefeated in life, and remains so in death… Master of the Tomb! Hear my call!"

The sarcophagus shook…

"I give you… **SPIRIT OF THE PHARAOH**!"

The glowing sarcophagus opened, and an imposing figure walked out. It was a mummy with an Egyptian burial mask, overflowing with golden trinkets set with enough gemstones to fill a jewelry store. He carried in his hand a large, golden, crooked staff. (2,500/2,000)

"Good lord!" screamed Mary. "That thing is just as strong as your Dark Magician, Yugi!"

"But wait, there's more!" exclaimed Imhotep. "When Spirit of the Pharaoh is summoned, I get to special summon _four_ Zombies of Level Two or less from my Graveyard!"

"That means…" gulped Clive, sweating.

"Yes!" shouted Imhotep. "My Pharaonic Protectors and Pharaoh's Servants return!"

The four weak Zombies that Clive had previously destroyed reappeared, two to each side of Spirit of the Pharaoh, in Defense Mode. (900/0 x4).

"Now, Spirit of the Pharaoh," laughed Imhotep, "attack Meanae the Thorn with curse of the Pharaoh attack!"

Spirit of the Pharaoh waved his crook and cast forth an unholy spell. Meanae screamed as it hit her, and she was reduced to dust!

Clive's Life Points plummeted to 500.

"No!" cried Peter. "This isn't happening!"

"It's your move, Clifford," dared Imhotep.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried sighed.

_Well,_ he thought, _it looks like Clive won't be winning this one. Well, it was good while it lasted. Poor Clive…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive drew.

_A Trap Card,_ he thought. _The one I got at the store. This may tip the odds in my favor… But to use it right, I'll have to use perfect timing…_

"I'm not out of this yet," said Clive. "I place one card facedown, and switch both my Warriors to Defense Mode, and end my turn."

He was more scared than he led anyone to believe, but he tried hard not to show it.

"Interesting," smiled Imhotep, "but I'm willing to bet that facedown card is nothing but a desperate bluff!"

He drew.

"I Tribute one Pharaonic Protector to summon Great Dezard, in Attack Mode," he said.

One of the small Zombies vanished, and an Egyptian priest holding a large bronze scimitar, dressed in silver, exotic armor appeared. (1,900/2,300)

"Spirit of the Pharaoh, attack Don Zaloog!" shouted Imhotep.

The Spirit cast forth his curse, and Don was immolated.

"Great Dezard," he continued, "attack Cliff the Trap Remover with great slash attack!"

Great Dezard lifted his blade and struck down Cliff, cleaving him in half.

Great Dezard's armor changed sheen, from silver to golden.

"Now Great Dezard is immune to Magic and Trap Cards that target him specifically," laughed Imhotep. "Your chances are growing slimmer…"

"Now what?" cried Mary, with a tear running down her face. "That creep wiped out his entire side! And even worse, if that Great Dezard destroys another Monster, he'll be able to summon Fushioh Richie, just like Bonz did!"

"Not even Crescent Moon Queen could defeat that…" whispered Peter.

"Well, Clifford," stated Imhotep, "I'm ending my turn. What are you going to do now?"

Clive drew.

"Nothing," he said. "I'm going to pass this turn."

"WHAT?" yelled Mary and Peter together.

"Well, no skin off my nose," chuckled Imhotep drawing. "And just in case that facedown card is some sort of Trap, despite the fact that you didn't set it off on your last turn, I'll summon another Monster to the field…

"I Tribute both my Pharaoh's Servants to summon Mystical Knight of Jackal, in Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the two Servants vanished. A huge, jackal-headed Beast-Warrior in royal clothing holding a long blade appeared. (2,700/1,200)

Clive chuckled. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do…" he said softly.

He punched a button.

"I activate a Trap far more deadly than any of yours!" he exclaimed. "SHADOW BALANCE!"

_Shadow Balance?_ thought Yugi. _That… Arkana used that against my father!_

The Trap Card lifted, and a gargantuan contraption appeared in the center of the arena. It looked like an enormous demonic scale of some sort!

"What the?" gasped Imhotep in surprise.

"This ain't the Scales of Maat, linen-head," smiled Clive. "Shadow Balance can destroy your Monsters until the number _you_ have on the field is equal to the number _I_ currently have on the field!"

"But…" gulped Imhotep. "You have _no_ Monsters on the field right now!"

"That's right!" said Clive. "Which means that once Shadow Balance is done, you won't have any either!"

Shadow Balance opened its terrible jaws, and all four of Imhotep's Monsters were sucked inside! They appeared on the scales of the balance, two on each; the scales then clamped together like vices, crushing them to pieces!

"NOOO!" screamed Imhotep.

"Yes, go Clive!"

"Whoo-hoo!" cheered Mary, jumping up and down.

Imhotep's Life Points fell to 2,000.

"So, any other move you'd like to make?" asked Clive, as Shadow Balance disappeared.

Imhotep looked at his hand.

_All I have are Monster Cards,_ he thought, _and I already made my summon for this round… he's got me pinned down!_

"I… I end my turn," he stammered.

Clive drew.

"I've defeated the Spirit of the Pharaoh, Imhotep, and now his tomb is ripe for plunder!" shouted Clive.

"I summon Dark Scorpion Chick the Yellow, in Attack Mode!"

He put his card down, and the youngest member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, holding his quarterstaff aloft. (1,000/1,000)

"And now," continued Clive. "I play Monster Reborn, to resurrect Getsu Fuhma!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the magical ankh appeared. Getsu Fuhma returned. (1,700/1,200)

"Chick the Yellow, attack him directly, with Scorpion smash attack!"

Chick twirled his quarterstaff, and socked Imhotep upside the head, sending the mummy staggering back. His Life Points fell to 1,000.

"Well Imhotep," said Clive, "remember the blood oath that Getsu Fuhma made where she swore she would devote her life to destroying Zombies? Now I'll help her fulfill her oath! Getsu Fuhma, attack him with whirlwind blade attack!"

Getsu leapt up, and slashed with her blade, sending Imhotep's linens flying! He moaned and collapsed, and his Life Points fell to zero.

"He did it," smiled Yugi to himself.

"Yes," said Yami. "He's come a long way, and his Heart has never been stronger…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Under his helmet Siegfried smiled.

_Those four are just full of surprises,_ he thought. _Well, now the only one who needs another victory is Yugi… and that shouldn't be hard._

He switched the screen off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Imhotep got up.

"The tomb tried its best to repel you," he smiled, "and yet you persevered. The treasure is yours…"

He gestured with his hand.

"And what is more valuable than gold in Duelatopia than a golden luster for your Dueling Disk?"

The gem on Clive's disk changed color to Silver and then to Gold. He smiled.

"And there is one more treasure to be found in this tomb," continued Imhotep, although it is more useful than valuable…"

He walked up to Clive and took a card out of his wrappings.

"You were so good at avoiding and enduring my powerful Traps," said Imhotep, "you deserve a powerful one of your own for your deck. This is a rare Trap called Blast Held By A Tribute. It can cripple your enemy in many situations."

"Well, thank you," said Clive.

Imhotep turned to Yugi and his friends.

"All of you are certainly champion duelists," he stated. "My peers and I all were no match for each of you. Three of you already are assured a place in the finals, and Yugi, I know that a spot for you is not far behind.

"Good luck. Your skill will endure as the sands of Egypt have for millennia!"

He backed up into his sarcophagus, and it slowly closed.

Clive took out the picture of him and Phoebe again and looked at.

_Well, part one is done, honey,_ he thought. _And I'm going to try my best to win the finals, and make you the happiest girl in the world…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When they exited the tomb, it was ten AM.

As they left the park, two sixteen-year olds, a sister and a brother watched them. Both their Disks were at Yellow.

"Hey, is that Yugi Mouto Jr.?" asked the girl.

"I think so…" replied her brother.

"Hey," said the girl. "Think I'll go ask him to duel…"

"Are you kidding?" exclaimed the boy. "You'll get creamed!"

"Aw, I'm never going to make the finals anyway," she mused. "Might as well go out with a bang…"

"Honey, no!" screamed a voice.

They turned around, and Persephone ran up to them.

"Stay away from Yugi!" she warned in a worried tone. "If you mess with him, you'll regret it for the rest of your life…"

A concerned look crossed her face.

"Which won't be very long…" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" asked the girl, getting nervous.

"Yugi is… an evil creature," whispered Persephone. "He uses foul magic to help him win… and he devours the soul of every opponent he defeats. I saw it with my own eyes!

"See that pendant he wears around his neck? The Devil himself gave it to him as part of an unholy bargain! It's the source of his power. You challenge him, you'll lose your soul…"

The girl gulped. "What about…" she gasped. "What about the Centurions?"

"The Centurions are scared to death of him!" gasped Persephone. "None of them can stand up to him. Those that tried, they're all in comas in the infirmary!

"Trust me, stay away from Yugi Mouto…"

"Uh, thanks," she gulped.

She and her brother ran away in the opposite direction.

Persephone chuckled.

_If anyone is going to duel Yugi, it's going to be me,_ she thought. _And once that happens, it isn't going to be pretty…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hidden in an alley, two of the dark figures in trenchcoats were also watching Yugi's team.

One of them gestured, and the white globe appeared on his hand.

"Master Saurius," he said. "Yugi's three disciples have now reached Gold Status."

A hissing noise emitted from the globe, and it glowed cherry red. Then part of it shattered.

"Uh, I'm guessing you didn't need to hear that," stammered the henchman.

"I despise bad news," growled Saurius's voice. "Very well, continue to watch them, and we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds. I have the time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BALLISTA CANNON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** An ancient, golden cannon covered with hieroglyphics.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares a direct attack. Negate the attack, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the attacking Monster's ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHADOW BALANCE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A scale with a demonic face

**Card Description: **Activate when you control less Monsters than your opponent. Your opponent chooses one Monster for each number of Monsters greater than yours that he controls. Destroy the chosen Monsters.

_Note: "Shadow Balance" was first used by Arkana in the original anime episode "Master of Magicians (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	29. A Hero Emerges

_**I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.**_

_**Right from the moment I met the Dark Fairy Queen on the boat over here, the one who seemed like a negative image of my own mother, both in attitude and dueling strategy, I knew that the two of us would face each other at some point. **_

_**And now it's for high stakes. Whoever wins will win Gold status. We've both put up a card as ante. And we both have our reputations at stake. **_

_**There'll be a clear winner of this confrontation… and one definite loser…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**A Hero Emerges**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The rest of the day did not go well for Yugi.

Thanks to the vile lie that Persephone had been spreading.

After Clive's duel with Imhotep, he searched for a challenge, but everyone seemed to shun him. Those he approached cowered away from him in fear.

One girl whom he spoke to even screamed and ran away.

It's a funny thing with rumors. They grow out of control, and change into things even worse than what was originally said. That was just what Persephone had hoped would happen.

Oh course, Yugi and his friends had no idea what the excitement was about. He wasn't THAT intimidating. When Yami was merged with his spirit, he looked fierce and serious, but not more so than a lot of other duelists they had seen.

By four-thirty, Yugi was about ready to throw in the towel for the day.

"Maybe you're just too good," sighed Mary. "Maybe people are just scared of your Monsters. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a dark magic attack…"

"I dunno, Mary," said Clive. "There's something screwy about this whole thing. People are acting like Yugi was threatening them with something…"

"Whatever it is," said Yugi, "we'll get to the bottom of it. Maybe if we get somebody to calm down long enough to ask them…"

"Yugi!" shouted Amber's voice.

She and Jade came up, Amber a bit more excited.

"Hi guys," said Clive. "How's the tournament going?"

"See for yourself!" cried Amber, holding up her sister's arm.

Jade's Disk was also at Gold status.

"Amber, please, you are embarrassing me," muttered Jade.

"You too, Jade?" laughed Peter. "That makes four of the five of us!"

"I did not earn Gold easily," said Jade. "I was nearly defeated in my latest duel."

"Really?" said Mary in surprise. "He must have been good to beat your killer strategy…"

"It was _his_ strategy that was killer," exclaimed Amber. "Thing's change when you're about to stare down the face of Exodia!"

"EXODIA?" cried all four members of the Team Supreme at once.

"Yes," said Jade, "the key to his strategy was collecting all five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One and obtaining an automatic win. It was quite a close call…"

"I'm all ears," said Yugi.

"I knew he was up to something when he made no offensive moves and only threw out Monsters with high Defense Scores…" started Jade.

"Fortunately," continued Amber, "she was able to rip through his defenses with…"

"AMBER!" shouted Jade.

"Sorry," said Amber. She made a zipping motion across her mouth.

"Jade?" asked Yugi.

"A little secret to my strategy that I don't want to reveal to other finalists," continued Jade. "Anyway, he also had a bunch of Trap Cards aimed at protecting himself."

Jade skimmed through her deck.

"He had gotten four pieces of Exodia, and I could sense he was close to the fifth. Fortunately, I drew _this:_"

She showed a card: Confiscation.

"I lost 1,000 Life Points, but I was able to force him to discard one piece of Exodia.

"A fortunate draw," commented Yugi.

"But it wasn't over," continued Jade, continuing to go though her deck. "He didn't seem the least bit worried. He continued to draw and play defensively, and at one time when I was certain he had all the other four pieces, he played Monster Reincarnation…"

Everyone gasped.

"But he'd have won!" squeaked Mary.

"But he did not," smiled Jade. "Because I was prepared."

She held up another card – Magic Jammer.

"After that," she said, "I was able to finish him off before he drew another one."

"That was indeed a close call," said Peter.

"Well, a difficult victory is always preferable to an easy one," sighed Jade. "My sensei always tells me, when confronted with two paths, always choose the harder one…

"Of course, since I have met you Yugi, the harder path always seems to choose _me_…"

She paused.

"But anyway, I am glad I found you. Let Amber and I treat you to dinner. We have a surprise for you!"

"A surprise?" asked Yugi. "What is it?"

"Well if we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now, would it?" grinned Amber.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Thirty minutes later, they were in the middle of a meal at the Battle Ox Bar and Grill.

This country-western bar was a friendly place, with good food, cheery waitresses, and food that came in large portions. Even better, there was a stage with live music.

It was very crowded this evening.

Currently, a male guitarist was singing "The Gambler" solo.

"Gee, Jade," mentioned Clive. "I didn't know you were a fan of these places – or of baby-back ribs…"

"Normally I eat healthier," responded Jade. "But there is no harm in indulging every once in a while. Everything in moderation, as they say."

The guitarist finished his song, and the patrons applauded.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, I want you to put your hands together for the Battle Ox's star attraction, someone with a voice more beautiful than Mystical Elf, Miss Luan Lynda!"

A beautiful woman came on the stage, accompanied by a team of backup singers. She wore a white cowboy hat and a leather buckskin. She was in fact, the same singer who had serenaded Yugi and his friends before Clive's duel with Sol.

Jade perked up.

"Good evening duelists," she called out. "I'd like to start today with an oldie that's one of my personal favorites, and one as timeless as the history surrounding the game you folks came to this island to play…"

She strummed her guitar, and started singing "American Pie." Her voice was beautiful, and the whole restaurant quieted to listen.

Five minutes later, as she sang the last stanza, the crowd erupted in applause.

"So Jade," asked Yugi, "about this surprise. Give me a hint. Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral?"

"Hard to say," responded Jade. "But it is coming now…"

At that point, Luan took up her microphone.

"Everyone, we have in our humble eatery tonight one of the greatest duelists the world has ever seen. You may have heard stories about Anastasia Pegasus…"

The crowd shuddered.

"Yes, I know," assured Luan. "The rumors. But she's dead now. Anyway, she was a champion duelist, and only one young man ever defeated her…"

Yugi gave Jade a strange look.

"That young man, the winner of the Duelist Labyrinth tournament of two years ago, is in our establishment right now, and one of his friends has composed a song in his honor!"

Yugi gave a shocked look.

"Surprise!" shouted Amber.

"I give you," cried Luan, "Yugi's Song!"

The backup singers started to play a rousing tune, and they all started to sing:

**All:** _Yugi Mouto, Yugi Mouto;_

_A player who can fathom every rule;_

_Yugi Mouto, great Yugi Mouto_

**Luan:** _Undisputed master of the duel!_

**Luan:** _His first confrontation came when he was ambushed_

_By a violent, bladed, rotten-talking punk._

_But Yugi used power renown and let loose Guardian Angel Joan_

_And scraped his foe's Machines to useless heaps of junk._

**All:** _Yugi Mouto, Yugi Mouto_

_A duelist of great legendary fame;_

_Yugi Mouto, mighty Yugi Mouto;_

**Luan:** _A hero who brings honor to the game!_

**Luan:** _He was challenged by a dueling mage at Hogsmeade,_

_With a Dragon with a deadly new retort._

_But Yugi wore him with attrition and his lethal Dark Magician_

_Cast a spell that would have quelled Lord Voldemort._

**All:** _Yugi Mouto, Yugi Mouto,_

_He's weathered his foes' Traps and Spells and wards;_

_Yugi Mouto, brave Yugi Mouto;_

**Luan:** _Aided by the Heart of the Cards!_

**Luan:** _An evil spider snared his mighty Dark Magician_

_In her vile web without a chance for aid_

_But Yugi gave his Disk a whirl and sent his Dark Magician Girl;_

_Better than a giant can of killer Raid!_

**All:** _Yugi Mouto, Yugi Mouto,_

_His skill is not a bit of hyperbole;_

_Yugi Mouto, incredible Yugi Mouto;_

**Luan:** _Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he's The Mole!_

**All:** _YUGI MOUTO!_

She finished with a dramatic tune on her guitar, and the spotlight fell on Yugi.

The whole place applauded, and Yugi turned beet-red.

"Uh, thanks Jade," mumbled Yugi. "As if I wasn't having enough trouble finding a challenge…"

"I once told you I could sing, Yugi," smiled Jade. "I can make up a good song in a pinch too…"

Mary sighed.

_No doubt about it,_ she thought, almost crying. _Jade will obviously be better for Yugi than I ever will. She can offer him much more than I can…_

_But what do I do? Say goodbye? If only there was someway of knowing… some way to tell whether or not Yugi and I belong together, or whether I'm just chasing rainbows…_

She looked at Jade. A thought started to come to her…

But she never finished it.

At that point, a hand slammed down on their table.

They all looked up.

"Persephone?" gasped Yugi.

"The one and only, Yugi," sneered Persephone, who was clearly angry. "And let me just say that I found that song very enjoyable. I haven't had a more enjoyable experience since the last time I had a root canal!"

The crowd gasped.

"You want to start something, Persephone?" growled Yugi.

"That's exactly what I want!" shouted Persephone.

She held up her Disk.

"You're at Silver, I'm at Silver. Both of us need only one victory to get to the finals. So we're going to decide who it's going to be right here and now and give this crowd a _real_ performance! I'll show you who the real hero is!"

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"Bring… it… on!" he snarled.

"This is better than I could have imagined!" cried Luan, through her microphone. "Clear away the tables, boys, our guest of honor is going to strut his stuff!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, the restaurant floor had been transformed into a wide-open space, perfect for a dueling arena. Yugi's five supporters gathered behind him.

"So it's come to this," sighed Clive. "Yugi is finally dueling her…"

"How do you think this will turn out?" asked Peter.

"Hard to tell," pondered Mary. "On one hand, Fairies aren't strong overall… but on the other hand, the ones that are strong are VERY strong. And we really don't know what Persephone is capable of…"

"Yugi," smiled Persephone, shuffling, "why don't we make a little wager…"

Yugi's ears perked.

"I'll wager THIS against your Guardian Angel Joan!" she proclaimed, holding up a card.

The card was Breaker the Magical Warrior.

Yugi stared at her.

"Yugi, don't!" cried Mary. "What would Siegfried say?"

"You have a bet, Persephone," said Yugi, softly.

Everyone gasped.

"And you know why I'm doing it?" asked Yugi. "Because you're going to _lose_! You're going to lose _bad_!"

"Splendid," smiled Persephone, putting the card down on the table.

The Millennium Puzzle came to life, and the change undertook Yugi.

"Enough talk!" he shouted. _"It's time to duel!"_

The two duelists raised their arms, and the holo-imagers shot out of their Disks. The two sides snapped into place.

Yugi and Persephone made their draws.

"Ladies first," grinned Yugi. "And I use the term very loosely."

"Of course," smiled Persephone, making her first draw. "And opening moves don't come any better than this!"

She opened her Field slot and threw in a card.

"I activate The Sanctuary in the Sky!" she said.

The whole room started to change, and they were surrounded by clouds on all sides. Ancient palaces appeared in the distance.

"Consider this Field Card a permanent Waboku as far as Fairies are concerned, Yugi!" she said. "So long as it's in place, none of your Monsters can touch any of mine!"

"And since it really doesn't matter now which Monster I play," she continued, "I'll summon Petite Angel in Attack Mode, and end my turn!"

She put the card down, and a tiny, spherical, pink fairy with a halo and wings appeared in front of her. (600/700)

"Well," moaned Clive, "she's really trying to rub his nose in it…"

Yugi drew.

"Persephone," said Yugi, "your ability to underestimate me is _uncanny_. That was a stupid move."

He threw a card into a slot.

"I'll wreck The Sanctuary in the Sky with Harpie's Feather Duster!"

A large feather swept across the field, and the terrain vanished. The restaurant returned.

"What?" gasped Persephone. "No!"

"Now for a more useful Monster," shouted Yugi. "Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the powerful Warrior appeared with his mighty broadsword. (1,700/1,600)

"Attack Petite Angel with your steel sword!" shouted Yugi.

Warrior Dai Grepher swung his sword at Petite Angel! It squeaked, and was vaporized.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 6,900. Everyone started to laugh.

"Talk about dumb!" laughed someone in the crowd.

"I think we have a new nominee for _Dueling Today's_ worst opening move award!" announced Luan.

_Okay,_ thought Persephone. _That plan laid an egg, but I can recover…_

"I'll summon a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," she said, putting a card down.

Yugi drew.

"Warrior Dai Grepher," he said. "Attack the facedown Monster!"

Warrior Dai Grepher swung his sword again… and the sound of beautiful music came from the point of impact. A lovely woman in a flowing, golden robe appeared, holding a harp. (800/2,000)

"That's my Spirit of the Harp, Yugi," smiled Persephone, as the harpist started to pluck the strings in an enchanting melody. "Isn't the Music of the Spheres lovely?"

Yugi's Life Points slipped to 7,700.

"I'll end my turn by summoning Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode," said Yugi.

He put the card down, and a barbarian holding a huge shield in front of him appeared, crouching down beside Warrior Dai Grepher. (100/2,600)

Persephone drew.

"Just the right card," she said. "See this card Yugi? It's a powerful one called Soul Exchange!"

She threw it into the slot.

"This card will allow me to Tribute one of your Monsters in place of one of mine, so I'll Tribute your Big Shield Gardna!"

Big Shield Gardna vanished.

"_AND_, I'll Tribute my Spirit of the Harp as well!" said Persephone, as her Spirit also vanished. "Allowing me to summon a powerful Fairy goddess known as… Artemis Lady of the Hunt, in Attack Mode!"

A tall woman appeared on her side of the field. She was dressed in a deerskin bikini top and a miniskirt, with cloth boots. She had wild green eyes, wore long brown hair that was tied together in the front of her neck, and she carried a long bow and a quiver of arrows. (2,500/2,000)

"Okay, that's not good," said Mary.

"She can devastate Yugi unless he can manage to hold her off!" said Clive.

"My Lady of the Hunt has her eyes on making you her quarry, Yugi!" laughed Persephone. "However, since I used Soul Exchange, I have to end my turn now… so let's see what you can summon to oppose her!"

She chuckled.

Yugi drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed!" he announced.

He slid the card into a slot, and drew two cards.

"You aren't the only one who can use tricks to summon a powerful Monster Persephone," growled Yugi.

He slid a card into the slot.

"I use Cost Down, and use it to Tribute Warrior Dai Grepher for Dark Magician!"

He discarded one card and switched cards. Warrior Dai Grepher held his sword to his chest and vanished, and in his place rose the powerful Dark Magician! (2,500/2,100)

Artemis Lady of the Hunt and Dark Magician stared at each other intently.

"Good lord," cried Amber. "It's a standoff!"

"Your friend is right, Yugi," said Persephone. "Our two warriors have exactly the same Attack Score!"

"Indeed," agreed Yugi. "An outright attack is out of the question…

"So I'll set two cards facedown, and end my turn."

He placed the cards, and they appeared behind Dark Magician.

Persephone drew.

_Yugi thinks he's so smart,_ she thought. _Well two can play at that game…_

"In that case," she responded, "_I'll_ set two cards facedown, and end my turn."

She placed the cards, and they appeared behind Artemis.

Yugi drew.

"I'll set two more facedown cards," he said, inserting two more cards.

His facedown cards grew to four.

Persephone drew.

"I'll set two more of my own facedown," she responded, setting them.

Two more appeared behind Artemis.

"So now what?"

Yugi drew.

"I'll place a fifth card facedown," he said, placing it in his last slot.

Persephone drew.

"As will I," she grinned, putting a fifth card into her last slot.

"Five facedown cards apiece?" gasped Peter. "These two don't fool around!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Luan, "I have a feeling something is about to happen very soon…"

Artemis and Dark Magician continued to stare at each other…

"Well, Yugi," stated Persephone. "We both have a powerful Monster out, and our Magic/Trap zones are full…"

"Indeed," agreed Yugi. "Now we'll see who planned ahead better."

"We will indeed," said Persephone. "I activate a Trap Card – Curse of Aging!"

The Trap Card lifted, and Dark Magician clutched his throat! Wrinkles started to appear on his skin, and he stooped over.

"This Trap will turn your Dark Magician into a feeble old man," laughed Persephone, "and lower his Attack Score to 2,000!"

Everyone gasped.

"Now, Artemis, attack!" shouted Persephone. "Bow of the Huntress!"

Artemis drew an arrow and aimed with her bow…

"She's going to have to find him first!" cried Yugi. "I activate a Trap of my own – Magical Hats!"

One of Yugi's cards lifted; four top hats descended on Dark Magician, and spun around in a chaotic pattern before coming to a stop.

Artemis fired, and hit one of the hats; it exploded, but there was nothing inside.

"She missed!" laughed Yugi.

Persephone scowled.

"Fine," she said, hitting a button on her disk. "Then I'll use Dust Tornado to destroy your Hats!"

Her second card lifted, and a whirlwind appeared over the field, blowing the Magical Hats away.

"Now it's my turn," said Yugi, drawing, "and the effects of your Curse of Aging have worn off…"

Dark Magician was restored to his normal self and Attack Score.

"And now it's time for me to go on the offensive!" proclaimed Yugi. "Activate Thousand Knives!"

A card lifted, and a swarm of daggers appeared around Dark Magician.

"These magical daggers allow Dark Magician to slay ANY Monster!" exclaimed Yugi.

"Not so fast!" shouted Persephone, hitting a button on her Disk. "I'll negate your Spell Card with my Magic Drain Trap!"

Her third card lifted, and the Knives vanished.

"Then I end my turn," snarled Yugi.

Persephone drew.

"Now, instead of making your Magician weaker," said Persephone, "I'll make my Fairy stronger!"

Her fourth card lifted.

"I'll Equip her with Silver Bow and Arrow!"

Artemis's normal bow vanished, and was replaced by a shiny silver one. Her Attack Score went up to 2,800.

"Now, let's try it again!" yelled Persephone. "ATTACK!"

Artemis drew back her bow.

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" yelled Yugi, as his third card lifted.

"NO!" shouted Persephone, as her Fairy was imprisoned in the shimmering pentagram. Artemis's Attack Score went down to 2,100.

"Fine," growled Persephone, "I'm ending my turn."

"In that case," said Yugi, "I'm playing Monster Reborn to bring back Warrior Dai Grepher!"

His fourth card lifted, and Warrior Dai Grepher reappeared. (1,700/1,600)

"Now, Dark Magician, dark magic attack!" he commanded.

Dark Magician moved in for the kill…

"Sorry Yugi," said Persephone, "But I'll destroy your Dark Magician with Raigeki Break!"

Her last card lifted and she discarded a card.

"And I'll save him with Trap Jammer!" shouted Yugi, as his last card lifted.

The Raigeki Break card shattered, and Dark Magician fired. Artemis Lady of the Hunt screamed, and she was blown away!

Everyone applauded, and Persephone was dumbfounded.

"Now, Warrior Dai Grepher," said Yugi, "attack Persephone directly!"

Warrior Dai Grepher swung his sword and struck! Persephone screamed as the blow hit her. She fell to her knees, with a deep gash in her chest.

Her Life Points fell to 4,900.

"All right!" shouted Clive. "Yugi clobbered her!"

"How do you like them apples 'Sephy?" laughed Peter.

"People, it is unprofessional to gloat," scolded Jade.

"Sorry," said Peter.

Persephone got up.

_You'll pay for that Yugi,_ she thought, drawing.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she cried, placing a card in a slot.

They both drew until they had six cards.

Persephone looked at her new hand.

_These three will make the perfect combo…_ she said.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, setting the card.

It appeared.

"Then, I'll summon Mokey Mokey in Attack Mode," she said.

She put another card down, and a little creature appeared. It looked like a white cube with a blank expression and a small wings and a red question mark on its top. (300/200)

Everyone gave her a strange look.

"Are you _trying_ to lose, Persephone?" growled Yugi. "Do you know what it will do to your Life Points when I attack with my Dark Magician?"

"Not only do I know," smiled Persephone, taking another card, "I'm Equipping Mokey Mokey with this Spell Card… it's called R.S.V.P.!"

She fit the card in a slot, and a golden amulet appeared around Mokey Mokey.

"That means if you want to attack Mokey Mokey at ALL, you have to do it with the Monster on the field that I announce now, and I announce Dark Magician! Your only way out of it is to remove Dark Magician from the field somehow!

"I end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

Yugi looked at Mokey Mokey and the facedown card behind him.

_This has GOT to be a Trap,_ he thought. _But she's got me cold. If I stall, she would have time to set something up that will likely be even nastier. And since I have nothing that can destroy that facedown card, I guess I have to go for broke…_

"Dark Magician," he commanded. "Attack Mokey Mokey!"

Dark Magician fired his spell.

"Gotcha!" laughed Persephone.

She hit her Disk and her Trap Card lifted.

"Activate AURA OF THE ARCHLORDS!" she yelled.

A beam of radiant light struck Dark Magician! He screamed, and was vaporized!

"My Dark Magician!" gasped Yugi. His Life Points fell to 7,075.

Persephone chuckled. "Aura of the Archlords can only be activated when a Fairy with Attack points of 500 or less is attacked," she said. "But when that happens, the attack is negated, the attacker is destroyed, and for every level of the attacking Monster, I gain 400 Life Points. So, since your Dark Magician was Level 7, I gain 2,800 Life Points!"

Her Life Points shot up to 7,700.

"Good grief," cried Mary. "She led Yugi right into that!"

"Maybe so," growled Yugi. "But I have another Monster who can attack! Warrior Dai Grepher, attack Mokey Mokey!"

Grepher charged forward and cleaved the small Fairy in two! Persephone's Life Points fell to 6,300.

"It's your move, Fairy Queen," snarled Yugi, still a little upset.

"Good," smiled Persephone, drawing.

"I summon Sprite Princess, in Attack Mode," she said, putting a card down.

A small Fairy about the size of a kitten appeared. She was an adorable thing, with gossamer butterfly wings, short silver hair curled up at the bottom, and a long white dress. She wore a silver tiara with diamonds in it and held a silver wand. (100/100)

"Hello!" she squeaked.

"Cute," said Yugi, sarcastically.

"And now a Spell Card," said Persephone. "Pixie Dust!"

She threw a card into the slot, and Sprite Princess waved her wand, covering the field with sparkling dust. Warrior Dai Grepher started to choke.

"Pixie Dust permanently lowers the Attack of all non-Fairies currently on the field by 800 points," chuckled Persephone, "lowering Grepher's Attack score to 900.

"My turn is over."

Yugi was getting angrier. He drew.

"He's still enough to take down your Princess!" said Yugi. "First I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the Warrior-elf appeared, holding his mighty sword. (1,400/1,200)

"Now, Warrior Dai Grepher…"

_Yugi, wait!_ yelled Mary inside her head. _It's a trap!_

"…attack Sprite Princess!"

Grepher raised his sword.

"Not so fast, Yugi!" laughed Persephone, entering a command on her Disk. "Ever hear of Bazoo the Soul Eater?"

"Uh, yeah…" answered Yugi.

"Sprite Princess is like him," said Persephone. "During either my or your Battle Phase, I can remove Fairies from my Graveyard and temporarily increase Sprite Princess's Attack Score by 600 for each, for the remainder of the Phase! So I'm removing all four of the Fairies in my Graveyard from play, to give Sprite Princess an Attack Score of 2,500!"

Sprite Princess's Attack skyrocketed.

"Now Sprite Princess," laughed Persephone, "counter-attack with royal fairy magic attack!"

Sprite Princess waved her wand, and cast a stream of shooting stars, blowing Warrior Dai Grepher away in a burst of light. Sprite Princess giggled a girlish laugh, and Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,375.

Yugi grimaced. "I end my turn," he said.

Sprite Princess's Attack Score returned to (100/100), and Persephone drew.

"In that case," she said, "I'll Tribute Sprite Princess for Doma the Angel of Silence!"

"Bye-bye!" squeaked Sprite Princess, before she vanished.

Then a much darker Fairy appeared. He was dressed in black clothing with odd symbols, had feathered wings, an emotionless face, and carried a scythe. (1,600/1,400)

"That's weak for a Tribute Monster!" exclaimed Yugi.

"He's enough to take out your Guardian!" responded Persephone. "Doma, silence Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

Without making a sound, Doma drifted towards Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and swung with his scythe. The Warrior gasped and fell.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,175.

"Nuts," exclaimed Clive. "Yugi's losing!"

"He's recovered from worse," said Peter. "He just needs to get his second wind…"

Yugi drew.

Mystical Elf.

_Let's see if she can get by this gal's defense,_ he thought.

"Okay, 'Sephy," he stated, "I'm putting a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and ending my turn."

He placed the card, and the hidden Monster appeared.

Persephone drew.

"A foolish mistake, Yugi!" she laughed. "I play a Spell Card…"

She fit it into the slot.

"Nobleman of Crossout!"

"What?" gasped Yugi.

A knight with long blonde hair appeared in front of the facedown Monster.

"Nobleman of Crossout can instantly destroy and remove from play any facedown Monster!" laughed Persephone.

Mystical Elf appeared and drew back in fear. The Nobleman made two slashing motions, and she burst.

As the Nobleman vanished, Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,675.

"And now," chuckled Persephone, choosing a card. "Meet, da, da, da, dum! Dunames Dark Witch, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a beautiful angel in a red dress, raven-black hair, and metallic wings appeared on her side. (1,800/1,050)

"Go, Dunames Dark Witch!" shouted Persephone. "Attack Yugi directly with shadow flux!"

Dunames Dark Witch formed a ball of dark energy in her hands and hurled it at Yugi! He screamed and staggered back.

"Your turn Doma!" ordered Persephone. "Attack with scythe of silence!"

Doma floated up to Yugi and slashed him across the belly with his blade. Yugi howled in pain and fell over.

His Life Points were now at 1,275, while Persephone had a commanding lead at 6,300.

The crowd started to murmur.

"I thought he was losing before," gasped Clive. "But now he's _really_ losing!"

"Don not loose hope yet," said Jade. "If I know Yugi, he can recover from even the most overwhelming of situations. He must have faith, and he will overcome this adversary…"

Yugi drew.

"I have you totally outgunned," laughed Persephone. "Why don't you just give up and hand over your Guardian Angel Joan?"

"Never!" exclaimed Yugi. "I lay one card facedown, and summon Kuriboh in Defense Mode!"

The facedown card appeared, and the small, furry Fiend appeared in front of him. (300/200)

Clive started to say something, but Peter clasped his hand over his mouth.

"What are you trying to do, lose on purpose?" chuckled Persephone. "Kuriboh is _weak_! Only an amateur would even keep that Monster in his deck in the first place!"

The patrons of the restaurant apparently agreed with Persephone. They started to chuckle at Yugi.

"My turn is over," said Yugi, ignoring her.

Persephone drew.

"In that case," chuckled Persephone, "I'm gonna finish you off in the most humiliating way I can! I summon Hysteric Fairy in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a female Fairy in a blue suit with spectacles and white, feathered wings appeared. (1,800/500)

"Now, Hysteric Fairy," she ordered, "destroy that hairball with hysteric blast!"

A ball of shining light appeared in Hysteric Fairy's hands…

"Not so fast, Persephone!" shouted Yugi, hitting a button on his Disk.

"No, not a Trap!" said Persephone.

"Yes!" smiled Yugi, as his Trap Card lifted. "You fell for one of the oldest tricks in my father's playbook! Activate Mirror Force!"

Hysteric Fairy shot forth his blast, and a shield of energy surrounded Kuriboh, deflecting the blast back! Hysteric Fairy, Dunames Dark Witch, and even Doma the Angel of Silence all screamed, before they were blown into oblivion!

Persephone's Life Points fell to 4,425.

"Ah! Curse you Yugi!" she cried. "This isn't happening! This is a nightmare! A bad dream! I was about to win! I should have won!"

"Should've, would've, could've, didn't," sneered Yugi. "Is that your move?"

Persephone calmed down.

"Yeah," she frowned.

Yugi drew.

"In that case," exclaimed Yugi. "I Tribute my weak Kuriboh to summon my powerful Dark Magician Girl!"

Kuriboh vanished, and a portal opened on the floor. The lovely form of Dark Magician Girl spun out of it, and winked at Persephone. (2,000/1,700)

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Yay, Dark Magician Girl!" shouted somebody.

"Babe!" shouted somebody else.

"And in case you didn't know," said Yugi. "Since you sent Dark Magician to my Graveyard, Dark Magician Girl's Attack power rises from 2,000 to 2,300!"

"Go!" he commanded. "Attack Persephone directly!"

Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff and cast her spell directly at Persephone! The Dark Fairy Queen screamed, and fell over. Her Life Points fell to 2,125.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Yugi has just turned this duel around!" said Luan. "I'd stick around for the finale if I were you!"

When Persephone got up, her revealing black costume was burned and torn to shreds. And she was angry.

She drew.

_Hey,_ she thought. _My own Mirror Force! What works for the gander will work for the goose, I always say…_

"I place one card facedown," she said, fitting it into a slot. "And I summon Bio-Mage, in Defense Mode."

A mysterious-looking Fairy with a lavender spandex-like suit and helmet and large, orange wings that looked like foil appeared, clasping her hands as if praying. (1,150/1,000)

"And I end my turn," smiled Persephone.

Yugi gave her a strange look.

_Sorry, Persephone, but I'm not falling for it this time,_ he thought. _I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card of yours is…_

He drew.

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode," he said, "and end my turn."

The young, female protégé of Flame Swordsman appeared next to Dark Magician Girl, holding out her burning saber. (1,600/1,500)

The two lady Monsters looked at each other and then looked at Persephone.

Persephone drew. She was starting to get frustrated.

"I summon Fairy's Gift in Defense Mode!" she called out.

She put the card down, and a beautiful female fairy with green skin and butterfly wings dressed in a gossamer gown appeared next to Bio-Mage. (1,400/1,000)

"I end my turn," she said.

Everyone was watching with baited breath, as Yugi drew his next card.

He looked at it.

_Reverse of Reverse,_ he thought.

"Okay, Fairy Queen," he said. "My move will consist solely of putting this card facedown."

He put the card into a slot, and it appeared behind his two Monsters.

Persephone snarled as she drew.

"Fine Yugi!" she shouted. "If you aren't going to attack, then I certainly WILL!"

She slapped a card down.

"I Tribute both my Bio-Mage and my Fairy's Gift…" she started.

The two Fairies vanished.

"… to summon forth the mighty WINGWEAVER!" she shouted.

A blinding light appeared on her side of the field, and a huge form flew out. It was a glorious female angel clothed in a golden dress, with six feathered wings colored sky blue. (2,750/2,400)

"Oh no…" gasped Mary.

"Wingweaver," commanded Persephone, "attack Dark Magician Girl!"

Wingweaver spread her wings and prepared to swoop down on the Spellcaster.

"Not this time, Persephone!" said Yugi. "I activate my Trap Card, Reverse of Reverse!"

The card lifted.

"Reverse of Reverse?" said Persephone puzzled. "What does _that_ do?"

"This tricky Trap," said Yugi, "lets me take the last Spell or Trap Card that YOU put facedown and use it as my own!"

Persephone's facedown card disappeared and reappeared on Yugi's side.

"And I have a sneaking suspicion," continued Yugi, as the stolen card lifted, "that this will be just what I need!"

"NO!" cried Persephone, as her own Mirror Force revealed itself. Wingweaver let out a cry as the blast from the Trap consumed her.

Everyone cheered again.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 1,437. Persephone started to sweat…

"Now, it's my turn," said Yugi.

He drew. He looked at the card.

"Well this is ironic, Persephone," he muttered. "You wanted this card so much, so I'm going to _give_ it to you!"

He placed a card down.

"I Tribute Dark Magician Girl and Flame Swordmistress…" he said.

The two of them waved to Persephone before they vanished.

"…and I summon Guardian Angel Joan!"

Sounds like a heavenly chorus filled the restaurant, and radiant beams enveloped Yugi's side. A huge, beautiful woman clothed in silver, with gorgeous golden wings stepped out of the light. (2,800/2,000)

Persephone shook in fear.

"Guardian Angel Joan," yelled Yugi, "finish her off with searing light of Heaven attack!"

A ball of purest light appeared in Joan's hands, and she hurled it at Persephone! The Dark Fairy Queen screamed and collapsed as her Life Points fell to nothing.

Everyone cheered.

"Yugi is the winner!" announced Luan.

Joan smiled and waved to the crowd before the holo-imagers shut down and she vanished.

Yugi walked up to his fallen adversary, who was on the floor groaning.

The gem on his Disk changed color to Gold, while Persephone's was downgraded to Violet.

"Oh, this is gonna be great," said a boy from the crowd. "Yugi is gonna eat her soul!"

Yugi overheard and looked up in surprise.

"What?" he frowned, turning to them. "Now why would I do THAT?"

"Uh, someone told me when you came in…" said the boy.

"Come to think of it," said another girl, "Persephone told me when you came in."

"She told us too," said a kid who was part of another group.

A realization came to Yugi as his friends came up to join him. Persephone got up, moaning.

"So, Persephone," accused Yugi. "You were spreading lies about me. No wonder everyone was scared to death of me today!"

Persephone just stared at him.

"Truly the mark of a coward," frowned Jade. "Spreading false rumors to ruin a person so that he is reviled – it is one of the most dishonorable methods of warfare!"

"Know this, Persephone," continued Jade. "Now that the truth is out, and your reputation as a liar begins to spread, I doubt that anyone will trust you enough to accept a challenge from you. You're at Violet now, and you have little chance of getting higher."

"True," said Yugi.

He took the Breaker the Magical Warrior card from off of the table.

"And this will make a fine addition to my deck. Come on people, let's pay the bill and leave. We have some preparing to do…"

As Yugi left, Persephone sat on the floor where she had fallen for a long time. At first, bloody thoughts of revenge passed through her mind. She had been humiliated, blown away by one of the strongest Fairies in Duel Monsters, and had lost a very rare card in the process.

But in order to get revenge, she'd now have to get to the finals. And she knew Jade was right. Once this got out, no-one would duel her…

Unless it was someone who simply couldn't turn down a challenge…

She got up and went to her dufflebag. A look of fear crossed her face. With her hands shaking, she unzipped the bag, and took out a series of papers…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the friends walked back to the hotel strip, a lot was on Mary's mind.

_Well, all four of us are in the finals now,_ she thought, _but I have other things to think about…_

She looked at Yugi.

_Are Yugi and I really right for each other? Or am I pursuing an impossible dream?_

_I love Yugi, does he truly love me back? And even if he does, would it truly work out?_

_If only there was some way of knowing for sure…_

She looked at Jade.

_Wait..._ she thought. _Maybe there is a way…_

"Jade?" she muttered, rather timidly. "Can you do me a favor?"

"If it is within my power to do so," said Jade.

"Um, okay," mumbled Mary, "here goes…"

She paused. She felt like she was out of her gourd for asking this, but she felt like she had to.

"You know that _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual you did with Yugi a few days ago?" she asked.

Everyone stopped and took notice.

"Yes Mary?" said Jade.

"I… want to do it too," said Mary.

Everyone looked shocked. Jade gave a slight smile.

"Mary, it is not something taken lightly," said Jade. "I warn you, the _mizu-ken-kasai_ is not always pleasurable."

"I know," said Mary, "but… I feel I need to do it."

"Very well," said Jade. "Then no time like the present. Can you come to my hotel at eight tonight?"

"Yeah," muttered Mary.

"Give your name to the doorman," said Jade. "And bring a swimsuit if you feel one is necessary. I'll be waiting."

Jade and Amber parted company with the others on the hotel strip.

"Mary," asked Yugi. "I have to ask… why?"

"It's just something I have to do," she said.

_I need answers,_ she thought, _and this is the only way I can find them…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPRITE PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 100

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. During either Battle Phase, you may remove up to 6 Fairy-Type Monsters in your Graveyard from play to increase the ATK of this card by 600 per Monster removed from play until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PIXIE DUST (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A winged fairy showering sparkling dust on armored warriors with a wand.

**Card Description: **Decrease the ATK of all face-up Monsters except Fairy-Type Monsters by 800.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AURA OF THE ARCHLORDS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A set of golden, radiant gates amid the clouds and stars.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack on a Fairy-Type Monster your control with an ATK of 500 or less. Destroy the attacking Monster and increase your Life Points by 400x the Level of the destroyed Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARTEMIS LADY OF THE HUNT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Flavor Text: **This powerful fairy noble transverses the wild areas of the fey realms. She never misses her quarry with her powerful bow.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**R.S.V.P. (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A golden amulet with the letters "R.S.V.P." on it.

**Card Description: **Upon activation, select one face-up Monster your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot attack the Equipped Monster with any Monster except the selected Monster. If your opponent no longer controls the selected Monster, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REVESE OF REVERSE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Two duelists dueling with you as the perspective of the one using this card.

**Card Description: **Activate the set Spell or Trap Card most recently set by your opponent as your own. If the timing for its activation is not met, return it to set position.

_Note: This is a slightly altered version of a card used in_ Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie: Pyramid of Light _(where the effect was slightly different). Nearly all creative credit goes to the writers, director, and producers of that movie._


	30. Pyro Clock of Destiny

_**They say that true love knows no bounds, and that if someone feels they can improve their relationship with the man they love, no task is too great.**_

_**But I have to wonder whether a ritual that involves turning yourself into soup is crossing the line or not?**_

_**It doesn't matter. I have to know whether or not Yugi and I were meant to be together. And as far as I can tell, Jade's **_**mizu-ken-kasai**_** ritual might give me a clue at least.**_

_**I may be scared… Okay, I'm terrified. But I'm willing to try. I have to find out, and a boiling pit isn't going to scare me away…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Pyro Clock of Destiny**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

At seven-fifteen, Mary got ready. She put her bathing suit on under her normal clothing. Her three friends wished her good luck.

Yugi hugged her. "I hope you see half of what I saw," he assured.

"I'm hoping that too," she responded.

She left and started for the Wingweaver Hotel.

Meanwhile, Amber was readying the cauldron for the ritual while Jade watched, wearing a bathrobe over her swimsuit. They had truly been lucky to be able to reserve the courtyard on such short notice.

"Honestly, Jade, I still don't like this," frowned Amber. "How do we know this won't melt Mary's brain?"

"It is not going to melt Mary's brain," sighed Jade, rolling her eyes. "The sensei would not have given me authorization if I was not capable of protecting her."

She got up and picked up a piece of chalk. She marked the ground ten feet to the left of the cauldron with an "X", and then walked to the area ten feet to the right of it, where she did the same thing.

"Uh, what are you doing?" asked Amber.

"Making preparations," explained Jade. "Mary did a poor job hiding her intentions. I know why she wants to do this. She wants to know if Yugi is truly her soulmate – and I believe that he _is._"

"Really?" said Amber.

"Yes," stated Jade. "Sadly, she fears that someone else – possibly even me – wants to take him from her. I can sense these things. She is wrong. I will tell you right now, betraying a friend by stealing the one destined to be her companion is not worthy of the Samurai. Mary needs to see the light.

"It is my duty to help her in any way I can, and while I can't truly control the visions of the ritual, I can give them a push in the right direction."

She took two Duel Monsters cards out of her robe and handed them to Amber. They were The A. Forces and Zanki.

"When Anastasia was defeated, we celebrated, and there was a little exchanging of gifts," continued Jade. "Yugi gave me The A. Forces, and Mary gave me Zanki. I myself gave Yugi Tengu Warrior, and I gave Mary War Lion Ritual. Now listen, Amber…

"Every item of even the smallest value has a spiritual image on it of all those who have called it their property. The A. Forces card thus has Yugi's spiritual image, as he was the original owner, while the Zanki card has Mary's. These images, if used correctly, can influence the power of the ritual"

"Wouldn't they also have _your_ image on them?" asked Amber.

"Yes, but since I'll be supervising the ritual, my image will already be in the forefront anyway. Now here's what to do. After we have submerged, I want you to put one card on each of those chalk marks. Since Mary and Yugi's spiritual images are on these cards, they will hopefully channel and meld into one, and the visions Mary sees will likely involve the two of them as a pair in some way."

"Gotcha," said Amber.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A half hour later, when the fire was burning, Mary arrived.

"Hi Mary!" greeted Amber.

"Hi guys," stuttered Mary, looking at the cauldron nervously. "I presume…"

"Do not presume, Mary," said Jade. "You must either do, or do not. Now take your clothes off."

Mary hesitantly removed her outerwear and Jade removed her bathrobe. Mary was somewhat stunned.

_Did she wear THAT when she did this with Yugi?_ she thought. _Sigh, maybe this was a mistake…_

"I know what you are thinking, Mary," said Jade, "and your presumptions are as wrong as they can be. Now listen closely…"

Jade carefully explained the rules of the _mizu-ken-kasai_, just as she did to Yugi. Mary held onto every word, getting more nervous by the minute.

"It is not too late to back out, Mary," said Jade.

"I must," sighed Mary.

"You 'must' do nothing," said Jade. "At this point in your life you do everything due to your own choice. You have free will. Now will you or will you not?"

"I will," said Mary. "I want to."

Jade turned to Amber.

"Is everything ready?" she asked.

"Uh huh," said Amber.

"Then take my hand, Mary," beckoned Jade.

They clasped hands and they ascended the steps to the boiling cauldron. Mary closed her eyes as Jade led her down into to the water. It took all of Mary's willpower to keep from screaming when she made the first step, but just as Yugi had experienced, she found that the pain was only brief.

Amber took a long pole and closed the lids. Then, as Jade had said, she laid the two cards on the two markers.

"Good luck, Mary," she muttered.

Inside the darkness, in the state of no breath, Mary felt Jade's strong arms hold her in a tight embrace.

_Hmm,_ she thought. _This isn't so bad. Tingly. So, I wonder when something is supposed to happen…_

Then swirling colors started to play before her eyes.

_Uh oh,_ she thought. _Now something's happening!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary opened her eyes, unaware that she had closed them.

Jade was gone, and she found herself in a huge library! Books crowded the large shelves, sculptures adorned the walls, and a giant clock-face was in front of her.

"WOW!" she exclaimed. "Look at all the books!"

She loved libraries, being such an avid reader, and this place was easily twenty times bigger than the Domino Public Library. It looked like paradise for an honor student like her.

"Yes, it is impressive, isn't it Mary," said a gentle voice.

"Huh? Who said that?" asked Mary.

From behind a shelf stepped an old man in a dusty gray robe. His eyes were hidden by his hood, but she could see his large, gray mustache and laugh wrinkles around his mouth.

"Who are you?" asked Mary, surprised.

"Oh, just a guest, like you," smiled the old man. "For identification purposes, you may call me a Philosopher. I study works of knowledge, seeking answers to life's mysteries… and as you might surmise, I know the answers to a great many mysteries already."

"Really?" said Mary, getting excited. "Then you may be just the man I need to talk to! I have a burning question…"

"Well, that's what I'm here for," assured the Philosopher.

"I need to know…" started Mary. "Are Yugi and I right for each other? Would we be happy together? Are we truly meant to be?"

The Philosopher chuckled.

"Oh, I should say so Mary," he explained. "You and he were destined to be together since long before you both were born."

"I… don't follow," questioned Mary.

"Do you believe in the concept of soulmates, Mary?" asked the Philosopher. "Of two people so close that their souls match and work in sync? Let me tell you that there were two people like that at one time… Your father, and Yugi's father."

Mary gave him an odd look.

"My dad and Yugi's dad were soulmates?" she asked. "That sounds… weird…"

"A soulmate is not always the one whom you regard as a romantic ideal or mate, Mary, although it often is," explained the Philosopher, pulling up a chair. "Your two fathers had a friendship that was closer than most friendships, and that bond between their souls was passed down to a bond between you and Yugi.

"And I will prove it if I have to. There is one defining moment in your fathers' young lives that cemented their bond. One which your father never told you the details of, for fear of scaring you. A moment that was likely the worst day of his life, but one of his greatest triumphs. I will show you, if you wish…"

"Show me!" exclaimed Mary.

"Then," said the Philosopher, "I must take you on a journey not only through space, but through time, to a spot when your father and Yugi's father were even younger than you are now…"

The clock on the wall started to spin backwards, and the library vanished.

"To properly show you this event," explained the Philosopher, "I must show you the events that led up to it. Prepare yourself now, for what you are about to see won't be pretty…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Another scene came into view. They were on a dark street.

"Where are we?" asked Mary.

"Domino City," said the Philosopher. "It is two days before the great Battle City tournament."

A figure started running towards them, holding a box under his arm. Mary's eyes opened wide.

"I trust you know the young man," stated the Philosopher.

"Daddy?" exclaimed Mary. "And he can't be more than sixteen!"

"Yes," said the Philosopher. "He was in a hurry that night, because your aunt Serenity was going to have her eye surgery the next morning. But an evil Rare Hunter working for the fiendish Marik had other plans…"

"Marik…" shuddered Mary. "Whenever I hear that name, it gives me the creeps."

"Yes," said the Philosopher. "I know how you faced his Heir."

Mary watched, as three cloaked figures blocked her father's path. They started to argue.

"The Hunter challenged young Joey to a duel," said the Philosopher, "daring him to wager his Red Eyes Black Dragon on it, and Joey was never one to turn down a challenge. Now watch…"

Mary watched as the duel started. At first, Joey seemed to be winning, with the Hunter only defending and Joey managing to strike at his Life Points directly.

"Wait…" muttered Mary. "He DID tell me about this…"

She stared at the two players.

"Daddy, no!" she screamed. "Don't worry about what he has on the field, he has something worse in his hand!"

"He can't hear you, Mary," said the Philosopher, shaking his head. "This is a historic vision that has already happened. You cannot interact with the beings you see here."

"No…" moaned Mary in fear.

As Joey summoned his Red Eyes and blasted away the Hunter's latest Monster, Mary bit her lip. And then, the Rare Hunter drew, and threw five cards into his Monster Zone…

A magical pentagram opened up behind him, and the hideous form of Exodia the Forbidden One emerged! Joey drew back in fear.

"EXODIA, OBLITERATE!" yelled the Hunter.

Exodia blasted forth his unstoppable spell, and Joey was knocked senseless.

Tears ran down Mary's face.

"And if that weren't enough," said the Philosopher, "it wasn't enough for the Rare Hunter to have won Joey's card – he had to take it by force…"

Mary watched on in horror as the thugs plowed into her father, pummeling him.

"It was a dark day indeed for your father Mary," said the Philosopher. "He not only lost his prize card, he disappointed your aunt. He got to the hospital the next morning only minutes before it was too late…"

"Why do you show me these things?" sobbed Mary, sadly.

"Because I must," stated the Philosopher, "in order to show you what happened next. Joey was determined to win that card back. And the Rare Hunter was far from done. He was determined to challenge every top duelist in Battle City he could find and take their rarest cards as well…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The scenery melted away, and they were in the middle of a promenade full of people.

"It is now the beginning of Day One of the Tournament," he continued, "and the contestants have just received their instructions from Seto Kaiba. Look to your right…"

Mary looked, and saw the Rare Hunter in front of a laptop.

"He was making his evil plans already," said the Philosopher.

"The creep," growled Mary, angrily.

"But then your father found him," continued the Philosopher.

Mary watched, as Joey strode up, Disk in hand, and started shouting at the Hunter.

"Joey demanded a rematch," said the Philosopher, "but the Hunter only mocked him, stating he had nothing more that he wanted…

"And then, Yugi's father appeared."

The small form of Yugi Sr. ran up, and the Hunter's eyes opened wide. Mary was a little surprised himself.

"That's Yugi's dad?" she said offhand. "He looks a little puny…"

"Looks can deceive," chuckled the Philosopher.

"They call themselves Rare Hunters," shouted Joey, "which to me translates into cape-wearing, card-takin' freakazoids! And this one owes me a rematch so I can win back my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

"My father always did have guts…" muttered Mary.

"I already told you, you have nothing that is of any use to me," laughed the Hunter, closing his laptop, "but perhaps your friend would be interested in being my next victim! It would be my pleasure to hunt the Duelist Kingdom champion, and snare his Dark Magician… so I challenge Yugi Mouto to a duel!"

"Fine, Rare Hunter, I accept your challenge!" shouted Yugi Sr.

The Puzzle around Yugi Sr.'s neck glowed, and suddenly, the elder Yugi turned just as fierce as Mary had witnessed his son become.

"Wow?" exclaimed Mary. "He could do that too?"

"Yes," stated the Philosopher. "Yugi Sr. also possessed the Spirit of the Puzzle inside him, and he was even stronger with him than he is with your Yugi."

"So do we have a deal, Rare Hunter?" said Yugi Sr. "As my first Battle City opponent, if you lose, you must return Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon! And if you win, I'll hand over my Dark Magician!"

"Your father tried to talk him out of it," said the Philosopher, "but Yugi knew he'd have to risk his Dark Magician sooner or later, and it was the only way.

"Joey tried to warn his friend about what was in store for him, but when he tried…"

"Uh, uh, uh," warned the Hunter. "Don't even think about revealing my strategy, Joey Wheeler! If you say a word about how I defeated you, I'll tear your Red Eyes Black Dragon to shreds! So, I'd give my mouth a rest if I were you, and allow me to stalk the Duelist Kingdom champion without your commentary."

"Fine," smiled Yugi Sr. "I'll duel you one on one!"

Mary watched as the duel began. Yugi summoned Beta the Magna Warrior and put two cards facedown.

_Wonder why my Yugi never uses that Monster,_ thought Mary.

"My first card will be…" started the Hunter.

He drew.

"… just what I suspected! Graceful Charity!"

The Rare Hunter grinned and drew three cards, discarding two, but Yugi Sr. activated his Light of Intervention Trap.

"That ensures no facedown Defense Monsters," said Mary.

"Yes," said the Philosopher. "But the Hunter barely cared."

The Hunter summoned Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode.

"Figures," said Mary.

"I think you'll recognize Yugi Sr.'s next move," said the Philosopher.

Then Yugi drew. He Tributed Beta to summon Berfomet. Then Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts appeared. He then used his other facedown card, Polymerization, to create Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!

"Hey!" exclaimed Mary. "Yugi's dad gave me Gazelle and Berfomet for my birthday last year! He must have used them himself!"

"Yes," said the Philosopher, "but even though Chimera's Attack was stronger than that Stone Statue's Defense, the Hunter still didn't care. He already had three Exodia cards in his hand."

Joey tried to warn his friend again, but again the Hunter threatened him, and he drew.

Yugi ended by placing another card facedown.

"I predict another Graceful Charity!" exclaimed the Rare Hunter, drawing.

He drew.

"Imagine that, I was right!"

He drew three cards and discarded. Then he played Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in Defense. And this Monster's Defense was stronger than Chimera's Attack.

"At this point, Yugi started to get suspicious," stated the Philosopher.

"You may be protecting your Life Points with fortresses and stone walls, Rare Hunter," exclaimed Yugi Sr., "but in order for you to win this duel, you must attack me eventually. So what are you waiting for?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Yugi," mocked the Hunter with an evil grin. "So go ahead, make your move! The Hunter will strike his prey when the time is right!"

"At this point," said the Philosopher to Mary, "your father no longer _cared_ what happened to his Red Eyes. He simply HAD to warn his friend."

"Hey Yug' hold it!" yelled Joey. "I can't stand by and watch this! No way! I won't let you lose your Dark Magician for me!"

"That's enough Joey!" shouted Yugi Sr.

Joey drew back.

"You must not reveal the Rare Hunter's strategy," said Yugi Sr. "I WILL defeat him. You're my friend Joey, and I'm fighting this duel for you, just as you would for me…"

"Uh, right," muttered Joey.

Yugi Sr. paused.

"Do you remember the time Weevil threw my Exodia cards into the ocean?" continued Yugi Sr. "You risked your life to try to get my cards back, not just because Exodia is the most powerful card in the game, but because I was a friend in need!"

Yugi Sr.'s eyes opened wide.

"It was that little bit of reminiscing, Mary," chuckled the Philosopher, "that let Yugi's father figure it out!"

"I'm onto you!" yelled Yugi Sr. "I know your strategy Rare Hunter! You're planning to summon Exodia the Forbidden One!"

The Rare Hunter gasped.

"All right!" exclaimed Joey.

"Thank you Joey," smiled Yugi Sr., giving him a thumb's up, "you allowed me to figure out his strategy without actually telling it to me!"

"That was one of the first clues to the bond your fathers shared," said the Philosopher. "It was almost as if Joey had sent a mental message in his attempt, that brought back a specific memory that went with the situation.

"But this duel was far from over…"

The Rare Hunter chuckled.

"Just because you figured out my strategy doesn't mean you can stop me!" gloated the Hunter. "Everyone knows that Exodia is the most powerful creature in Duel Monsters! How can you stop the unstoppable Exodia?"

"True, no-one has ever defeated Exodia," said Yugi Sr., with a grin. "But in order to win back Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon, I'll be the first!"

"Of course, said the Philosopher, "that was much easier said than done. You see, the Hunter already had four of the five necessary pieces in his hand. And he already knew that on his next draw, he would get the fifth. His cards were marked with invisible ink that only he could see with his special contact lenses."

"Bastard," muttered Mary. "If Siegfried were running this tournament, he'd have had this guy disqualified."

"Yes, but it was Seto Kaiba running the tournament, and he wasn't nearly as nice as Siegfried. Seto knew about the Hunter's cheating – in fact, he was watching at this very moment – but he _wanted_ the Hunters there, because he knew they held the Egyptian God Cards, artifacts he wanted for his own. Besides, he secretly would have loved to see Yugi Sr. face the wrath of Exodia, a move that Yugi had used on him in a previous confrontation.

"But Yugi wasn't out of tricks yet…"

Mary watched as Yugi Sr. drew.

"I place one card facedown," he said, "and I attack with Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!"

Chimera charged forward and smashed Stone Statue of the Aztecs to pebbles!

The Rare Hunter laughed. His hand slowly went to his deck…

"Bye, bye, Yugi!" he laughed.

"Not so fast, Rare Hunter!" shouted Yugi Sr.

His Trap Card lifted.

"Time Seal?" gasped Mary. "That forces your opponent to skip his draw phase!"

"A desperate move for my desperate prey!" cursed the Hunter.

"Of course," said the Philosopher, "that was only a temporary solution. Time Seal only works once; if there was a card in Yugi's deck that could stop his foe, he had to draw it NOW."

Yugi Sr. drew.

"Fortunately, he did."

"I play Lightforce Sword!" exclaimed Yugi Sr.

"Lightforce Sword?" asked Mary, as she watched. "That one I'm not familiar with."

"Lightforce Sword randomly attacks one card in your opponent's hand," explained the Philosopher, "preventing him from using it for three turns."

"Go, Lightforce Sword!" shouted Yugi Sr., as the sword appeared and shot forward.

"It was a random shot in the dark," said the Philosopher, "but fortunately, it hit home."

The card stuck the Rare Hunter's hand.

"Not that one!" he yelled. "You've pieced Exodia's right arm!"

"And Yugi wasn't done yet," said the Philosopher.

As they watched, the young hero Tributed Chimera for Summoned Skull, and blew Gear Golem the Moving Fortress into junk!

"You see?" chuckled Yugi Sr. "Your Exodia pieces may be unstoppable as a whole, but the five cards that make it up are easy prey!"

"The Rare Hunter drew the last card," said the Philosopher, "but it couldn't let him win now."

"Rare Hunter, you have no Monsters to defend you," said Yugi Sr. "Looks like a whole new game…"

The Hunter let out a deep laugh.

"What's with this clown?" muttered Joey. "He's just as nutty as a fruitcake!"

"A whole new game?" laughed the Hunter. "Hardly, Yugi! You really think you can stop me with one card? A professional card Hunter like me is prepared for any situation!"

He took a card from his hand.

"Take this!" he laughed. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

He played the Spell Card, and the shimmering Swords crashed down around Yugi.

"Okay, I don't need to be told what THAT does!" gasped Mary, starting to sweat.

"Unable to attack, now Yugi had to worry about his Lightforce Sword wearing off," said the Philosopher. "But he wasn't fazed…"

"It's my move," he muttered. "I'll draw one card… and end my turn."

"Thanks to my Swords of Revealing Light that's all you can do!" laughed the Hunter. "You're reduced to watching your own duel. Unable to attack, unable to even move! I should just end your misery!"

Yugi Sr. gave him a quizzical look, as did Mary.

"Why wait for your Spell Card to expire, when I can draw another Right Arm from my deck?" he continued. "Exodia cards are so rare that most duelists don't own a single piece! But I have _three_ copies of each! Which means that there are two more Right Arms waiting in my deck!"

Yugi Sr. smiled and gave a slight chuckle.

"Hey, what's so funny?" snapped the Hunter.

"Yeah, what was so funny?" asked Mary.

"The Rare Hunter thought that he had an advantage," said the Philosopher, "but Yugi saw the truth. He really had a huge _disadvantage_. Think about it Mary – in a forty-card deck, would you devote fifteen spaces to a single aspect of your strategy?"

Mary paused.

"I guess not…" she said.

"Yugi Sr. knew that very well," he replied. "Just let him explain it…"

"Your deck is loaded down with so many Exodia body parts," said Yugi Sr.," the odds of drawing the Right Arm are slim to none!"

"We'll find out won't we?" cursed the Hunter.

"Your mistake is that you're relying on one Monster," said Yugi Sr., "but a good dueling deck requires the right balance of cards. And you're still a prisoner of my Lightforce Sword, which means I have three turns to defeat you!"

"Wishful thinking, Yugi!" sneered his opponent. "It's MY draw!"

"So the Hunter drew," said the Philosopher, "and just as Yugi suspected, what he got was a second Head and Torso of Exodia – which was at that point absolutely worthless."

Mary watched as her father cheered Yugi's father on. Yugi Sr. drew, placed a card facedown, and summoned Alpha the Magnet Warrior in Attack Mode.

_What is with these Magnet Warriors?_ she thought. _Maybe I should look into them…_

"You forget about my Swords of Revealing Light?" gloated the Hunter. "You can't attack!"

"I can't," said Yugi Sr. "Yet. But once I destroy your Swords, my Monsters will be let loose!"

"You won't!" he replied.

"And remember, your deck has a tragic flaw… it's cluttered with so many Exodia pieces, that you've squeezed out room for other cards needed to protect your Life Points. You need more Magic and Trap Cards to destroy my Monsters, but all you have in your hand are Exodia cards.

"And take a look in front of you, Rare Hunter… I've already destroyed the only two Monsters you've summoned, leaving you without a single Monster to guard against a direct attack. The only thing stopping my Monsters is your Swords card, a weak and temporary shield. Once my Monsters are free, I'll begin attacking your Life Points!"

At that point, the Rare Hunter became extremely angry… or was it not anger? Was it concealed fear? Mary couldn't tell.

"You've left yourself wide open for a direct attack, Rare Hunter," warned Yugi's father.

"Yugi! Take 'im down!" yelled Mary's father.

"Yeah, take 'im down!" shouted Mary.

"You'll never summon Exodia in time," warned Yugi Sr. with his eyes narrowing.

The Rare Hunter drew.

"I bet it's a duplicate Exodia card," said Yugi Sr. softly.

"It makes no difference to me!" shouted the Hunter. "Your Lightforce Sword will soon disappear, allowing me to access all five pieces of Exodia for an automatic win!"

"But not soon enough…" said his opponent, softly.

"At that point," explained the Philosopher, "the Rare Hunter truly started to get unnerved. He started to wonder what would happen if his foe actually did find a way around his Swords of Revealing Light. He'd be defenseless, and right now, he had nothing to block an attack with… or did he?"

Mary thought for a minute.

"The Exodia cards are technically Monster Cards…" she said.

"Exactly," said the Philosopher. "The Rare Hunter figured he could summon his extra Exodia Head in Defense Mode, and still have the required cards to summon Exodia."

Mary watched as the Hunter shakily pulled a card from his hand and placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Exodia's head in Defense Mode!" he shouted, as the image on the card appeared.

Yugi Sr. smiled a huge grin.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Rare Hunter," he said. "Now it's time for me to destroy Exodia! You've activated my Trap Card, a costly mistake!"

His Trap lifted.

"Chain Destruction!" he yelled.

"Do you need me to tell you what that card does?" asked the Philosopher.

"No," said Mary. "When one Monster is on the field, Chain Destruction destroys all copies of it in your opponent's hand and deck!"

"Exactly!" said the Philosopher. "Yugi had made it impossible for the Rare Hunter to summon Exodia now; he had stopped the unstoppable Monster!"

The Rare Hunter screamed.

"And now," said the Philosopher, "you just have to watch the end result of this duel…"

As Mary watched, Yugi activated his other Trap Card, Dust Tornado, destroying the Swords of Revealing Light. Then he played Monster Reborn to revive Chimera.

Chimera smashed the last Exodia head to pieces! Then, Summoned Skull used his electricity to raise Alpha's Attack power from 1,400 to 1,600. Both attacked the Rare Hunter, reducing his Life Points to zero and knocking him senseless.

He had won.

Yugi Sr. bent over his fallen foe.

"I'm taking Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon and your Locator Card," he said. "You won't need to find the finals now."

"Way to go ma-man!" shouted Joey.

"Thanks Joey," said his friend.

"But Mary," continued the Philosopher, "it wasn't over. You saw firsthand the evil of the Heir of Marik. But as hard as it might be for you to believe, the original Marik was far worse…"

"I lost…" groaned the Hunter getting up. "I failed! Forgive me master, I tried my best! No, please don't be angry!"

He screamed.

"Yugi!" gasped Joey. "That whack-job's lost his mind!"

"I've seen this before…" muttered Yugi Sr.

Mary watched in horror as the Eye of Horus appeared on the Rare Hunter's forehead.

"We meet again Pharaoh," he said, in a voice that was clearly not his. "Remember me? Actually, perhaps you don't. You were trapped in the Puzzle when I dueled little Yugi. Congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter, though he was the weakest duelist in my crew. My other minions will prove much more formidable!

"Pharaoh, I have waited for you for years! Finally after all this time I will destroy you! I will not allow my other Rare Hunters to fail me like this one did. I have little time for his kind of foolishness, so I have taken over his body and trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm! I am in control!"

Yugi Sr., Joey, and Mary drew back in terror as the man started to dance like a puppet on strings.

"How do you control him?" demanded Yugi.

"Each of the Millennium Items contains its own unique power," said the man. "So mind control is a simple task with my Millennium Rod!"

"Don't I know it…" muttered Mary.

"No good can come from that power," sneered Yugi Sr.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the villain. "Remember my name… Marik!"

"Marik!" shouted Yugi Sr. "What is it you want from me, Marik?"

"I want what belongs to me!" gloated Marik.

"You'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle!" shouted Yugi Sr.

"You misunderstand," said Marik. "I want more than the power of the Puzzle. I want the Pharaoh's power, the boundless energy of the ancient ruler himself! With it, no one will stand in my way! I'll use the almighty magic I've gained to conquer and lead the world! I will be unstoppable!

"The end is near, Pharaoh! It's my world now!"

"Not yet Marik," said Yugi Sr. "I'm beginning to understand why Ishizu asked me to participate in Battle City. It's my destiny to stand between you and the evil powers you seek! And I will!"

"Then your destiny is easier said than done, you fool!" laughed Marik. "Pharaoh, your days are numbered! So enjoy the game while you can, for your reign is coming to an end!"

And with that, the Rare Hunter fell dead.

Mary was shaken at this, but the Philosopher put his hand on her shoulder.

"Listen closely, Mary, for the important part of this first part – concerning you – is coming now," he said.

"Man that was weird," stammered Joey. "I knew that guy was a creep, but who'd have known he was a front for an even bigger creep!"

Yugi Sr. lifted the Red Eyes card.

"Here you go, Joey," he said, "take your Red Eyes back."

Joey hesitated.

"Naw Yug'," he said. "You hold onto it. It isn't mine to take. You won it fair and square.

"Besides, the Rare Hunters have collected tons of rare cards – their decks are totally souped-up, so I know that they're gonna be tough to beat, even for you."

"What are you saying Joey?" asked his friend.

"I'm saying, one day you'll need all the powerful Monsters you can get. Besides, you can think of me whenever you play my Red Eyes. It's the least I can do to repay you.

"See, during the Duelist Kingdom tournament, you taught me rules, killer strategies, and everything else that I needed to know to help me get to the finals. I couldn't have done it without your help."

"That's what friends do," answered Yugi Sr.

"That's my point exactly, buddy. You always have my back, so it's time I help you for a change. That's why I want you to keep my Red Eyes Black Dragon. I know it's going to come in handy for you sometime. Besides, this means that a part of me is a part of your deck. It's kinda cool that I'm helping you save the world.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still in the contest, and I still have the rare card requirement covered. Well, actually, I guess technically _you_ have it covered."

Joey leafed through his deck and took out the Time Wizard. Mary knew the history of this card – Yugi's father gave it to her father as a gift when her father started playing Duel Monsters.

Mary reached into her pocket and found her own deck there. She skimmed through it and found the same Time Wizard. She held it up and it seemed happier, being in the presence of its past self.

"You know, when you think of it Yug'," said Joey, "both of our hearts are in our decks! We're a team! Together we won't let any duelist beat us. It's true! We'll whoop this Marik creep and his Rare Hunter goon squad so hard they won't know what hit them! They'll be sorry they ever decided to mess with us!"

"Hmm, thanks Joey," said Yugi Sr. "I'll take good care of your Red Eyes Black Dragon."

"Don't sweat it," said Joey. "It's yours!"

"You are a true friend Joey," smiled Yugi Sr. shaking his hand. "Together we can take any evil that comes our way!"

As the two shook hands, the scene around Mary and the Philosopher melted into a void of light.

"With that promise," said the Philosopher, "your father and Mary's father went their separate ways."

"But how did this lead to the worst day of his life?" asked Mary.

"I'm getting to that," explained the Philosopher. "The preliminaries of the Battle City tournament went on. To get to the finals, your father, as you no doubt know, faced Espa Roba, Weevil Underwood, and Mako Tsunami. Espa and Weevil were big cheaters… Mako was a more honorable duelist, but he was a challenge nonetheless. Joey defeated them all, and won the required six Locator Cards.

"In the meantime, Yugi's father wasn't fighting just for status, he was fighting for his life. The Rare Hunters stalked him at ever turn. He faced the mad magician Arkana in a deathtrap. Then, Marik himself dueled him through a mindslave named Strings, using one of the Egyptian God Cards, Slifer the Sky Dragon. Yugi Sr. barely defeated him, and confiscated the God Card.

"But then Marik got a sinister idea. He would use Yugi's own friends, meaning your father and his future wife Tea against him! He figured anyone would be easy prey for his Millennium Rod. As yet, no-one had ever been able to resist his powerful Millennium Item."

Mary squeaked in fear.

Yugi left to find your father and Tea before it was too late. He was intercepted by Seto Kaiba, who offered to help track your father down – on the condition that Yugi would duel him once he was safe, of course. Kaiba already had one God Card, and he meant to possess them all.

"But Kaiba got more than he bargained for, and it soon did become too late. Marik and his thugs not only kidnapped your father and Tea, but Mokuba as well…"

"Mokuba…" muttered Mary. "Siegfried's dad…"

"And the one person Seto Kaiba loved at the time," continued the Philosopher. "Two Rare Hunters named Lumis and Umbra forced Yugi Sr. and Seto into another deathtrap, this one a tag-team duel.

"Yugi and Seto were victorious; while Seto would never admit it, he and his eternal rival made a great team. But they had no idea where to find their loved ones – until Mokuba escaped and found them. Kaiba was a man who always paid back his debts, so he agreed to go with Yugi while Mokuba led the way.

"And now, we go to it Mary, the defining moment in your father's and Yugi's father's friendship, the defining moment in the bond they share…

"Get ready, for like I said, this may well have been the worst day of your father's life… and I warn you Mary, this might frighten you..."

"I'm not afraid…" gulped Mary.

"Oh, you will be," warned the Philosopher. "You will be…

"After all, why do you think your father never told you about this?"

The scenery melted again, and a new scene came into view…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Now where are we?" asked Mary.

The smell of sea spray filled the air, and they were surrounded by boats.

"Domino Pier," said the Philosopher. "Near Marik's temporary lair. Observe…"

He pointed to a lone figure, standing as if waiting for someone.

"Daddy?" asked Mary. "But… he looks like some sort of zombie!"

"Sadly, that is because he is under the spell of the Millennium Rod," said the Philosopher, somberly. "All part of Marik's twisted plan."

Mary covered her hand with her mouth in fear.

A helicopter appeared overhead, and it landed. They watched as three figures came out. One was Yugi Sr., as Mary saw him during the duel with the Rare Hunter. Mary recognized the other two as well – she had seen pictures of the young Seto Kaiba and his brother Mokuba.

"Welcome!" exclaimed Joey, in a voice that wasn't his.

"Joey!" shouted Yugi Sr.

"Not exactly," said Joey. "Joey is not present. He's gone away."

"It's Marik!" shouted Yugi Sr.

"That's correct," said Marik-Joey. "And if you want your friends back, you will listen to me!"

"Listen Joey!" shouted Yugi Sr. "You've got to be in there!"

"It's pointless," said Marik-Joey. "Now, you listen, Yugi. We are playing by my regulations. I'll release your pathetic friends as soon as I get what I want. Of course, since I want your Puzzle and your Egyptian God Card, there's only one way to do this – you and I are going to duel!"

"No!" gasped Mary.

_This must be what Yugi hinted to me about…_ she thought. _The time our fathers were forced to duel each other. He never told me the details… and now I'm about to see it firsthand?_

She shivered.

"You're insane!" yelled Yugi Sr.

"Refuse," said Marik-Joey, "and your friends are mine forever!"

"At this point, Seto was a little intrigued," said the Philosopher. "As I said, his goal was to obtain the other two God Cards, and he thought that your father might now have the third one. If that was true, he would have been interested to see it played…"

"Seto was a snake…" snarled Mary, angrily.

"Oh, he may redeem himself in your eyes before this story is over," assured the Philosopher. "But Yugi was in a tough situation. He tried to get though to your father…"

"Joey, I know you can hear me!" he pleaded. "Your mind is under the control of Marik, and you must break free, understand? The same Marik you vowed to help me crush! Think Joey, you've got to remember your promise to me, when you gave me your Red Eyes! Marik couldn't defeat me in a duel, so he decided to turn you against me in order win my Puzzle and my Egyptian God Card! Joey, I know you're in there, and I'm going to set you free… Marik's power is feeble compared to the strength of our friendship!"

Joey ignored him.

"Please say something, Joey!" begged Yugi Sr. "Joey!"

"You'll never set him free!" mocked Marik-Joey. "Unless you follow me, Yugi!"

"But then," said the Philosopher, "a bad situation got even worse…"

"Yugi, you'd better do exactly as I say!" said another voice.

Yugi Sr. turned in horror, as did Mary, to see another figure descending from one of the boats.

_Huh?_ thought Mary. _Yugi's mom?_

"This may come as an unpleasant surprise," said Marik-Tea, "but like your friend Joey, Tea too is under my control! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"That monster!" gasped Mary.

"Marik, leave her alone now!" demanded Yugi Sr. "She's done nothing to you!"

"Looks like I've turned your best friends into your greatest enemies!" laughed Marik-Tea.

"Having little choice," said the Philosopher, "Yugi followed his brainwashed friends to the special dueling arena that Marik had set up…"

The image came into view, and Mary looked with fear.

"I won't torture you by letting your father and Yugi's mother explain how this works as they cruelly did to Yugi's father," explained the Philosopher. "It will be a little easier coming from me. Your father and Yugi's father were chained to that huge anchor above them. When one duelist's Life Points reached zero, a thirty-second countdown would start, and when _it_ reached zero, the anchor would fall. Also when the winner was decided, a box at the winner's feet would open, revealing a key to his chain. Thus, the winner would have thirty seconds to free himself, while the loser would be dragged to the bottom of the sea…"

_Oh… my… God…_ thought Mary. _This is abominable! No wonder daddy never told me!_

"And stalling wouldn't help either," continued the Philosopher. "If no winner was decided within sixty minutes, the anchor would drop anyway.

"Now, at this point, Kaiba had realized that his greed had taken the situation way too far…"

"As head of the Battle City tournament," screamed Kaiba, "I demand that this duel be stopped now!"

"But unfortunately," said the Philosopher, "Marik had prepared for that."

He motioned to Tea, who had been strapped to a chair. A large crane drove up, positioning a huge crate over her head. A Rare Hunter with a sinister smile was at the controls.

"Any attempt to stop the duel," said the Philosopher, "and Marik would give the command to drop that crate on Tea. There was literally no way out.

"And then Marik showed the ultimate cruelty…"

"Oh wait, I almost forgot," said Marik-Tea, "I wouldn't want little Tea to miss all this…"

And with that, Tea woke up, freed from Marik's spell.

"Tea!" yelled Yugi Sr.

"But then," said the Philosopher, "Marik made his first mistake…"

"A mistake?" said Mary.

"Yes!" said the Philosopher. "And it wasn't the last…"

"Now then, there's one last matter," gloated Marik-Joey. "Yugi! Your Egyptian God Card is off limits! So if you planning on using it against me, you're out of luck! Now remove the card from your deck so I may claim it when I win."

"As you wish, Marik," said Yugi Sr., removing his belt. "I keep my special cards in here."

"Of course," said the Philosopher, "Yugi Sr. would never have dreamed of using such a deadly card as Slifer against Joey anyway. But as he removed the pouch that contained his side-deck, he saw another card that he thought might somehow help – guess which card it was…"

Mary stopped short.

"Daddy's Red Eyes Black Dragon!" she gasped.

"You _are_ smart," responded the Philosopher. "He decided to put it in his deck at that point, hoping it would do the trick – somehow.

Mary leafed through her deck again and found the same card. She looked hard at the Red Eyes.

_But how could it help?_ she thought.

"And so, the grim duel began, and Yugi's father had the first move…"

"What's the problem Yugi?" gloated Marik-Joey. "Are you too frightened to play a card?"

"I don't think so Marik!" responded Yugi Sr. "I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts!"

He put the card down, and Gazelle appeared.

_Defense Mode,_ thought Mary. _He doesn't fool me – he WAS afraid. Afraid of hurting my father…_

"It was at that point," said the Philosopher, "that Yugi found out that Marik had made some 'improvements' to Joey's deck…"

"Improvements?" asked Mary.

"Very well," said Marik-Joey.

Mary watched in horror, as her father played the dreaded Raigeki, destroying Gazelle. Then he summoned Alligator's Sword, attacking Yugi's father directly!

Yugi Sr. tried to defend himself. He played Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode. But Joey attacked again by playing a Hinotama Spell Card!

Already, half of Yugi Sr.'s Life Points were gone.

"Marik _stole_ those Spell Cards!" shouted Mary. "He practically infected my father's deck, the slime!"

"Yes," muttered the Philosopher. "There was no defense for his actions. But Yugi knew he had to defend himself… and he had to save Joey."

Mary watched, as Yugi placed a card facedown, and summoned Kuriboh in Attack Mode.

"Are you playing some sort of a joke?" said Marik-Joey. "Kuriboh is weak! It only has 300 Attack Points! Why would you play it in Attack Mode? Unless you're trying to lose this duel on purpose to save your friend! All right, very well then, if losing is your goal, allow me to help you! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"I won't lose," growled Yugi Sr., "understand? I'll defeat you, and free Joey from your control!"

"Wrong," said Marik-Joey, "I'm afraid this time you're in over your head, Yugi!"

Marik ordered Alligator's Sword to attack, but then Yugi Sr. unleashed his Trap, Spellbinding Circle! Alligator's Sword was trapped.

Marik got angry.

"All right Yugi," he said. "I've had enough of your childish games. Now it's time for me to regain control of this duel! Ready? Because this worked so well before, I'll use another one! Hinotama, attack his Life Points!"

He threw another card into a slot, blasting Yugi Sr.'s Life Points down to 1,500.

"Daddy, please, fight it!" begged Mary, in tears.

"I told you," said the Philosopher. "He can't hear you. But anyway, Yugi knew at this point that he was getting nowhere…

"But then he got an idea. A risky idea, but one that might work. You see, he thought that if he dueled without Yami's help, and showed your father his true face, it might get through to him. After all, Yugi was far more of a friend to Joey than the Spirit was…"

Mary watched, as Yugi reverted to his normal state.

"Marik was furious at first," continued the Philosopher. "He wanted to defeat the Pharaoh, not some shrimp. But he got over it. After all, this made it easier now. Or so he thought…

"Because on his next draw, Yugi drew what he hoped would be his trump card in this duel…"

"The Red Eyes Black Dragon!" said Mary, as she watched Yugi Sr. draw.

"Bingo," responded the Philosopher. "Now, with two Monsters on the field, Yugi Sr. had enough Monsters to Tribute-summon the Red Eyes, but he had another idea… another way to show the card to his friend. It was again risky, but he was willing to try it…"

"I play the Spell Card… EXCHANGE!" shouted Yugi Sr., throwing a card into the slot.

"A foolish move!" laughed Marik-Joey. "Look at you! Ha! You must be desperate to play a card like that!"

He walked over.

"But if you insist, I'd be glad to take a card from your hand, little Yugi! Heh, heh, heh! Not that I need any help! Show me your pitiful cards!"

His opponent did so.

"Now which card should I take?"

He drew back in surprise!

"My Red Eyes!" gasped Joey, in his normal voice.

"As Yugi had hoped," said the Philosopher, "when Joey saw that card, his true self began to break through…"

"Well, pick your card, Marik," sighed Yugi Sr. "You can have any one you want, including the Red Eyes Black Dragon…"

"Naturally," said the Philosopher, "Marik ordered Joey to take the Red Eyes… and a conflict ensued within Joey…"

Joey's hand shook as he reached for Yugi Sr.'s hand.

"Your friend is long gone," gloated Marik-Joey, "so I'll be taking your Red Eyes Black Dragon…"

"No daddy," begged Mary, softly. "Please don't take it…"

Joey's hand started to shake even more. He held his head…

He snatched a card – Card Destruction!

"Yes daddy, you couldn't take it!" exclaimed Mary.

"Joey?" said Yugi Sr.

"No," said Marik-Joey. "I told you, Joey has gone away, and I'm here to defeat you with my arsenal of rare Spell Cards, so I don't need your Red Eyes!"

"That's what you think! Now I get to pick one of your cards, Joey!"

He took one. Mary could see that it was Magic-Arm Shield.

"I said, Joey is gone, and you're finished!" said Marik-Joey.

"We'll see about that. You can deny it all you want, but I know my best friend is in there, and I'm going to set him free, Marik!"

"You're fooling yourself!"

"I don't think so. That's why you didn't take my Red Eyes! Because the real Joey is fighting to get out, and he gave me that Red Eyes when he promised to help me defeat you, Marik!"

"And it was still Yugi Sr.'s turn," said the Philosopher. "And he thought he had the perfect way to try to shock Joey back again!"

Mary watched again, as Yugi Sr. Tributed both his Monsters, and the mighty Red Eyes Black Dragon arose!

"My… it's my Red Eyes! Yugi!" gasped Joey, again in his normal voice.

"That's right Joey!" shouted Yugi Sr. "Fight it! Look at your Red Eyes and break free! I know you remember your Red Eyes!"

"I remember…" stammered Joey. "My… Dragon…"

"Fight it, daddy!" yelled Mary again.

"So I'm going to try to blast you back to your senses Joey!" shouted Yugi. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, inferno fire blast!"

Red Eyes shot forth his mighty flames, and incinerated Alligator's Sword.

"Unfortunately," sighed the Philosopher, "it wasn't enough…"

"Sorry Yugi," gloated Marik-Joey, "your trick didn't work. I'm still in control! And now it's time! I'll wipe out the rest of your Life Points my little friend, and take what is rightfully mine!"

"But fortunately," said the Philosopher, "Yugi Sr. had another plan. Again, it was a risk, but he had to take it."

As they watched, Yugi Sr. removed the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck.

"What's he doing?" said Mary.

"Just watch," said the Philosopher.

Meanwhile, the brainwashed Joey played his third Hinotama card, blasting Yugi Sr.'s Life Points down to 1,000.

Then he summoned Rocket Warrior, and activated a Spell Card called Attrition.

Mary cringed. She knew what Attrition did, but her father never used it in his deck. It was another card that Marik had tainted his deck with.

Rocket Warrior transformed to his invincible mode and struck Red Eyes, causing Red Eyes to lose 500 Attack Points, plus another 1,500 due to the Attrition card. Red Eyes collapsed in a heap.

"That was another mistake on Marik's part," said the Philosopher. "When Joey saw his Red Eyes wounded, Marik's control started to slip again, and Yugi made his move."

"Joey, hold on," gasped Yugi Sr., going up to him. "I just want to give you something of mine…"

"What's happening to me?" gasped Joey.

He put the Millennium Puzzle around Joey's neck.

"It's my most precious possession," moaned Yugi Sr. "The Millennium Puzzle. Now a piece of me will always be with you. Take care of it Joey. It's yours now…"

"Yugi Sr. gave Joey the Puzzle as the ultimate symbol of friendship," said the Philosopher. "The most valuable thing he owned, he gave to his friend. He hoped that it would free Joey from the evil spell.

"Of course, Marik saw through his enemy's plan. And it was impossible for him to claim the Puzzle for his own if it was given as a gift – ancient laws said he'd have to win it. So he ordered his slave to hurl the Puzzle into the sea, intending to retrieve it later. At first Joey seemed ready to comply…"

As they watched, Joey removed the central piece of the Puzzle. Mary bit her lip.

"Say goodbye to your Puzzle, little Yugi!" said Marik-Joey, preparing to throw it.

"Fight it, Joey…" begged Yugi Sr.

But then, Joey started to strain again.

"Let's hit the pause button on this scene," said the Philosopher, as the action froze. "Marik didn't know it, but he had again made a fatal mistake. Did your father ever tell you how he and Yugi's father first met?"

"Um, no…" responded Mary. "In fact, every time I asked him that, he changed the subject…"

"No wonder," muttered the Philosopher. "There's a reason why he doesn't want you to know. You see, when they first met in school, Joey and Tristan were big bullies, who tormented young Yugi.

"When Yugi was assembling the Millennium Puzzle, Joey stole that central piece, and threw it into the deep end of the school pool. A cruel prank – Yugi couldn't swim back then.

"But soon after, a worse bully named Ushio decided to protect Yugi – for a price, of course. He beat Joey and Tristan until they were half dead. And to your father's surprise, Yugi stood up for them – and got hurt in the process. Joey couldn't believe that the kid whom he bullied would put himself in danger to defend him.

"So he fished that Puzzle piece out of the pool and returned it, and Yugi was able to complete the Puzzle."

"So when Marik ordered daddy to throw it into the ocean, it brought back one of the most poignant memories about the two of them of all!" gasped Mary.

"Exactly," responded the Philosopher. "And Marik's control slipped further, and further. Hit play."

"No… Yugi's my friend…" gasped Joey, falling to his knees.

He put the centerpiece back in.

"Unable to force his pawn to dispose of the Puzzle, Marik decided to stop trying," said the Philosopher. "But Marik soon regained control, and the dangerous duel continued… Yugi Sr. saw how Joey had remerged when the Dragon was wounded, so he had to get Joey to try it again…"

Yugi Sr. summoned Beta the Magnet Warrior, and set two cards facedown.

Joey drew, and summoned Panther Warrior.

"Now, Marik knew that if he attacked the Dragon, he could win," said the Philosopher, so he ordered Joey to do so…

"But Joey disobeyed…"

Before their eyes, Joey ordered Rocket Warrior to attack Beta instead. Yugi activated the Magic-Arm Shield Trap that he had gotten from the Exchange, and caught Rocket Warrior, redirecting it towards Panther Warrior! And due to the Attrition card, Panther Warrior's Attack Score went down to zero.

Then it was Yugi Sr.'s turn. He Tributed Beta for Beast of Gilfer!

"I'll save you yet, Joey!" shouted Yugi Sr.

The Fiend blasted Rocket Warrior out of existence.

But Marik continued to mock his foe through Joey's mouth. It was getting grim. There were only ten minutes left. Mary quaked in fright.

"Marik though he couldn't lose at this point," said the Philosopher. "All he had to do was stall, and when the timer ran out, he'd automatically win. Yugi knew that, and decided to make one last attempt to get through to his friend."

"Ready to lose everything?" gloated Marik-Joey.

"Come on Joey," pleaded Yugi Sr. "Don't you remember Duelist Kingdom? You've got to try…Think back… Remember how you wanted to win so you could pay for your sister's operation? Serenity was your inspiration! And thanks to you, she'll see again!"

"Ser… ren…i…ty…" muttered Joey.

"You kept your promise to her Joey!" said Yugi Sr. "And don't forget the pledge you made to me!"

"I promise…" muttered Joey.

"That's right, and you've never broken a promise!" pleaded Yugi Sr.

"Then I promise to annihilate you little Yugi!" said Marik-Joey. "So I place two cards facedown on the field, and end my turn! So just try to attack my Panther Warrior."

"Those two facedown cards are Graceful Dice and Skull Dice by the way," said the Philosopher. "Now watch…"

Marik continued to gloat, and Yugi Sr. acted. Yugi Sr. placed one card facedown, and attacked with his Beast of Gilfer, and Joey activated both cards… but then his opponent activated De-Spell, destroying the Graceful Dice. The Skull Dice still rolled, but only came up a two, not enough to save Panther Warrior.

Mary chuckled. "I guess the famous luck of the Wheelers only worked when it was truly a Wheeler dueling!" she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Indeed," said the Philosopher. "And at that moment, a team of supporters showed up to aid them. Look…"

A car screeched to a halt nearby Seto and Mokuba and four people clambered out. Mary recognized them after looking for a minute. Mai Valentine, Duke Devlin Sr., Tristan Taylor, and…

"Aunt Serenity?" she exclaimed.

"Tristan had been taking your aunt home from the hospital, only to run into a squad of Rare Hunters," said the Philosopher. "But he beat them senseless, and forced them to reveal the spot where your father was. With a little help from Duke and Mai, they got here at this moment.

"But Marik was delighted. Now all of Yugi and Joey's friends were here to witness their demise.

"And then, your father drew the worst Spell Card of all… Meteor of Destruction!"

"One more move," mocked Marik-Joey, "and you'll be gone for good while I rule the world!"

"Oh no!" gasped Mary. "That wipes out 1,000 of your opponent's Life Points!"

"Yes," said the Philosopher. "Marik was in the position to win the duel right there. But all of a sudden, Joey started to come back – on his own. Memories of his past started to spin past his mind like a kaleidoscope. Every pleasant experience he had shared with Yugi's father appeared in his mind within the span of seconds! Every victory he had achieved in dueling came to him in an instant! His mind was on fire!

"And when Marik ordered him to destroy Yugi, he collapsed!"

Joey screamed and fell to his knees.

"NO!" he hollered. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I CAN'T! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND! I WON'T DESTROY YUGI!"

"Marik!" gloated Yugi Sr., "You hide like a coward, but wherever you are, I know you can hear me, and I've got some news for you! There will be a loser in this duel, but it's not who you're thinking! It's not me, it's not Joey either! It's you, Marik! YOU will lose this duel! You may have thought you could force Joey to destroy me by taking over his mind, but it looks like there's something you didn't take into account when you made your plan – the strength of Joey's bond with his friends! Time may be running out, but Joey's back, and we're in control of this duel now! Your power over Joey has been removed, and I'd say that means you lose!"

"Yug'…" gasped Joey.

"All right!" cheered Mary.

"That timer may run out," continued Yugi Sr., "but since Joey is free, you can't be considered the winner of this duel. Get it? Since you're not dueling anymore, how could you be considered the winner of this duel?"

"But Marik had one trick left," said the Philosopher. "He used the complete energy of his Millennium Rod to take absolute control over your father!"

Mary gazed in horror as her father screamed, and the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead! He let out an evil grin, and slammed the Meteor of Destruction card into his Disk! The flaming ball of fire appeared in the sky…

"But even maximum power wasn't enough…" said the Philosopher.

Joey clutched his head.

"Yugi!" screamed Joey. "Help me please!"

The Eye of Horus shattered!

"Marik's almighty Millennium Rod had failed!" exclaimed the Philosopher. "And there was only one thing left to do…"

Yugi Sr. activated his Trap Card – Mystical Ref Panel! An angel appeared and caught the Meteor!

"Now that Mystical Ref Panel was activated," said the Philosopher, "Yugi Sr. had a choice to make. He could have let the Spell Card run it's course and lose the duel, or he could redirect it towards Joey, and win…"

"Oh my God…" gasped Mary.

"And now I have to put an end to this duel," said Yugi Sr. "But remember, we defeated Marik together, Joey!"

"Meanwhile," said the Philosopher, "Seto Kaiba had finally found a way to rescue Tea. Observe…"

Mary looked over her shoulder as a KaibaCorp helicopter with no driver flew towards the crane.

The Rare Hunter with the control tried to hit the button, but Kaiba reacted.

"Say hello to my Blue-Eyes White Dragon card!" he shouted, throwing a card from his deck. The card hit the Hunter's hand disarming him. Kaiba tackled the thug, knocking him out.

The helicopter snagged the crane, dragging both vehicles into the sea.

The rest of the spectators ran to free Tea.

"Seto Kaiba would risk his precious Blue-Eyes card like THAT?" gasped Mary in surprise. "You're right, he did redeem himself!"

"Yes," said the Philosopher. "Like I said, he always paid his debts. But I'm sure you're interested in seeing how the duel finished…"

They turned back to the arena.

"There's not much time left," said Yugi Sr. "If one of us doesn't win, we'll both be pulled under! And there's no way I'm going to let that happen Joey!"

"What are you saying Yug'?" asked Joey.

"I'm saying," said Yugi Sr., "that I've decided to save you Joey! There's no point in both of us going down. And if I lose, you're safe!"

"What? But…" gasped Joey. "I can't let you do this Yug'…"

"It's my decision," said Yugi Sr., with tears in his eyes. "So now…"

"No Yugi!"

"Take care of my Puzzle… Now it's time. Mystical Ref Panel, direct your attack towards me!"

The angel aimed the Meteor at Yugi Sr. and blasted the rest of his Life Points away. As Marik had planned, the timer on the top of the anchor turned to a thirty-second countdown. The box at Joey's feet opened, revealing a sliver key.

"YUGI!" yelled Joey.

His friend removed his Disk, and collapsed.

Mary's heart was in her mouth.

"Certainly, Yugi's father would have perished then, if your father had not remembered the second effect of Meteor of Destruction," said the Philosopher.

Mary paused...

"It let's you control an opponent's Monster for one turn!" shouted Mary.

"Exactly!" exclaimed the Philosopher.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon," yelled Joey, "attack me!"

The Red Eyes made a direct attack on Joey, depleting his Life Points. The box next to Yugi Sr. opened as well.

Joey put his Disk and the Puzzle aside, took hold of the chain and swung across, grabbing Yugi Sr.'s key an instant before the anchor dropped, and both of them were dragged under.

Mary waited with baited breath, and after about a minute, Yugi floated to the surface.

"But daddy never took his own key!" gasped Mary. "How did he survive?"

The Philosopher chuckled. "You can thank your aunt for that," he said.

Mary saw her aunt dive into the water with the key in her mouth! After a few minutes, she dragged Joey up to the surface!

"That was how this episode ended," smiled the Philosopher. "A close call, and a horrid situation, but a tremendous victory…"

The scenery melted away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Before Mary knew it, she and the Philosopher were back in the strange library.

"The Millennium Rod is a powerful artifact of ancient magic," said the Philosopher. "You know well that not even Jade's willpower was strong enough to completely break free from its power. But due to the powerful bond shared between your father and Yugi's father, they managed to defeat the magic of the Millennium Item, and defeat Marik in the process. Even a Millennium Item couldn't destroy the tie that bound them…

"And Mary, that bond between their souls that they had, it was passed down to their offspring. While the bond is not fully developed yet, you and Yugi share it as well.

"You and Yugi are soulmates in the truest sense of the term."

"You really think so?" muttered Mary, who was still somewhat shocked at what she had seen.

"I know so," said the Philosopher. "And since you are of the opposite gender, unlike your fathers, you are destined to be a couple. You could each try to find another mate, but you'd never be happy with anyone else. You would each still feel a pining in your hearts that you could never fill, and would never be truly happy.

"No matter what kindness any other woman shows to Yugi, or what kindness he shows to them, his true love will never belong to anyone but you. Do not lose him Mary.

"Remember all that has been said here tonight."

The Philosopher turned to leave.

"Wait," said Mary. "Will I ever see _you_ again?"

"Perhaps," smiled the Philosopher. "Depends on how much you're into this kind of thing."

He vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary slowly came back to awareness. Jade took hold of her, and carried her back to the surface of the cauldron.

"Well?" asked Jade. "Did you see anything?"

"Whoa," started Mary. "Where to begin…"

She paused.

"Actually," she said, "I'll tell you about it some other time, Jade. Right now, I think I'd best get some real sleep. And I'd like to see someone first."

A smile crossed Jade's face.

"Understandable," said Jade. "We have two days to relax now. Remember to be at the Stadium by four on Day 10…

"And if we must face each other in the arena as we did before, may the best duelist win…"

They shook hands.

Mary dried off, got dressed, and got back to Cosmo Queen's Castle by ten PM. But instead of going to her own suite, she carefully and quietly opened the door to Yugi's room with the spare key he had given her.

Yugi was fast asleep on his bed.

_You're so handsome when you're asleep,_ she thought, petting him on the head.

Hardly knowing why, she lay down on top of the covers next to him and put her arm over him in a gentle embrace.

_I'm sure he won't mind if I stay here for just a minute or two…_ she thought. _After what I've learned tonight, I want to be close to him even more… I want to…_

And then weariness overtook her, and she fell asleep as well.


	31. Serpentine Princess

_**My name is Persephone Amore… yes, that's my real name.**_

_**People on the dueling circuit call me the Dark Fairy Queen, but I'm certainly not feeling like royalty now.**_

_**I thought I had the perfect plan to obtain Gold Status in Duelatopia, get a rare card I desired, and humiliate a pest all in one fell swoop. I'd just ruin his reputation by spreading a false rumor, and then defeat him in a public battle, making him wager the card, and showing to everyone that whatever the son of the great King of Games could do, I could do better.**_

_**But my plan didn't work. I was the one who ended up humiliated, when he beat me and exposed me as a liar. **_

_**Now I've become a pariah, and everyone is shunning me. My only chance to get revenge on Yugi now is to get to the finals, but no one is likely to duel me. I have to take a big chance now – it's the only way.**_

_**It's going to be my biggest challenge yet. I don't even know if I even stand a chance…**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY**

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**Serpentine Princess**

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As Day Eight slowly turned into Day Nine, Clive smiled in his sleep.

He had the dream about Phoebe again, and whoever was continually sending him this dream finally allowed him to finish it. He dreamt he held Phoebe in a passionate lover's embrace…

But hundreds of miles away, on the Big Island of Hawaii, the real Phoebe was having a much less pleasant dream…

It was the kind of dream where you could not act, and you could only watch helplessly while the scene unfolded. She saw Clive running in terror through a dark cavern, as a shadowy shape pursued him.

Clive stopped to catch his breath, and sweat poured down his face.

"There you are!" exclaimed a sinister voice.

Clive looked, and a demonic harlot dressed in a trashy leather outfit stood before him.

"No!" yelled Clive. "Stay away!"

He tried to run, but he couldn't move. Phoebe watched in horror as the fiend strode up to him.

"You can't escape from me Clive," purred the creature, grabbing him by the collar.

"Besides," she said, seductively. "I know how much you really _want_ this…"

She dragged his face to hers and forced a deep kiss from him…

"NO!" yelled Phoebe. "Get away from him you slut!"

She woke up, sweating heavily…

She was in her hotel room. The ocean breeze outside caused the palm trees to sway. Her clock read two AM.

She got up and went to the window.

_What a nightmare,_ she thought. _Clive, I hope you're all right… I'd die if anything happened to you…_

Her head bowed.

_I don't want to lose you… I want to love you forever. I'd do whatever it takes…_

She shivered.

_Funny,_ she thought. _I feel like I'm being watched… must have been my imagination…_

Was it?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At four AM, Bikini Atoll time, Mary roused from her slumber…

…and was shocked to find that she was hugging Yugi.

_Oh, God,_ she thought. _I didn't mean to…_

She blushed, and then slowly got up.

_At least he didn't wake up,_ she thought, slowly making for the door. _I'll just go back to my room, and he'll be none the wiser…_

As she closed the door, Yugi slowly stirred. He came to awareness.

_Strange_ he thought, as he slowly got up. _I had the strangest feeling that someone was here… someone that I love…_

He shook his head.

_Ah, mornings,_ he thought, _they play tricks on you. Doesn't matter. After breakfast, I have a job I have to do…_

He took out the pouch that contained his side deck, and took out three cards…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Seven hours later…

Persephone was in the heart of Duelatopia, and she was nervous.

Very nervous.

Since this tournament began, she had been gathering information on the enigmatic Eliminators. Rumors had spread about these special employees of the Master of Games. The reward for defeating them was supposedly great, but she heard that the penalty for losing was dire. Rumor had it that these duelists could inflict terrible punishments on whoever tried to challenge them and failed.

Persephone had a first used this as a sadistic means of fun. She purposely tried to gather all the info she could get on every Eliminator she could hear about. She made photocopies of maps and took notes on where they could be found. And when a duelist she met irked her, she "generously" gave away this information. Yugi was not the first one she had tried this trick with, and he was far from the last.

Every time she did, she chuckled to herself at how the hapless duelist's time in Duelatopia would come to a horrifying end.

This made the current situation truly ironic. With no one willing to duel her and with her at Violet Status, there was only one way for her to gain Gold – issue a challenge to somebody who couldn't refuse.

It was all or nothing now. And she vowed that if she lost and the Eliminator claimed her as prey, she would curse Yugi with her dying breath…

She took looked at the map she had chosen at random from the ones she had… The enchanted map that Terone had given to Peter and she had fished out of the trash when Peter had thrown it away. She looked up, and the Serpent Complex Pavilion was standing above her.

_Well, best get this over with,_ she thought.

She took a deep breath and followed the map into the building, and the map led her to the elevator, just as it had Peter.

"Eighth floor, huh?" she said to the map.

She hit the up button and waited. The elevator doors opened.

She rode to the eighth floor, and walked out onto the museum level.

Persephone wandered awhile in the halls of the museum. She did like art. And being a duelist, she liked a place where art and Duel Monsters were combined.

Eventually, however, she saw a painting that depicted Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on a mountain, casting a spell on an unseen foe below. She frowned. Remembering her goal, she continued to follow the map.

"All right," she stammered. "Let's see who this 'Echidna' is…"

She followed the map, and it led her to the huge, frightening portrait of Sinister Serpent.

Persephone shuddered. She never liked snakes.

"So now what?" she asked.

Slowly, words started to appear on the map, the same verse that Peter had read.

_Only with royal gold_

_And Heart that's pure,_

_Will you find the shrine of old,_

_And the duelist's true allure._

She leafed through her deck.

_Well,_ she thought. _I saw Yugi open the door to that place with one of his Monsters… and 'royal gold'?_

She held up a card. It was her favorite card, when push came to shove: Sprite Princess.

_Worth a shot,_ she thought.

She slid the card into her disk.

A twinkling sounded in the air, and the tiny adorable form of Sprite Princess appeared, hovering in the air before her.

But she looked sad.

"Persephone," she said timidly, "please don't do this… The room beyond is a deadly place. If you lose, I may never see you again…"

Persephone was a little surprised, but she wasn't about to be turned away.

"I have to," she said. "This is my only way to get to the finals. I can take this… whatever it is…"

"So you say," said Sprite Princess sadly. "Let's hope you are right…"

The painting moved aside revealing the elevator.

"Take this to the thirteenth floor," wept Sprite Princess. "Until we meet again…"

The Fairy shed a tear and vanished. The elevator opened, and Persephone went inside. She saw the green button marked "13" and pushed it. The elevator slowly lifted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The elevator door opened, and Persephone looked around in fear.

The temple with the snaky theme surrounded her. She shivered as she walked forward, under the first archway.

_I won't let them intimidate me,_ she thought. _I won't let them intimidate me, I won't let…_

She gasped.

She saw in the large room five statues of what appeared to be five duelists turned to stone.

_No!_ she thought. _This was a mistake…_

She turned and tried to leave, but a stone door lowered, blocking the way she came.

She turned to the doorway ahead of her.

"Come in," beckoned a husky voice from within.

"Uh," muttered Persephone, "why?"

"Either come in, or stay in there and let me come get you," warned the voice. "I assure you the second option won't be pleasant."

Persephone gulped and walked through the second doorway. She looked in fear at the creepy temple around her – the snake sculptures, the flickering torches, the dark mirror…

…and the hissing noise coming from the shadows…

_Damn you, Yugi…_ she thought.

Beads of sweat started to form on Persephone's forehead, as the horrid form of Echidna arose in front of her. The snakes on her scalp writhed and slithered.

"NO!" yelled Persephone, looking away.

"My, my," purred Echidna. "You are so beautiful, Amore. Once I defeat you, I think you will make a splendid addition to my collection…"

She chuckled.

Persephone slowly looked at her.

"You…" she gulped. "You will give me a chance, won't you?"

"Of course," smiled the medusa. "I must accept all challenges, and you now have no choice but to carry though. We will duel. Defeat me, and you will leave unharmed, with a double increase to your status. Lose, and you join my other guests in the hallway you just left… let their fate foreshadow your own!"

She laughed cruelly and Persephone drew back.

"You can't be too good," chuckled Persephone, nervously. "You only have five statues…"

"I've beaten far more," hissed Echidna. "I only keep the ones who are most beautiful. Those who aren't I smash to pieces!"

Persephone gulped again.

"Don't worry," smiled Echidna. "You needn't fear that fate. I'll preserve your beauty forever!"

"Now," she continued, producing a deck of cards, "let's begin. Shuffle and load…"

"It shouldn't be too hard to defeat you," said Persephone, sounding more confident than she was.

"Oh?" smiled Echidna. "One of Yugi Mouto Jr.'s friends challenged me a while ago. He defeated me, but even so, my dueling was so impressive, that young Yugi gave me a compliment. I think that gives me an advantage…"

They finished with the shuffle and loaded their decks into their Disks.

"Now let's begin," said Echidna. "I have five good statues, and you'll make a splendid sixth!"

_I have to win…_ thought Persephone, as she stared at the creature. _I'm finished if I lose!_

"Now prepare," hissed Echidna with her eyes glowing. "It's time to duel!"

The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks snapped into position. Echidna's eyes glowed…

They made their draws.

"Since this is my domain," said Echidna, "I'll draw first…"

She drew.

"And I'll place one card facedown, and summon this creature in Defense Mode… Sinister Serpent!"

She slid a card into a slot, and it appeared in front of her. Then she placed a Monster card down, and a large, green, coiled snake with a wing-like hood appeared. It hissed menacingly. (300/250)

"And now for you to make you first move, child," said Echidna.

_That Serpent looks menacing, but it's weak,_ thought Persephone. _But that facedown card worries me…_

She drew.

_Bingo!_ she thought. _I drew Mirror Force on my first draw! Even if that facedown card is something to stop my attack, this will wipe her next Monster out!  
_

"I too will play a card facedown," responded Persephone, fitting a card into a slot. "And then I'll summon Water Omotics in Attack Mode!"

She placed the cards down; the facedown card appeared and a beautiful water Fairy dressed in a blue dress, draped in her flowing purple hair and holding a porcelain vase over her shoulders arose. She sang in a musical voice. (1,400/1,200)

"Water Omotics, drown that Serpent!" ordered Persephone.

Water Omotics thrust her vase forward, and a flow of water gushed out of it. The liquid took the shape of a dragon, and cascaded onto Sinister Serpent, washing it away.

"Good effort!" smiled Echidna. "Good, but unfortunately, pointless. You see, when Sinister Serpent is sent to the Graveyard, I can, at any one of my Standby Phases, return it to my hand. So you never know when it will show up again!"

Persephone cringed as her opponent drew.

"And now to really start things off," hissed Echidna. "I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!"

She placed a card down, and the Dark sorcerer in his bulky robe appeared brandishing his staff. (1,900/1,700)

Water Omotics drew back in fear.

_Wait, I know that Spellcaster!_ thought Persephone, shocked. _You use it somehow to special summon a real Dark Magician! Just like that bastard Yugi uses!_

She looked at her facedown card.

_Well c'mon, you robed freak, I'm ready for you!_

"And now I'll activate my facedown card," smiled Echidna, hitting her Disk. "Dust Tornado!"

"WHAT?" shouted Persephone, as the card lifted.

Winds whipped across the field, and Persephone's Mirror Force was blown to bits!

"The Master didn't hire me because I was stupid," grinned Echidna. "Now go, my Skilled Dark Magician, annihilate Water Omotics!"

Skilled Dark Magician cast forth his black magic; Water Omotics screamed and burst into a splatter of liquid.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 7,500.

"Lucky," sneered Persephone. "But I can still destroy your Magician…"

"It's still my turn," replied Echidna. "And I'm going to make that harder…"

She fit a Spell Card into the slot.

"I play Messenger of Peace!"

Just as it happened with Peter, the robed holy man appeared on her side of the field.

"I see you are confused," said Echidna. "I have to pay 100 Life Points during every Standby Phase that I intend to use Messenger of Peace, but while it is active, all Monsters with more than 1,500 Attack Points are forbidden to attack!

"What's more, since I just played a Spell Card, it lets my Skilled Dark Magician store the power…"

Skilled Dark Magician's staff turned from steel to copper.

"And it's your turn."

_Nuts,_ thought Persephone. _I'd better watch what cards I play…_

She drew.

"Shining Abyss, in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She put the card down, and a strange, colorful Fairy that seemed to be part mechanical appeared in a flash of light. (1,600/1,800)

"I may not be able to attack, but neither can you," mocked Persephone. "So it's your turn."

Echidna drew. Her Life Points went down to 7,900.

"I'll use my Pot of Greed," she said, placing a card in a slot, "which will power up my Magician even more!"

The Skilled Dark Magician's staff changed to silver as the smiling jar appeared. Echidna drew two cards.

"And as for me not being able to attack," she said, placing a Monster card down, "meet Jinzo #7, in Attack Mode!"

The man-sized, cybernetic android appeared, bearing its fists. (500/400)

_What good will that do…?_ thought Persephone.

"Jinzo #7," said Echidna, "attack her directly!"

Jinzo #7 raced past Shining Abyss and socked Persephone in the face! She fell over, and her Life Points fell to 7,000.

"What?" she gasped. "But I had a Monster on the field!"

"Jinzo #7 doesn't care about such things!" laughed Echidna. "And it's your move."

Persephone was truly getting nervous now. She drew.

"Spirit of the Harp, in Defense Mode," she stuttered, putting a card down.

Spirit of the Harp appeared by her instrument, and her lovely music filled the temple. (800/2,000)

"Touching," smiled Echidna, drawing. Her Life Points went down to 7,800.

"I'll place one card facedown…" she said.

She placed the card down, and it appeared behind Skilled Dark Magician.

"Now," she said, placing a Monster Card down, "you remember Sinister Serpent, don't you?"

Sinister Serpent reappeared, again in Defense Mode. (300/250)

"Now, Jinzo #7, attack her again!"

Jinzo #7 charged forward, socking Persephone in the face again! She fell over on her rump. Her Life Points were reduced to 6,500.

Persephone felt her nose, which seemed to be bleeding.

_Curses,_ she thought, drawing. _I have to… hey…_

"First," she said, "I'll summon Bio-Mage in Attack Mode!"

The mysterious fairy with her foil wings and lavender spandex suit appeared. (1,150/1,000)

"Bio-Mage, attack Jinzo #7 with bio-fairy blast!" shouted Persephone.

A ball of dark energy appeared in Bio-Mage's hands and she hurled it forward, blowing Jinzo #7 away. Echidna's Life Points fell to 7,150.

"And now," yelled Persephone, "I'm going to destroy your Skilled Dark Magician with THIS!"

She held up a Spell Card.

"Smashing Ground?" laughed Echidna.

"That's right," said Persephone, with a smile. "This Spell Card destroys the opposing Monster with the highest Defense, and that would be your Skilled Dark Magician!"

She plugged the card into the slot, and the ground started to rumble…

"I hate to disappoint your plans," smiled Echidna, "but I can stop your Spell Card dead in its tracks!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"What? A Trap?" gasped Persephone. "What is it?"

"Activate Mystical Ref Panel!" shouted Echidna with a laugh.

A thin, robed angel holding a crystal ball flew out of the card. Red energy formed in the crystal, and the rumbling stopped.

"My Mystical Ref Panel can absorb the effect of a Spell Card and send it towards another target," laughed Echidna. "Since Smashing Ground targets my entire side, I can now send it to target your side, and destroy YOUR Monster with the highest Defense!"

"No, my Spirit of the Harp!" yelled Persephone.

Mystical Ref Panel released the energy, and an earthquake shook Persephone's side of the field. Spirit of the Harp screamed and was buried in an avalanche, her harp falling into broken pieces.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 6,000.

"Ugh," said Persephone. "I end my turn."

"Good," smiled Echidna. "Because your attempt to destroy Skilled Dark Magician just made him stronger!"

Skilled Dark Magician's staff was glowing golden now.

"Now, I draw," hissed Echidna, drawing, "and I deactivate the effects of my Messenger of Peace!"

Messenger of Peace vanished.

"And now, I can Tribute my skilled Dark Magician to special summon the genuine article!" she cackled. "Arise, Dark Magician!"

Skilled Dark Magician vanished, and in his place rose the real Dark Magician! He glared menacingly at Persephone and her two Fairies. (2,500/2,100)

"And since that was a special summon," continued Echidna. "I'll Tribute my Sinister Serpent to bring forth Dark Magician's old college… Chaos Command Magician!"

Sinister Serpent vanished, and in his place, the Spellcaster with robes of sharper design arose. (2,400/1,900)

The two sorcerers aimed their staffs at Persephone's side, as the snakes on Echidna's scalp hissed excitedly.

"Go my sorcerers!" she commanded. "Destroy her worthless Fairies!"

Dark Magician shot forth his dark spell and shattered Shining Abyss. Chaos Command Magician blasted forth his multicolored beam and struck Bio-Mage, reducing her to ash. Persephone's Life Points took a dive to 3,850.

"Your move, little girl," dared Echidna. "But as you can see, it's looking bleak…"

Persephone shakily drew.

_Hey,_ she said. _I've got Aura of the Archlords here…_

She looked at her hand.

_And I've got just the right cards to fool this snake just like I did Yugi! Think I can make a comeback…_

"I place one card facedown," she said, putting the card facedown.

It appeared on her side.

"And I summon Dancing Elf in Defense Mode,"

She put the card down, and a delicate elf in a gossamer gown appeared, dancing in a breeze. (300/200)

"Do you really think a Monster that pathetic can help you?" snickered Echidna.

"I do," said Persephone. "I'm Equipping Dancing Elf with R.S.V.P.!"

She fit another card into a slot, and the golden amulet appeared around Dancing Elf's neck.

"Now," smiled Persephone, "so long as R.S.V.P. is in place, you can't attack Dancing Elf unless you do so with the Monster I choose, and I choose your Dark Magician!

"I end my turn."

Echidna drew.

She chuckled.

"Sorry, child, but it doesn't work that way," she hissed. "My Dark Magician has ways around such an obvious Trap…"

"Huh?" said Persephone.

"I play the Spell Card know as… Dark Magic Attack!" said Echidna, throwing a card into a slot.

Dark Magician cast a mighty spell. Persephone's facedown card and the R.S.V.P. shattered!

"NO!" shouted Persephone.

"Dark Magic Attack lets Dark Magician destroy all Trap and Spell Cards on the opponent's side of the field," snarled Echidna, "so I think I just nipped your little plan in the bud!

"Chaos Command Magician, attack Dancing Elf with chaos blast!"

Chaos Command Magician shot forth his rainbow-colored stream. Dancing Elf let out a cry before she was vaporized.

"Now my Dark Magician…" commanded Echidna.

Persephone sweated as Dark Magician gazed into her eyes.

"Attack her directly! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"

Persephone screamed bloody murder as Dark Magician struck her with his powerful spell. She fell to her knees, with her costume burnt. Her Life Points had fallen to 1,350.

"Why not just make a peaceful surrender, child?" purred Echidna. "I do prefer it when a victim is willing to pose for me…"

"Never…" growled Persephone, drawing.

She looked at the card.

"I play my Card of Sanctity," she said. "Which lets us both draw until we have six cards."

"As you wish," said Echidna.

They both made their draws.

"Okay," said Persephone. "First, one card facedown."

She fit the card, and it appeared in front of her.

"Now I play… Scapegoat!" she said.

She threw another card into the slot, and four colorful sheep appeared in front of her.

"You're giving up hope, Persephone and you can't hide it," said Echidna. "Look at you, cowering behind a wall of Scapegoats!"

"Actually, I intend to use these Scapegoats for a _different_ purpose, gruesome!" said Persephone. "I also summon Hysteric Fairy in Defense Mode!"

The Fairy in a blue suit with spectacles appeared; she knelt and folded her large, feathered wings. (1,800/500)

"Hysteric Fairy can sacrifice two Monsters, and heal me of 1,000 Life Points," said Persephone. "So now I can sacrifice all _four_ Scapegoats and get back 2,000 Life Points!"

Hysteric Fairy waved her arm and absorbed the Scapegoats. She gestured towards Persephone, and she glowed, as her Life Points went up to 3,350.

"Feels good!" smiled Persephone.

"Feels good, you say," said Echidna. "Well, what he gave you, I will take away! Is that your turn?"

"Yeah…" said Persephone.

Echidna drew.

"Then, Chaos Command Magician," she ordered, "destroy Hysteric Fairy!"

Chaos Command Magician aimed.

"If you think I'm letting your Dark Magician attack me again, you're nuts!" shouted Persephone. "Activate Trap!"

As the sorcerer aimed, her facedown card lifted, and the Waboku priestesses sprang up to block the attack.

"Very well," laughed Echidna. "I'll just have to savor my victory for later. And I'll end my turn by summoning the creature who just hates to say goodbye, Sinister Serpent, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and Sinister Serpent appeared for a third time. (300/250)

Persephone drew.

_Oh yeah,_ she said, smiling.

She added it to her hand.

"I'm taking you down, ugly," she said. "First, I'm switching Hysteric Fairy into Attack Mode!"

Hysteric Fairy rose up to attack position.

"Then," she continued, "I'm summoning Dunames Dark Witch, also in Attack Mode!"

She put another card down, and the beautiful Fairy in the red dress with metallic feathered wings appeared. (1,800/1,050)

_What is she up to?_ thought Echidna.

"And now I play a Spell Card," said Persephone, "Pixie Dust!"

She threw the card into a slot, and her two Fairies blew sparkling dust all over the field. Dark Magician and Chaos Command Magician started to cough, and Sinister Serpent hissed.

"This Spell Card reduces the Attack Score of all non-Fairies currently on the Field by 800 points!" said Persephone. "And now your Spellcasters are easy prey!"

Dark Magician's Attack Score fell to 1,700, Chaos Command Magician's fell to 1,600, and Sinister Serpent's fell to zero. Echidna drew back in surprise.

"Dunames Dark Witch," ordered Persephone, "attack Dark Magician with shadow flux!"

Dunames Dark Witch formed a ball of dark energy and hurled it at Dark Magician. He cringed and shattered.

"Hysteric Fairy, attack Chaos Command Magician with hysteric blast!" she shouted.

Hysteric Fairy formed a crackling ball of light in her hands, and she threw it forward; it consumed Chaos Command Magician!

Echidna's Life Points fell to 6,850.

"And I'll end my turn, by laying one card facedown," said Persephone with a smile.

She placed the card, and it appeared behind her Monsters.

"It's your move, snake," she smiled.

Echidna drew.

"Hold on, coily," smiled Persephone, "before you make a move, I'd like to active the facedown card…"

"A Trap?" said Echidna, in surprise. "What?"

The card lifted, showing the image of a bespectacled scientist in a cramped old study.

"It's called Fruits of Kozaky's Study," explained Persephone, reaching for her deck. "I get to see the top three cards in my deck, and rearrange them any way I choose."

She looked at the three cards, made an adjustment, and put them back.

Echidna grinned. Her fangs showed prominently.

"You duel well, Persephone," smiled Echidna. "But I have far more tricks in store for you…"

She put a card down.

"I'll Tribute my Sinister Serpent for Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!"

The Serpent vanished, and a magical circle appeared on the floor. Dark Magician Girl spun out of it and smiled at Persephone. (2,000/1,700)

_No!_ yelled Persephone in her mind. _Not THAT tramp again!_

"And due to the fact that you sent my Dark Magician to the Graveyard," said Echidna, "she becomes stronger!"

Dark Magician Girl's Attack Score went up to 2,300.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Hysteric Fairy!" she laughed.

Dark Magician Girl spun around and fired, blowing Hysteric Fairy away.

"Hmph!" said Dark Magician Girl.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 2,850.

"And I end my turn," grinned Echidna.

_And next round comes my ultimate surprise,_ she thought to herself, looking at her hand.

Persephone started to get truly scared. She wiped the sweat from her brow and drew. "I'll… I'll play Pot of Greed…" she said, putting the card into the slot.

She made two draws, knowing already what they were.

"And I'll summon Watapon in Defense Mode…" she said.

She put the card down, and a tiny, spherical creature covered with pink fur appeared. (200/100)

"Since I drew Watapon using Pot of Greed," she said, "that counts as a special summon, so I also summon Pixie Knight in Defense Mode…"

She put another card down, and an adorable Fairy girl in a blue witch's costume appeared, shyly hiding behind her gossamer wings. (1,300/200)

"Then I'll shift Dunames Dark Witch into Defense Mode and end my turn," she said.

Dunames Dark Witch folded her wings and knelt in defense.

Echidna grinned as she drew.

"A wise move, child," she purred. "For someone named after the Queen of the Underworld, you aren't very intimidating – quite timid actually. Your tendency to play it safe and think with your heart is your downfall. Dark Magician Girl, destroy Dunames Dark Witch!"

Dark Magician Girl spun her scepter and fired, obliterating Dunames Dark Witch.

"Now, I'll summon someone you might not have expected," said Echidna, laying a card down. "Dryad, in Attack Mode!"

A tall lithe form appeared on the field. It was a young girl with flowing blonde hair, dressed in a green and white priestess's robe and a green headdress with a star on it. (1,200/1,400)

Dark Magician Girl seemed delighted.

Persephone frowned in wonder. "But she's a not a Dark Monster…" she said. "She doesn't fit your deck at all! And she has no effect to my knowledge. . ."

Echidna smiled and her tail curled up into a coil.

"Let me tell you a tale that most sages have lost to the annals of time," she started. "Not many people know this, but Dryad is the slightly younger sister of Dark Magician Girl. When both girls were young, they were tough, but both were as different as night and day, literally. Dark Magician Girl was a bit of a tomboy, pretty tough, and preferred the way of the warrior and alchemist. She went under the tutorage of a local alchemist, and was later trained in the secrets of dark magic by her famous master. Dryad, on the other hand, was a lot more spiritual and more at one with nature. She preferred a quiet and peaceful life of prayer and healing. And so the two separated and continued their training and praying apart."

Echidna picked a card from her hand.

"However, a great battle occurred between the sisters' hometown and a neighboring town. Blood was shed, lives were lost. The sisters' village was almost under the control of the other town when both sisters came back. Both knew they had to act…"

Persephone sighed. "Is this story relevant to our duel? Finish your turn already!"

Echidna laughed, and threw the card onto her disk. "In their time of need, the sisters combined to form an entirely new warrior… Go Polymerization!" 

The Spell Card showed itself. Dryad and the Dark Magician Girl nodded and walked towards one another, and a bright light ensued, obscuring their vision. When the light died down, a most impressive sight was to be found. A beautiful woman with long flowing blonde hair was on the field. She was wearing a light gray dress, a witch's hat of the same color, and held two theatrical masks in each hand. One mask was black, and had the classic down-turned mouth expression of a Mask of Tragedy. The other mask was white and had the classic upturned face expression on it of a Mask of Comedy. (2400/2400)

"Presenting, **SORCERESS OF CONFLICT**!" shouted Echidna. 

"What the…?" said Persephone, in fear.

"Allow me to explain," continued Echidna. "Spellcasters are a funny type of creature; most are divided into two clear-cut divisions – Light and Dark. Spellcasters either use the destructive power of dark magic or the healing power of light magic – there is no gray area. However the exception in this rule is Sorceress of Conflict. While she is known as a Dark Monster for dueling purposes, she can be treated as a Light Monster as well. And that's not all…"

"Wait!" stuttered Persephone. "Don't tell me, I'll find out on my own."

Echidna shook her head. "I'm afraid you won't have a chance to find out, because her special effect comes into, well, effect right now. You see, both of the sisters have a major skill, the Dark Magician Girl is skilled in offensive moves, and Dryad is more skilled in defensive abilities."

"But what is her special ability?" asked Persephone, a strain evident on her pale face.

"At the end of my turn, on every turn, I have a decision to make. I can either raise my life points by 700, or I can bring yours down by the same amount!"

"That's insane!" cried Persephone. "With such a high Attack and special ability, I could be wiped out in three turns!"

Echidna nodded knowingly. "That's why I'm an Eliminator, and you're not, child. A double upgrade on your gem doesn't come easily. And now for my Sorceress to use her ability – I choose to bring your Life Points down! Sorceress of Conflict, mask of darkness!"

The Sorceress of Conflict raised the black theatrical mask to her face, and a burst of dark magic flew out and struck Persephone in the chest! She stumbled back, and her life points tumbled to 2,150. Echidna laughed out loud, as her snakes hissed in delight. 

"And I end my turn," smiled Echidna.

Persephone gasped as she struggled to catch her breath. She drew.

_This card is powerful,_ she said, looking at it, _but it's worthless without two other cards!_

"I pass," she said, "I can't do anything else…"

Echidna drew.

"In that case," smiled the Eliminator, putting a card down, "meet my wicked Witch's Apprentice!"

A cackle erupted on the field, and a sorceress in a blue robe and cap with white feathered wings, holding a broom appeared on the field. (550/500)

"Witch's Apprentice raises the Attack of all Dark Monsters on the field by 500 points," said Echidna, "so Sorceress of Conflict's score goes up to 2,900!"

Sorceress of Conflict's Attack went up, while Witch's Apprentice's score went up to 1,050.

"She also brings the attack of Light Monsters down by 400," smiled Persephone, trying to sound smart, "and since Sorceress of Conflict is also a Light Monster, she'll lose most of that benefit!"

"Poor, poor, little confused duelist," scolded Echidna. "When faced with a situation where one of her Attributes benefits and the other suffers, Sorceress of Conflict _always_ gets only the benefit!"

Persephone looked. It was true – the Spellcaster's score didn't go down.

"But _your_ two Monsters won't be so lucky," said Echidna. "Of course, since they're in Defense Mode, it hardly matters…"

Pixie Knight's Attack Score went down to 800, and Watapon's went down to zero.

"Sorceress of Conflict, wipe out Pixie Knight with double-magic attack!" cackled Echidna.

Sorceress of Conflict raised the two masks to her face and shot forth a twisting black and white beam. Pixie Knight fell over and vanished.

"Witch's Apprentice, destroy Watapon with dark witchcraft!" she ordered.

Witch's Apprentice thrust forth her broom and cast a spell, eradicating the tiny Fairy.

"And before I end my turn," said Echidna, "Sorceress of Conflict, use your mask of darkness on her again!"

Sorceress of Conflict lifted the Mask of Tragedy to her face and blasted dark energy at Persephone again. She fell over, and her Life Points fell to 1,450.

"Fine," said Persephone, getting up. "But here's something for you to consider. Since you sent Pixie Knight to the Card Graveyard, you activated her special effect…"

"Oh?" said Echidna, offhand.

Persephone pointed to her.

"I get to retrieve a Spell Card from my Graveyard and place it at the top of my deck," she demanded, "and YOU have to choose which one!"

"I see," said Echidna, rubbing her chin.

"So snake," asked Persephone, "what's it gonna be?"

"Well," muttered Echidna, "If it's my choice, I choose the one that benefits us both, Card of Sanctity."

Persephone's discard pile became accessible, and she leafed through it. She got the card she needed and put it on top of her deck. A formality to be sure, because she was going to draw in a second.

She made the draw.

"Since I needed this anyway," she said, "I'll use it…"

She threw Card of Sanctity into the slot, and they both made their draws.

_Yes!_ thought Persephone.

She tapped her Disk, and her Field slot opened.

"I play my Field Spell Card, The Sanctuary in the Sky!" she exclaimed, sliding a card into it.

The décor of the temple changed dramatically. Persephone and Echidna were now standing amid the clouds of a heavenly realm. Ancient palaces floating on clouds drifted by in the distance around them. The air smelled of saffron and incense.

"Let me explain," smiled Persephone. "So long as The Sanctuary in the Sky is active, no Fairy Monster may be attacked. It's like having a continuous Waboku in effect so long as I have a Fairy on the field!"

Echidna hissed.

"And now," exclaimed Persephone, "I'll summon Zolga, in Attack Mode!"

She placed the card down, and a strange Fairy appeared. He wore a flowing purple cloak with a large, sharp, silver collar, and wore a crested metal helmet and faceplate. (1,700/1,200)

"Zolga," shouted Persephone, "attack Witch's Apprentice with cloak of destruction!"

Zolga's robe undulated, and a blast of wind shot forth. Witch's Apprentice strained and sweated under the impact, but eventually she succumbed and burst. Echidna's Life Points fell to 6,200.

"Your move now," said Persephone, still somewhat nervous.

Echidna drew.

_I can't destroy her Field Card yet,_ she thought, _but even if I can't, in three turns, I'll win anyway…_

"I'll summon my second Skilled Dark Magician to the field, in Attack Mode," she said, placing a card down.

A second Magician like the one she summoned before arose. (1,900/1,700)

"And I may not be able to attack your Fairy," she continued, "but Sorceress of Conflict can still attack _you!_ Sorceress of Conflict, mask of darkness!"

The Sorceress lifted the dark mask to her face and blasted Persephone with dark magic for the _third_ time! Persephone fell over, her Life Points sinking to 750.

"In just two more turns," gloated Echidna, "it will all be over… But take heart; like I said, you'll be the prized piece of my collection!"

Persephone drew.

"I don't think so…" she said.

"I Tribute Zolga for Doma the Angel of Silence!" she said, putting a card down.

Zolga vanished, and the frightening form of Doma arose. (1,600/1,400)

"WHAT?" gasped Echidna. "You Tributed a Monster for a weaker one?"

"I used good strategy, Echidna," replied Persephone. "You see, when I use Zolga as a Tribute, my Life Points are increased by 2,000 points! So it was worth exchanging it for a slightly weaker Monster!"

Persephone's Life Points went up to 2,750.

"And that's not all," said Persephone. "Soon your Dark sorcerers will fall!"

Echidna drew.

"I summon The Snake Hair in Attack Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and a medusa in a red dress appeared. Laughter appeared over the field. (1,500/1,200)

"Now I'll…" she started.

She paused.

_She's planning something,_ she thought. _Something big… I don't like it…_

"Sorceress of Conflict," she said. "Use mask of light!"

Sorceress of Conflict turned to her master and held the white Mask of Comedy to her face. White energy flowed from it, and Echidna's body glowed. Her Life Points went up to 6,900.

"You're running scared!" said Persephone with a smile.

"No," hissed Echidna. "I'm just being preparing ahead."

Persephone drew. _Yeah, right,_ she thought.

She looked at the card.

_Finally!_ she said.

"Well, prepare for THIS!" she shouted, throwing the card down. "Warrior of Zera, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the same Warrior that Echidna had given Peter along with Mazera DeVille materialized. (1,600/1,600)

"Huh?" gasped Echidna. "NO!"

"I take it from the look on your scaly face that you know what this guy can do when The Sanctuary in the Sky is active!" gloated Persephone. "I can instantly Tribute him to bring forth one of the most powerful Fairies in existence…"

She took another card from her hand.

"I summon **ARCHLORD ZERATO**!"

She put the card down, and a nimbus of light surrounded Warrior of Zera. He changed, his armor and helmet turning a splendid silver, along with a blue wrap and an orange scarf over his mouth and over his shoulders. Two glorious feathered wings appeared on his back, and a glowing sword appeared in his hand. A splendid aura of light appeared around him. (2,800/2,300)

Echidna drew back.

"What's more," said Persephone. "Archlord Zerato has a potent effect. I can discard one Light Monster from my hand, like this one, Absorbing Kid From The Sky…"

She discarded the card.

"And in return…"

Archlord Zerato waved his hand, and burning light struck from above! Sorceress of Conflict, Skilled Dark Magician, and The Snake Hair screamed…

"All your Monsters are toast!" laughed Persephone.

The two Spellcasters and the Zombie were incinerated by the light. Echidna's Life Points went down to 5,450.

"Now to hit you where it hurts!" smiled Persephone. "Doma, attack that creep directly with scythe of silence!"

Doma floated up to Echidna and slashed at her! Echidna hollered.

"Now go Archlord Zerato!" yelled Persephone. "Attack with holy smite of Heaven!"

Archlord Zerato flew forward, and stabbed his sword into Echidna's torso! She screamed again and collapsed.

Her Life Points were now at 1,050.

"Who's beating who now?" smiled Persephone, confident for the first time.

Black blood seeped from Echidna's wounds. She struggled to get up.

_Such… power!_ she thought. _But I'm not beaten yet…_

She drew. She chuckled.

"I underestimated your deck capacity, child," grinned Echidna, "but I'll still win. You can restore your Life Points, but I can as well. I summon The Pale Horseman, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and a figure appeared on her side. It was an equestrian astride a pure white horse, himself dressed in black, with a hood that hid his face. (500/2,000)

"When played at the right time of a duel," continued Echidna, "this Spellcaster's effect is incredible. When summoned, he heals me of 400 Life Points for every Dark Monster in my Graveyard – and in case you lost count, there are eight!"

Echidna's Life Points shot up to 4,250.

"I'll soon take them down a peg," said Persephone, drawing.

_Hmm,_ she thought. _This gal isn't Light, so I can't activate Zerato's effect again, but her effect could help me win…_

"I summon Command Angel, in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Persephone, placing a card down.

The most unlikely Fairy of all appeared next to her other two. She was dressed like a Green Beret (complete with blacking under the eyes), had blonde hair in a ponytail, large feathered wings, and carried a golden machine gun. (1,200/1,900)

"Command Angel serves as an inspiration to all Fairies," said Persephone. "When she's on the field, all of my Fairies have their Attack score raised by 400 points!"

Archlord Zerato's Attack Score went up to 3,200, Doma's went up to 2,000, and Command Angel herself was boosted up to 1,600.

"Archlord Zerato, attack The Pale Horseman!" shouted Persephone.

Zerato flew forth and swung his sword, reducing The Horseman into dust.

"Doma, attack her directly again!" yelled Persephone.

Doma flew forward and slashed at Echidna again!

"Command Angel, your turn!" laughed Persephone.

Command Angel raised her weapon and fired a round of golden shells into Echidna! The medusa shrieked and fell over.

Her Life Points had been reduced to 650.

"One more round, and it's all over!" laughed Persephone.

"We'll see," hissed Echidna, getting up.

She drew.

"I play Card Destruction!" she exclaimed, throwing the card into a slot.

"Both of us will have to fold our hands and draw new ones…"

"I know…" groaned Persephone, discarding her hand.

They made their draws.

Echidna chuckled.

_I… think she got a good card…_ thought Persephone. _Or two…_

"Watch," laughed Echidna. "I'll first play Monster Reborn, to bring back Dark Magician Girl!"

She put the card down, and Dark Magician Girl reappeared on the ankh. (2,000/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700)

"Why did you do THAT?" asked Persephone, puzzled. "You could have hurt me if you brought back Sorceress of Conflict!"

"I'm far from done child," said Echidna. "Now I play Sage's Stone!"

She put a second Spell Card into the slot, and a sparkling gem appeared over Dark Magician Girl's hand.

"With Sage's Stone, Dark Magician Girl can summon her powerful master to the field," said Echidna, "so I can summon from my deck my second Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt in delight as Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)

"Yeah, well, you still can't attack me…" said Persephone.

"Can to!" laughed Echidna. "Because I have a third Spell Card – another Dark Magic Attack!"

She threw the card into a slot, and Dark Magician cast forth his mighty spell, erasing The Sanctuary in the Sky! Echidna's temple returned.

"And now for my big surprise," said Echidna, taking the last card in her hand. "I Tribute both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl to summon the most powerful Spellcaster in Duel Monsters…"

She placed the card down and the two Spellcasters vanished. In their place arose another form. He looked like Dark Magician, only darker, and wore fancier raiment and carried a more exotic staff.

"Say hello to _**Sorcerer of Dark Magic**_!" exclaimed Echidna.

(3,200/2,800)

"Good lord, his scores are off the charts!" gasped Persephone.

"I hate to tell you dear," said Persephone, "but in all the time I have dueled, no one has _ever_ defeated my Sorcerer of Dark Magic. He'll take out your Fairies one by one. Sorcerer of Dark Magic, attack Command Angel with celestial blast!"

Sorcerer of Dark Magic aimed his staff and cast a mighty spell at the Fairy soldier. She fell to her knees and screamed before being blown to bits.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 1,100, and the Attack Scores of Zerato and Doma returned to their original levels.

"Time to make your move, dear," laughed Echidna, as her snakes started to hiss again.

Persephone looked at her hand.

_The only Fairies I have in my hand are Keldo and Agido,_ she thought. _They're both Earth Monsters, so they can't be used to activate Zerato's effect…_

She drew.

Raigeki Break.

_But I do have this!_ she thought.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, fitting it into the slot.

The facedown card appeared.

"And I'll switch Zerato and Doma into Defense Mode."

The two Fairies knelt and folded their wings.

"It's your move."

_C'mon you costumed clown!_ she thought. _I have a Trap all ready for you!_

Echidna drew.

"Sorcerer of Dark Magic," laughed Echidna, "attack Archlord Zerato!"

Sorcerer of Dark Magic aimed.

"Surprise!" shouted Persephone. "Activate Raigeki Break!"

The card lifted.

"Now your Sorcerer is…"

Then Sorcerer of Dark Magic aimed his staff at the Trap Card and blasted it to pieces!

"HUH?" gasped Persephone.

"Oh, did I forget to mention Sorcerer of Dark Magic's special effect?" said Echidna with an evil smile. "He can negate the effect of any Trap used against him and destroy it!"

Sweat started to pour down Persephone's face again.

"Now where were we?" laughed Echidna. "Oh yes, your Archlord was about to die!"

Sorcerer of Dark Magic aimed his staff again, and obliterated Archlord Zerato.

Persephone shivered in fear. She looked at the medusa in front of her. Only Doma was standing between her and defeat…

She drew.

_Worthless!_ she thought in disgust.

"I pass this turn," she said.

Echidna cackled as she drew.

"Destroy her last line of defense, my Sorcerer!" she shouted.

Sorcerer of Dark Magic aimed and blew Doma the Angel of Silence away.

_Now what?_ thought Persephone. _If I summon Keldo I'll just help her out, Agido and it will be just a matter of luck… There's only one card in my deck that can save me now. Come on deck…_

She drew. She looked at the card.

"Well Echidna," she smiled. "It has been a good duel. But while you may have the most powerful Spellcaster in the game, I'm about to summon the most powerful Fairy in the game! And I'm going to do it with this card…"

She held it up.

"A Ritual Card?" mused Echidna.

"A powerful Ritual called Shinato's Ark," said Persephone, fitting it into a slot. "This card is so rare, most Fairy duelists can only dream of owning it. In fact, I had to win it by winning a tournament!"

A huge, mystical boat with arcane runes on its glowing sails appeared on her side of the field.

"And to activate its holy power," continued Persephone, "I sacrifice Agido and Keldo from my hand…"

She put two cards down, and a strange Fairy wearing green and silver metallic armor and stranger one resembling an orange ovoid with a single eye appeared. They flew into the Ark and it glowed with celestial light…

"To summon the lord of all Fairies, _**Shinato, King of a Higher Plane**_!"

The Ark vanished, and a huge form descended amid glorious light. He was clothed in silver clothing and a cape with gold trim, a golden crown, and had six golden wings! His eyes were pools of golden light. (3,300/3,000)

Echidna drew back in surprise!

"Shinato," shouted Persephone. "Attack that Sorcerer with Divine Ring!"

Shinato stretched forth his hands and six blue orbs bearing Kanji symbols appeared! They spun around and flew towards his foe! Sorcerer of Dark Magic groaned, and was blasted to atoms.

Echidna's Life Points were reduced to 550.

"Now it's your move again, snake," grinned Echidna.

Echidna drew, and now she was the one who was scared.

_I still have one trick that could help,_ she thought_. If I can stall until I draw my Change of Heart card, I'll be able to blast her with her own Monster!_

"I summon The Illusory Gentleman in Defense Mode!" she yelled, putting a card down.

A tall Spellcaster dressed in a colorful orange costume and cape with one eye appeared, and shielded himself with his cape. (1,500/1,600)

Persephone smiled. "You lose Echidna," she grinned.

"What?" gasped the Eliminator.

"Whenever Shinato destroys a Monster in Defense Mode," grinned Persephone, "the owner loses Life Points equal to the destroyed Monster's Attack Score. He's sort of like Spear Dragon or Mad Sword Beast, only much better! And handsomer. Now Shinato, destroy that freak and the rest of her Life Points!"

Shinato cast forth his Divine Ring, and The Illusory Gentleman was eradicated. Echidna's Life Points fell to zero.

The snakes on the Eliminator's scalp hissed with rage… and then calmed down.

"I'm beaten…" she moaned, as Shinato vanished in a twinkling. "I gave it my best…"

She paused.

"Very well child," she continued, "via the rules I am bound by, your status is upgraded from Violet to Gold…"

She raised her hand, and the gem on Persephone's Disk changed luster back to Silver and then to Gold.

"You are now guaranteed a spot in the finals," said Echidna. "I wish you luck…"

"Yeah," sighed Persephone, "and there's one guy I can't wait to beat! Now if you don't mind, I'll be leaving…"

"Persephone," said Echidna, turning to her mirror, "don't forget your prize…"

"Prize?" asked Persephone.

"A double-upgrade on your disk isn't the only thing one gets for defeating an Eliminator. I have just the reward to go into your deck… These two cards are also quite rare – most duelists don't even own one. But when you have _both,_ they make a powerful combo."

She reached into her mirror and pulled out two cards.

"Most Fairies are creatures of Light, but some hold dominion over the Dark as well, and the two rulers of Dark Fairies can make an impressive team…"

She handed Persephone the two cards. One was an Effect Monster with high Defense called "Lady Titania". The other was a normal Monster with high Attack called "Lord Oberon."

"As you can see from the descriptions," said Echidna, "these cards work best if you manage to draw Lady Titania first."

"Indeed," smiled Persephone. "I can't wait to try them out…"

"Farewell, child," said Echidna. "And best of luck…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile…

In another part of Duelatopia, another duel was in progress. One of the duelists was a young boy named Sebastian.

The other was "Nasty" Kanasta.

Kanasta's score stood at 2,000, and he had Pendulum Machine and one facedown card on the field. Sebastian's side was clear, but he was in the lead with 5,500 Life Points.

"You're going down, Kanasta!" yelled Sebastian, drawing. "You think your battle-bots can beat me?"

"Depends on a lot of things," chuckled Kanasta, "like how much of a jerk you really are!"

"Ooh," said Sebastian drawing. "Take this! Gagagigo, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the tall lizard man appeared.

"Attack!" shouted Sebastian.

Gagagigo leapt forward and crushed Pendulum Machine, reducing Kanasta's Life Points to 1,900.

"Your move," he said.

Kanasta drew.

"Since my hand isn't to impressive," he said, "I'll play my Spell Card Full House, which lets me draw until I have a full hand of six cards…"

He played the card, and made three draws.

"Now I reveal my Ultimate Offering Trap Card!" he exclaimed, as his facedown card lifted. "That means…"

"I know what it means!" yelled Sebastian. "You can make as many extra summons as you want for 500 Life Points apiece."

"Precisely," said Kanasta. "So first, I'll summon Cyber Commander in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and the cyborg soldier appeared, brandishing his gun. (750/700)

"Now, I'll use Ultimate Offering to Tribute Cyber Commander for Queen Machine, also in Attack Mode!"

He put another card down, and his Life Points fell to 1,400. Cyber Commander vanished, and the beautiful female android appeared. (2,200/2,000)

"Then I'll use Ultimate Offering a second time!" laughed Kanasta. "And I'll summon Overdrive in Attack Mode!"

He put a third Monster Card down, his Life Points fell to 900, and a large, heavy-duty tank appeared. (1,600/1,500)

"Ugh," said Sebastian. "Go ahead, I can take it!"

"No you won't," said Kanasta, "Because I have another card … Limiter Removal!"

He slammed the card in the slot. A large gauge appeared on the field, and spun until it broke with a snap.

"This will double the Attack Scores of both my Machines!" laughed Kanasta.

Queen Machine's Attack Score went up to 4,400, and Overdrive's went up to 3,200.

"Go, my metal maiden!" shouted Kanasta. "Attack his Gagagigo with silicon sorcery attack!"

A ball of dark energy appeared in Queen Machine's hands and she hurled it, blasting Gagagigo to pulp! Queen Machine giggled as Sebastian's Life Points dropped to 2,550.

"Now, Overdrive, finish him off with turret blaster attack!"

Overdrive rolled forward, and blasted its cannon, striking Sebastian in the chest and knocking him down. He groaned, as his Life Points were depleted.

_Heh, heh, heh,_ said Kanasta, looking at his Disk. Gold Status at last. _Yugi may have beaten me in the first duel, but like a good battery I just kept on going and going and going!_

_And if he made the finals, and I bet he did, I can't wait for a rematch…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In yet another part of Duelatopia, a crowd had been drawn to an amazing sight – the streets had been transformed into an undersea kingdom!

Standing on the seafloor was Orin Tsunami (the source of the ocean), and his opponent, a young girl named Cynthia. Despite having the home-court advantage, Orin was clearly losing. He had only 900 Life Points remaining, while Cynthia had 3,000. Orin had Amphibian Beast on his side of the field, (2400/2,000) while Cynthia had Archfiend Soldier (1,900/1,700). Orin's Monster was stronger, and A Legendary Ocean had upped its stats to 2,600/2,200, but Cynthia's Waboku had just foiled his attempt to destroy the Fiend.

"Give it up, skipper," laughed Cynthia. "This duel is going to end in one big fish-fry!"

"I never give up, Cynthia," smiled Orin. "My whole family was the same way…"

"As you like," said Cynthia, drawing. "So I'm going to finish this and then go to a nice restaurant for fried calamari!"

She placed a card down.

"I'll Tribute my Archfiend Soldier for Dark Ruler Ha Des!" she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier vanished, and in his place rose a hulking Fiend wearing frightening royal robes. (2,450/1,600)

Orin raised an eyebrow.

"And now I'll power him up with my Dark Energy Equip Card!" laughed Cynthia.

A hand holding a dark orb appeared and hurled it at Ha Des, bringing his Attack Score to 2,750.

"Now, Dark Ruler Ha Des," she yelled, "attack with Stygian blast attack!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des fired forth a blast of inky black energy, and Amphibian Beast melted into goo.

Orin's Life Points fell to 750.

"It's your move, Mr. King of the Seas," said Cynthia, sarcastically.

Orin drew.

"I place one card facedown," he said, "and I summon Flying Fish in Defense Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and a small fish with large fins appeared before him. (800/500) –) (1,000/700)

Cynthia laughed out loud.

"Do you really think you can beat me with a Monster that pathetic?" she laughed.

"I do," warned Orin.

"Suit yourself," she said, drawing. "Time to end this. I summon Headless Knight in Attack Mode!"

A haunting laugh echoed over A Legendary Ocean, and an armored knight with no head appeared. (1,450/1,700)

"Impressive," said Orin, "but not for long. Activate TORRENTIAL TRIBUTE!"

His Trap Card lifted, and a fierce whirlpool erupted onto the field! The three Monsters were swept up into it were drawn down into the depths!

"NO!" shouted Cynthia, as her Life Points fell to 2,025.

"Of course," smiled Orin, "I had to destroy my Flying Fish to do that, so lose 175 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 575.

"…but it was worth it to clear the field of your two Fiends.

"Now, it's my turn…"

He drew.

"Prepare to meet Davy Jones," he said with a smile. "Due to A Legendary Ocean's effect, I can summon this next Monster with no Tribute…"

He placed a card down.

"I summon Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!"

A shadowy form appeared from below, and the huge killer whale with turrets, towers, and a crane on its back swam into view! (2,100/1,200) –) (2,300/1,400)

Cynthia stepped back in fright as the fortress aimed its guns.

"Now my Fortress," yelled Orin, "attack her directly with naval artillery attack!"

Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness blasted its cannons at Cynthia and she screamed before collapsing, her Life Points plunging to zero.

"You fought well," sighed Orin, "but the sea is merciless, and it has claimed much stronger warriors who have braved it…"

He looked at his Disk, which was now Gold.

"Like the legendary Greg Louganis, I have achieved Gold," he said, "but the true challenge is yet to come…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SORCERESS OF CONFLICT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description: **_"Dark Magician Girl" + "Dryad"_

This card is also considered a LIGHT Monster. During your End Phase, choose and activate one of the following effects:

* Increase your Life Points by 700.

* Inflict 700 points of direct damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**COMMAND ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **Increase the ATK of all Fairy-Type Monsters by 400.

[I]Note: "Command Angel" was first used by Tristan in the original anime episode "Mechanical Mayhem (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.[/I]

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**THE PALE HORSEMAN**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **When this card is Normal Summoned, increase your Life Points by 400 for each DARK Monster in your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LADY TITANIA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **When this card is successfully Summoned, you may pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one "Lord Oberon" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LORD OBERON**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **Stronger than his wife, Lady Titania, this fairy king of the night protects his beloved at all costs.


	32. Final Attack Orders

_**I must say, a lot has happened to me and my friends in just over a week. **_

_**We've seen most of a great resort, partaken in a lot of great duels, and met a lot of interesting characters.**_

_**Not to mention the fact that a new enemy is hanging over our heads that I haven't even met yet. If it wasn't for that part, I'd almost say Duelatopia was perfect.**_

_**It's the beginning of Day Nine now, and Mary, Peter, Clive and I are done with our preliminaries. We've been guaranteed a spot in the finals. We should be celebrating… **_

_**But I just know that it isn't that simple…**_

_**This isn't the end yet… a new beginning in Duelatopia is starting…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Final Attack Orders**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Persephone, Orin, and Kanasta had succeeded in what the Team Supreme and Jade had done.

But hours earlier, just minutes after Mary had snuck out of his room, Yugi was pondering over three Monster Cards that he had put in his side deck – the three strange cards that Amber had given to him after he and Jade had done the _mizu-ken-kasai ritual._ He read the three descriptions.

The first one:

**PEOPLE RUNNING ABOUT**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 600  
**DEF:** 600

**Flavor Text: **_Although they always suffer in silence, they swear an oath to inevitably revolt._

The second:

**OPPRESSED PEOPLE**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Flavor Text: **_They are oppressed, but believe they will have their freedom someday._

And the third:

**UNITED RSISTANCE**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder  
**Attribute:**  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 400

**Flavor Text:**___The people that gather to swear to fight their oppressors. A revolution is coming…_

He looked at them over and over again. Weak Monsters. No effect at all. They seemed worthless.

And yet, the pictures on them seemed… strange. They sure didn't look like portraits of Monsters. And the way the descriptions were written, these cards seemed to go together…

He remembered something his father had told him once:

"There's no such thing as a useless card, son. Every card in the game has its purpose, and fills its own niche. Once you learn where each card fits in, you'll learn how to master them."

He looked at the three cards with a long stare. They had to be holding some secret within them…

And he thought there might be a way to find out.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He went to breakfast early and left a note on his door. He had a feeling the others would be interested in enjoying themselves for the last two days before they had to show up at the Stadium.

Eventually, he reached his goal – the Trading Lounge.

He had seen the computer databases here when Mary had challenged Duke. If trading was done here, he reasoned that the computers had information on the cards in the game. It was worth a shot.

When he entered the large lounge, one boy was on a sofa sipping hot cocoa. Yugi guessed he was waiting for someone. It didn't matter to him.

He went up to one of the computers and clicked on the SEARCH command.

_Well, let's see what we can find about these guys,_ he thought.

He entered "People Running About."

A picture of the card came on the screen, but no more info was given on it than what was on the actual card.

Yugi's face fell.

He tried the same with "Oppressed People", and "United Resistance", but got no better results.

"Nuts," he mused. "Maybe they are worthless…"

"You know," said a voice, "there's another way to use this database…"

"Huh?" said Yugi. He looked up, and the boy with the cocoa was standing above him.

"You're Yugi Mouto, aren't you?" he asked. "I'm Chip. I saw your duel with Bo Peep."

"Oh," replied Yugi. "Well how…?"

"I may not be the best duelist…" responded Chip.

He showed his Disk, which had been reduced to Black Status.

"…but I know my way around computers. This thing can cross-reference. Watch…"

He hit the command that said "CROSS-REFERENCE" and eight slots for written words came up.

"You know how some cards work together?" asked Chip. "Here's an example…"

He wrote down "Time Wizard" in one slot and "Baby Dragon" in another. He hit Enter.

"MATCH FOUND" said the computer.

A message came on the screen.

_When "Time Wizard's" effect is successfully enacted, "Baby Dragon" is transformed into "Thousand Dragon"._

"Interesting," quipped Yugi. "Well, it's worth a shot…"

He hit the Clear command, and then typed in "People Running About", "Oppressed People", and "United Resistance".

He hit Enter.

"MATCH FOUND" said the computer.

Yugi looked at the entry.

"Hmm!" he said.

"_People Running About", "Oppressed People", and "United Resistance" must be face-up on your side of the field to activate the Trap Card "Huge Revolution"._

"Huge Revolution?" said Chip, scratching his head. "What is that?"

"Let's see," pondered Yugi, switching back to the search engine.

He typed in "Huge Revolution."

A picture of a card came up. He read the description.

He and Chip looked at it intently.

"Interesting," noted Chip.

"_Very_ interesting," said Yugi. "Very interesting indeed…"

He thought for a minute. This was the Trading Lounge after all… it was worth another shot.

He took a notebook out of his backpack and tore a page out. He wrote a note down:

_**Need "Huge Revolution" Trap Card. Have several rare cards to trade. Will be available until 1PM of Day Ten. Ask for Yugi.**_

He put the date on the bottom before tacking it to the bulletin board, and then he left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi joined up with his friends, and they did try to enjoy themselves. They found a nice place for lunch – the Fiend Comedian Comedy Club, a sort of juice bar with live stand-up comedy, and it was open-mike. They sipped smoothies as one guy performed on stage.

"You see," he said, "I wanted my little sister to be assertive, so that's why I got her into Duel Monsters – but then she put together a Warrior deck. I wanted assertive, but not Joan of Arc assertive! Anyway, she wanted to try it out, and I was happy to duel her… After she beat me four times in a row, I wasn't that happy."

Laughter.

"No, I wish my sister the best of luck; she hasn't done bad here in Duelatopia thus far. She even has a really unique Warrior in her deck – anyone ever hear of Hungry Burger? You know, it looks like a big, man-eating burger. Homicidal, hold the onions. That led to a funny situation when she dueled someone who turned out to be a vegan."

More laughter.

"No, you haven't heard the funniest part," said the comedian. "When you're a vegan, having to fight a Hungry Burger is bad enough… getting hit by a direct attack by one is worse! Like adding insult to injury, you know. The thing looked like it was going to swallow him whole!"

The crowd laughed harder.

"Let's not stay here too long guys," mentioned Yugi. "There's something I want to check out."

"Oh?" asked Mary. "What?"

"A little something I set up earlier that I hope will make a difference in the finals."

_Yeah,_ thought Clive. _So do I…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At three PM, Yugi returned to the Trading Lounge (which was now more crowded), and looked at his notice. To his delight, a note had been written below it:

_**I have that card. Meet me here at 8AM tomorrow and I'll listen to offers. Ask for Pterra.**_

Yugi smiled and walked out of the building.

As he started to leave, he saw someone coming from the other direction.

_Huh?_ he thought, turning around. _Clive?_

He was about to stop his friend when he decided against it.

_Eh, it's none of my business,_ thought Yugi. _He's likely doing the same thing I'm doing._

As Yugi left, Clive climbed to the top of the stairs. He entered the lounge and looked around.

"Toro!" he called, turning towards one of the tables.

The large form of El Toro Grande was seated there, with his Duel Disk in front of him.

"_Buenos dias_, Clive," he said. "Off to the finals, I see! I figured you would make it there!"

"And how are you doing?" answered Clive.

Toro sighed, and turned his Disk towards Clive. The gem had gone black.

"How did…"

"Long story," sighed Toro. "But anyway, did you get my message?"

"Yeah," answered Clive. "It was on my hotel room answering machine. You said you had a card that would go well with my deck?"

"Si," responded Toro, taking a card out of his side deck. "Take a look…"

Clive looked at the card. It wasn't exactly in the same class as the Dark Scorpions, but it was somewhat powerful…

"I suppose I could use it…" said Clive.

"You got anything good to give me for it?" asked Toro.

"Do I ever!" smiled Clive, taking out his own side deck.

He took a card out.

"Here, replace you old Battle Ox with _this!_" he exclaimed.

The card looked like an angry Battle Ox surrounded by flames.

"Enraged Battle Ox?" asked Toro.

"This guy not only has a Fairy Meteor Crush built into him," said Clive, "but when he's on the field, so does every other Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged Beast you summon! If you had him, you might have beaten me."

"I think we can make a deal," said Toro, excitedly.

They swapped cards.

"_Muchas gracias_," he said.

"You're welcome," answered Clive.

"And I'll be sure to watch you during the finals," he responded. "Good luck."

He turned to leave.

"_Adios."_

"You go on ahead," said Clive. "There's someone else I have to meet…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That night, after dinner, Yugi was certain to go to bed early. He didn't want to miss meeting this "Pterra" person.

And as he slept, a strange dream, an expansion of one he had nine nights earlier, came to him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He was amid the clouds. Thunder rolled, and lightning flashed, and the wind soared in his face.

The armored form of Black Luster Soldier was right beside him, and they were flying on a huge mount. Yugi looked down, and he saw who the mount was – an immense silver dragon with three heads! The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

They flew into the fury of the tempest.

"Hold on, Yugi!" shouted the soldier's powerful voice.

"What's happening?" shouted Yugi. "This is crazy!"

"It's about to get crazier!" yelled the Soldier.

The Dragon's three mouths roared as they flew on. Lightning struck all around them, and all of a sudden, horrid shapes flew out of the sky. Demonic figures on wings flew towards them!

"Begone, abominations!" shouted Black Luster Soldier.

The Dragon opened its three jaws, and three powerful neuron blasts shot forward and vaporized the demons.

But it wasn't over.

A wave of unholy energy erupted in front of them, and a huge demon the size of a skyscraper appeared before them!

"Time to send you back where you belong, you beast!" yelled the Soldier.

The Dragon shot forth his blast again, but the behemoth resisted it. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon kept trying to topple the giant, but it was too resilient.

"Yugi!" yelled the Soldier. "We can't do it alone!"

"What can I do?" gasped Yugi.

"Trust a bond!" shouted Black Luster Soldier. "You may think that only friends have bonds, but rivals have bonds too! A bond between rivals… both old and new… it is the key to saving the Mandate…"

And then, the whole world exploded…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi woke up with sweat pouring down his face. It was two AM.

_What in the name of the Father…_ he though.

He paused.

_A bond between rivals? Did he mean Siegfried?_

He walked over to the mini-bar and opened it.

_Sigh. I think I'm gonna need one of those five-dollar sodas…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his dark chamber, Saurius slowly sipped wine from a glass. A shadowy figure came up to him and bowed.

"I trust you have news, General Bezelbub?" asked Saurius.

"Wherever the Mandate is, it is well hidden, master," responded Bezelbub. "Simply searching as we are is not going to be enough – the Chosen has taken too many precautions…"

Saurius grumbled.

"His modern technology is commendable," he growled. "The thought that it could so foil the efforts of my abilities disgusts me…"

He clenched his fist, and the wine glass shattered.

"Perhaps we could… _convince_ him to lead us to it," suggested Bezelbub. "An old mortal saying says that actions speak louder than words."

"True," said Saurius. "But if we struck now, allies would rush to his aid, and we at this point do not know of the true potential of his allies…"

He paused.

"Which leads me to another question," he continued. "Yugi and his three disciples are now of Gold Status, correct?"

"Yes," said Bezelbub. "As is their ally, Jade Valentine. Three other contestants have earned places in the finals, but I doubt any of them can either benefit or hinder us. One of them is fond of Fairies…"

"Ugh, disgusting creatures…" grunted Saurius.

He paused.

"Perhaps we should pay close attention to the finals," stated Saurius. "They will let us gauge the true strength of our foes…

"And furthermore…"

He got up, and walked towards a large viewing globe, and gazed upon a scene.

He rubbed his chin.

"There may be one more ally left to recruit," he said. "As another mortal saying goes, the enemy of my enemy can be my friend.

"You are dismissed."

Bezelbub left.

Saurius continued to look into the globe.

_You think you are so powerful, aren't you,_ he thought, as he looked at the figure. _You and your powerful Seal, magic that can steal one's soul. Know this my friend, your magic may be ancient, but mine is more ancient still. Yet, you show potential, and when your plans to destroy Yugi fail, as they likely will, I might be inclined to share…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi hated leaving his friends hanging again, but he didn't want to be late.

He left early, and got to the Trading Lounge ten minutes before eight AM.

When he got there a few people were there, talking. Most of them had been disqualified from the tournament already from the look of their Disks.

As he sat down, he heard a voice say, "Yugi Mouto Jr.?"

He turned around and saw a girl with long blonde hair wearing a tank top and shorts. She didn't have her Disk with her, but her deck case was strapped to her belt.

"Yes, that's me," he answered.

"Son of the King of Games?" she asked. "Oh, I have a million questions! I read all about your father… oh excuse me, I'm Pterra."

"Interesting name…" noted Yugi.

"It's a nickname," answered Pterra. "Short for 'pterodactyl'. I love Dinosaur Monsters…"

"I see," said Yugi.

"Gold Status, I see!" she said, excitedly. "I could have been Gold… but I got greedy…"

She hung her head.

"What happened?" asked Yugi.

"I was Violet," sighed Pterra, "but then someone gave me a map to an Eliminator's lair… a creature who called herself Shelob…"

Yugi drew back in surprise.

Pterra took out her deck.

"My deck has a powerful Monster in it that has won lots of duels for me," she explained.

She held up a card. It was a ferocious dinosaur with 2,800 Attack Points called "Genghis Rex".

"Not only is this card powerful," explained Pterra, "but it's so scary that it causes opposing Monsters that face it to lose Attack Points. But it needs two Tributes, and I only have one in my deck.

"Still, I had a strategy to bring him out fast; I had three of each of _these_ cards in my deck…"

She took out the Monster Card Gagagigo, and a Spell Card called Ultra Evolution Pill.

"Gagagigo is a Reptile, and when you use Ultra Evolution Pill when a Reptile is on the field, you can exchange the Reptile for any Dinosaur in your hand. And I could get Genghis Rex into my hand with Witch of the Black Forest…"

"A clever strategy," agreed Yugi. "But go on…"

"It all ran afoul when I challenged Shelob," she said shivering. "She was a mutant spider-like thing, and she made it clear that she was going to _eat_ me if I lost! I made some dumb mistakes, and then she played a Trap Card that ruined my strategy… DNA Surgery…"

Yugi paused.

"I get it," he mused. "If your Gagagigo isn't a Reptile anymore, Ultra Evolution Pill doesn't work…"

"Exactly," sighed Pterra. "Then she summoned something terrible… Insect Princess. I couldn't defend, and it just got stronger with every Monster it stuck down… I didn't stand a chance.

"What happened next was horrible… The lights in the place went out, and all I could see were her eyes. I was sure I was spider chow! I don't mind telling you I started to beg for my life…"

"What happened?" asked Yugi, starting to feel afraid himself.

"She pounced," said Pterra, "and I blacked out. Next thing I knew, I came to on the street above with a bad headache, my Disk deactivated, and THIS pinned to my shirt…"

She took a note out of her pocket.

It read:

_**Pterra:**_

_**Victory achieved, hunger sated.**_

_**Enjoy watching the finals.**_

_**- Shelob**_

_So that's their game,_ thought Yugi. _Leave a victim unsure why he or she was spared, so the reputation of the Eliminators remains as frightening as ever._

Pterra sighed. "I guess I'm lucky she didn't make good her threat…"

"So, you have Huge Revolution?" asked Yugi.

"Oh… yeah," said Pterra, taking a card out of her pouch. "I found it in a booster pack. Some people say it's very powerful, but almost impossible to use."

"Well," said Yugi, "Maybe you would be a more successful Dinosaur duelist if you had THIS!"

He lifted up a card that he had taken out of his side deck.

"Black Tyranno?" gasped Pterra in excitement. "Really? You'll trade me that? That is mega-rare!"

"Sure," smiled Yugi. "Dinosaurs aren't my thing. And this one is a welcome addition in a deck like yours."

"Deal!" she smiled, handing over the Trap Card. "And good luck in the finals."

Yugi gave her the Black Tyranno.

"If you make it to next year's tournament, I hope you have better luck," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The rest of the day was spent in quiet preparation.

Clive had thought ahead and sent the Dark Scorpion costume out to be dry-cleaned. At around two o'clock, he donned the outfit, and slipped his deck into a pouch on the bandolier. He strapped his Disk onto his arm, and looked in the mirror.

_All right,_ he said. _Going to go out there and give it all I've got. Phoebe is counting on me… I'm going to do what it takes to make her happy… no matter what it takes._

Clive wasn't the only one who had brought special clothes for the occasion. In Peter's room, he chose an outfit that he felt was more fitting. His shirt and pants were tight-fitting, and of a strange, fiery design of blood-red and purple. He accented the outfit with a pentagram amulet that he had gotten in a new age store, one similar to a Spellbinding Circle. A pair of dark sunglasses completed the image.

Mary was a little less bizarre, but fashionable. She put on a red halter and then a blue jacket over it, combined with a matching miniskirt. She tied her pigtails in place with large red beads. If she was going to be dueling in front of a stadium, she might as well look nice.

And Yugi? His regular outfit did the job well. It was a spitting image of the dark garb that his father had worn in Battle City so many years ago. People always took notice of him, although mostly they were drawn to the strange pendant around his neck.

The four friends met in the hall.

"People," said Yugi. "It's time…"

The Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook him.

"Let's go!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four duelists walked down the streets of Duelatopia with determined looks on their faces. The dueling action was now nonexistent. No one else could make the finals now. At fifteen minutes to four, they were in the shadows of the enormous Stadium.

Signs were posted. They said:

**FINALISTS THIS WAY –)**

They followed the signs to a large gate flanked by two Centurions. The guards saluted them when they approached, and the gates opened; apparently, they were expected.

They entered into a large hallway, and a large imposing shape greeted them. They recognized the huge Centurion as Captain Descartes.

"Greetings youngsters," he said. "I hope you like our Stadium…"

"Well, it's certainly… big…" stuttered Mary.

"Your new lodgings are being prepared as we speak," said Descartes. "Don't worry if you forgot to bring your things – we'll send someone to your old hotel to get them. You'll find the Stadium quarters even better than Cosmo Queen's Castle.

"In the meantime, please follow me to the Green Room."

"The Green Room?" asked Yugi.

"The Green Room is the all-purpose meeting room where food will be served and you all will be able to meet with each other when the finals aren't in progress," said Descartes. "The other four finalists are there now."

They followed him down a series of halls, and into a large comfortable room. It was indeed "green" (wallpapered), full of sofas and coffee tables. A buffet table had been set up with a bunch of hors d'oeuvres.

Actually, five people were in the room. The large form of "Nasty" Kanasta was loading up a plate of food. He had also gotten a new look, wearing an outfit that seemed to be made of silver, and a pair of punk glasses. Jade was sitting at a table in a corner with Amber, discussing something. Orin was reclining on a couch, slowly leafing through his deck. He seemed somewhat out of place here. Finally, Persephone sat quietly in another corner. She looked up briefly when the Team entered, but she didn't say anything.

A look of discontent crossed Yugi's face, but he didn't say anything.

"Well old friends," said Jade, "we are finally all here…"

"Yes," said Yugi, "and…"

"You bet we're all here!" growled Kanasta, butting in. "And I told you it wasn't over, Yugi! I'm going to walk all over you in the rematch to end all rematches!"

"That depends entirely on who's matched up with who," mentioned Mary.

"You think YOU can take me, doll-face?" laughed Kanasta.

"Actually, I think I can," dared Mary.

"People," said Orin, "making threats is unprofessional – at least it is before the dueling even starts…"

"Indeed," said a voice. "So I suggest you all start behaving like grown duelists as of this point."

They turned, and the Master of Games appeared in the doorway.

At this point, even Persephone looked nervous.

"Greetings, everyone," he said. "You have gone far. As of right now, your Disks are of permanent Gold Status. They can't be changed. You have full run of the Stadium for the remainder of the tournament, and there are many facilities to take advantage of. For example, in the lower level, there are several training rooms containing dueling computers. If you need practice, they are there for your use.

"As for the finals themselves, the opening ceremonies are tomorrow. The tournament will be elimination style, with the quarter-finals on Day twelve. The winners of the first four duels progress to the semi-finals, with the two winners of those matches progressing to the final round. You won't know who your opponent for the first round will be until the computer decides tomorrow.

"Incidentally, this may be a good time to introduce a new rule that I've introduced in honor of the famous Battle City Tournament of so many years ago. The winner of each of these matches will be allowed to take one card of his choice from his or her defeated opponent's deck!"

Looks of surprise appeared over all of the finalists.

"But, if anyone disagrees with this rule, they are free to leave now," he continued.

Everyone started to murmur around themselves.

"Looks like we're all in," said Yugi.

_Lovely,_ said Kanasta. _If I can beat Yugi, I can get that Machine King of his! And with a little… secret I know about it, I'll be unstoppable!_

Persephone was even more delighted.

_This is finally my chance to grab Yugi's Guardian Angel Joan!_ she thought. _Once I defeat him, he won't have a choice!_

"The winner of the finals will be given a cash award of $20 million U.S. dollars," sad the Master. "Plus the option of an exhibition match with me. Should I be defeated, the winner may make any request that can be fulfilled by KaibaCorp's vast resources – a practical Aladdin's lamp, if I do say so myself.

"And there is one more matter to attend to – I desire you to name your decks."

"_Name_ our decks?" asked Orin, strangely.

"You each put your heart and soul into the construction of your decks, young ones," said the Master. "They are each nearly a part of you. They are deserving of respect. So award them such, and think of something that will stand out.

"So, dinner will be served at six, and after that rest. For opening ceremonies are at noon tomorrow!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Figuring out ways to name their decks was easier than they thought. Eventually, they all decided on something, and submitted them to Descartes, who said he'd bring them to the proper channels.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Yugi really didn't like having to eat with Persephone and Kanasta (especially Kanasta, who had atrocious manners), but he lived though it.

Captain Descartes wasn't lying – the V.I.P. quarters in the Stadium were far more luxurious than the ones in their hotels. The only thing that worried them was one little feature – a large alarm button on their bedside tables. ("Hit in case of a dire emergency," warned Descartes. "We won't take any chances here.")

He considered trying out the dueling computers, but he figured he was as ready as he ever was. He went to bed early, and for once, his sleep seemed dream free.

When he got up at eight AM, breakfast was already ready in the Green Room.

He saw that Persephone had truly decked herself out for the occasion. She had covered her costume with tacky jewelry (likely paste), consisting of large bracelets, a huge necklace, a girdle, anklets, and a tiara, all sparkling with rhinestones. It looked like someone had gotten sick in a jewelry store.

"So," asked Yugi, "did anyone try the dueling computers?"

"Yeah," sighed Peter. "They were way too easy."

"I defeated one by 6,000 Life Points," muttered Jade. "On maximum level."

"I see," said Yugi. "Oh well…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The hours slipped by. Outside the stadium, the crowd started to line up.

Inside, at around eleven thirty, Captain Descartes came to the finalists.

"Time to start things off," he said. "Follow me…"

He lead them down a long hallway and down a stairway. They entered a large room with eight platforms and a TV monitor.

"Just step onto the platforms, and you'll be delivered to the arena when it's time," he said. "In the meantime, you can watch the action on the screen."

The screen turned on, and they got their first view of the inside of the Stadium proper. It was a beautiful arena, with several monuments surrounding the playing field, including a huge torch (currently unlit). Large towers (which they later learned were holographic generators) surrounded the field. There was even a stage of some sort at one end, above which was a large announcer's booth. Visual screens were on each wall. There seemed to be a capacity crowd in the stands – all of Duelatopia had turned out.

As the clock struck noon, the holographic generators sprung to life, and the terrain of the stadium grounds changed. It resembled an Egyptian scene, with the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza. The crowd grew silent. Eerie music started to play, and a female voice came out of the loudspeakers:

"Long ago, at the dawn of civilization, Egyptian sorcerers used their powers in a deadly game. Using Shadow magic, they conjured powerful beasts from another realm to smite their enemies in mortal combat."

The sky above grew dark as the speaker continued.

"But soon, these dangerous contests grew into a fierce war that threatened to annihilate all life on Earth. Finally, a brave and powerful Pharaoh used mighty spells to lock away the magic, ending the horrid Shadow Games.

"In time, the ancient duels of the sorcerers were forgotten. But in recent history, a brilliant man by the name of Maximillion Pegasus discovered the secret, and resurrected the power – in a card game like none other.

"Duel Monsters was born. Once again the Monsters were free to battle. Once again the fighters were free to duel. And the legend was free to continue!"

The scene melted away. Explosive fireworks filled the air, and music came from the stage. A guitarist appeared on it, and started to play a fierce melody.

But that wasn't all. The holographic generators roared to life, and a Red Eyes Black Dragon flew out of nowhere! It breathed flame at the large torch, and it lit up!

But the holographs didn't stop there. Images started playing of more Monsters appearing in various battle scenes.

Lightning struck the field, and a huge Summoned Skull appeared, roaring before vanishing! Axe Raider, Flame Swordsman, and Celtic Guardian appeared, and charged towards a Shadow Ghoul.

Three colored globs appeared, forming into Sanga of the Thunder, Kazejin, and Suijin. They melted into globs again, and combined to form Gate Guardian, who bellowed before vanishing.

A similar scene followed. Thunder rolled, and X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank rolled into view. The three machines whirred and changed shape, combining into XYZ-Dragon Cannon! The mighty Machine blasted its guns before vanishing.

More Monsters appeared as the musician played, and finally, as a grand finale, three frightening images were shown (obviously from videotapes) – Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and finally, Winged Dragon of Ra! The crowd gasped as the Egyptian God Monsters let loose their mighty attacks.

The music stopped, and the crowd cheered.

The video screens came to life and two announcers came on.

"Good afternoon everyone," said the male announcer. "That was a wonderful welcome. I'm Mike Moise."

"And I'm Donna Parisi," said the woman. "Welcome to the opening ceremonies of what promises to be the start of a competition unlike any the dueling world has ever seen."

"That's right," agreed Mike. "Out of all the contestants invited, only eight warriors still remain. And here to introduce them is our wonderful host, the uncontested ruler of Duelatopia… You may not know who this man is, but he certainly stands out, may we present, the Master of Games!"

As the eight contestants and the crowd watched, the Master appeared on a balcony, on which was a golden throne.

"Get ready," said Descartes to them, "you'll be brought up there momentarily."

"Oh lovely," moaned Mary. "Is my hair all right?"

"It's fine!" assured Clive. "Sheesh."

"Welcome everybody!" announced the Master's amplified voice. "Glad you could all come. I hope that, despite not making it to the finals, you all had a great time in my island paradise. The next few days will see action unlike any you have ever seen, as our eight finalists compete for the grand prize and the Duelatopia crown.

"So without further ado, let's make the introductions…"

The platforms that the eight of them were standing on began to lift… it seemed that they were going to be transported to the arena through the floor.

_Well,_ thought Yugi, _no turning back now…_

The ceiling opened, and they were lifted up onto the arena grounds. The crowd cheered.

"Presenting, our finalists!" said the Master.

The holographic imagers sprung to life again.

"Orin Tsunami," called the Master. "As relentless as a maelstrom and as deadly as the disaster that bears his name, this duelist drowns his competition with a furious deck of deep sea denizens!"

An image of Orin came up. The image threw a card into its Disk and The Legendary Fisherman appeared, hurling his harpoon.

The image vanished.

"Thomas "Nasty" Kanasta," continued the Master. "This urban outlaw's mind functions like a well-oiled machine, as do his weapons of choice!"

An image of Kanasta came up. His image threw a card onto its Disk, and Launcher Spider appeared, firing its missiles.

"Persephone Amore," continued the Master. "Once she has ensnared you in the enchanting magic of her fey realm, you may never find your way out again…"

An image of Persephone came up, and her image did the same. Wingweaver appeared and fired beams of radiant light.

"Jade Valentine," announced the Master. "A powerful warrior trained in the ways of _bushido,_ her own skill is matched only by that of her Warriors!"

Jade's image came up. It slowly put a card into its Disk, and Yamoto the Noble Samurai appeared, swinging his mighty blade.

"Clive Marris," continued the Master. "Like the legendary Lara Croft, this duelist has a knack for tomb raiding!"

Clive's image appeared. It slapped a card on its Disk, and Don Zaloog flipped into view.

"Peter Ramset," announced the Master. "A duelist with an artistic eye who packs a mighty arsenal of Archfiends!"

Peter's image appeared. It threw a card into a slot, and Terrorking Archfiend appeared with a roar!

"Mary Wheeler," continued the Master. "Don't mistake this pigtailed princess for a lightweight, or she'll send you on a permanent trip to the discard pile!"

Mary's image appeared; like the others, it fit a card onto its Disk and Flame Swordsman appeared with his fiery blade.

"And finally," concluded the Master, "Yugi Mouto Jr.! A dedicated duelist who packs a deadly deck of dark magic!"

Yugi's image appeared. It dramatically threw a card into a slot, and Dark Magician appeared, casting a mighty spell.

The crowd cheered again.

"Eight great duelists," repeated the Master. "But only one will make it to the final round. Only one will win the grand prize – twenty million dollars, and a chance at even more if he accepts my challenge. Plus, these eight duelists have agreed to an additional rule. In this competition, in every duel, the winner is allowed to take a card from his or her defeated opponent's deck!"

Murmurs started to break out among the crowd.

"I know what you're all thinking," chuckled the Master. "A lot of you are no doubt _glad_ you didn't make it as far as they did. The thought of possibly losing your precious secret rares would make any duelist tremble. But it hasn't fazed these determined youngsters. They don't care about risks.

"And now, it is time…"

The screens above started to show beep and whir.

"The computer will randomly assign the opponents for tomorrow's quarter-final duels, as well as the order. We will have the results momentarily…"

Music started to play, as two images came together.

"First, Orin versus Peter!" shouted the Master.

Two more images came together.

"Clive versus Persephone!" he called out.

Two more came together.

"Yugi versus Kanasta!" he said.

The final two came together.

"And naturally, Jade versus Mary!"

A lot was going on in the minds of the finalists as the flowchart formed.

_Sweet,_ thought Kanasta. _Now I can get even with Yugi, and get that Machine King in the first round!_

Mary was a lot less enthusiastic.

_Me and Jade?_ she thought. Terrific. _Do I even stand a chance?_

Persephone frowned as she looked at the flowchart.

_Crud,_ she thought. _If I'm going to duel Yugi at all, it won't be until the final round…_

She paused.

_Still, a couple of warm up duels won't hurt… and kicking his friend's ass might be kind of fun..._

Peter and Clive looked at the flowchart with a bit of concern. True, they hadn't been paired against each other, but that would happen if they won the quarter-finals…

But Yugi was the most concerned. He was pretty sure he could beat Kanasta…

But if Mary defeated Jade, he would be dueling Mary in the semi-finals.

It was something he always had dreaded would happen someday – going up against Mary in a tournament. Especially one this big.

But again, there was no turning back now.

"Tomorrow," announced the Master, "our special guest referee will be announced, and the duels will commence at noon sharp. I look forward to seeing you all there."

He took a seat on the throne

"How do like that?" said Donna. "And now, to close out our opening ceremonies, let us introduce today's guest artist, all the way from Hollywood U.S.A., with a variation of a song he's composed just for this occasion, Lance Masterson!"

The screen turned to the stage again, and the guitarist appeared again, this time with a group of female singers.

"Let's mash!" he shouted.

He started to play, and the holographic images of Monsters started to appear again:

_I was dueling in the park, late one night,  
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight.  
For my Monster from my Disk began to rise,  
And suddenly, to my surprise,_

_**He did the mash!**__  
He did the Monster Mash.  
__**The Monster Mash!**__  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
__**He did the mash!**__  
It caught on in a flash.  
__**He did the mash!**__  
He did the Monster Mash._

From the Sogen meadow near the Forest east,  
To the Mountain aerie where the Harpies feast,  
The creatures all came from their humble lairs,  
From the Common ones, to the Secret Rares.

_**They did the mash!**__  
They did the Monster Mash.  
__**The Monster Mash!**__  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
__**They did the mash!**__  
It caught on in a flash.  
__**They did the mash!**__  
They did the Monster Mash._

The Archfiends were having fun…  
The party had just begun…  
The guests included the Blue-Eyes,  
Shinato, and his son.

The scene was rockin', all were diggin' the tunes,  
Jinzo on drums, backed by Dark Magician's runes,  
Mystical Elf was about to arrive,  
With her vocal group, "The Gravekeeper Five."

_**They played the mash!**__  
They played the Monster Mash!  
__**The Monster Mash!**__  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
__**They played the mash!**__  
It caught on in a flash.  
__**They played the mash!**__  
They played the Monster Mash._

From his coffin, Vampire Lord's voice did ring;  
Seems he was troubled by just one thing;  
He opened the lid, and shook his fist,  
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"

_**It's now the mash!**__  
It's now the Monster Mash.  
__**The Monster Mash!**__  
And it's a Graveyard smash.  
__**It's now the mash!**__  
It's caught on in a flash.  
__**It's now the mash!**__  
It's now the Monster Mash._

The Archfiends were having fun…  
The party had just begun…  
The guests included the Blue-Eyes,  
Shinato, and his son.

Now everything's cool, Vamp's a part of the band,  
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land,  
For you, the duelists, this Mash was meant too;  
When you get to my door, tell them I sent you!

_**Then you can mash!**_

_Then you can Monster Mash.  
__**The Monster Mash!**__  
And do my Graveyard smash.  
__**Then you can mash!**__  
You'll catch on in a flash.  
__**Then you can mash!**__  
Then you can Monster Mash._

The crowd applauded.

"Thank you, thank you!" said Lance.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The festivities died down, and the Stadium slowly emptied.

They didn't see any more of the Master of Games that day, but they were told where he could be found if an emergency came up. Dinner was served in the Green Room, and it was excellent – crown roast and garlic mashed potatoes. Kanasta complained about the quality, and Yugi felt he was truly going to despise him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At six PM, Clive decided to go for a short walk. He hadn't gotten much exercise today, and he didn't like breaking his cycle. The streets were practically empty.

(This, of course, made it hard for his bodyguard to hide herself from him, but she was an expert.)

_Well,_ he thought. _Tomorrow I'm going up against the wicked witch of western Europe. I can just contain my excitement…_

"Hello Clive," said a voice.

Clive stopped.

"I know that voice…" he muttered.

He turned towards an alley. Like many days before, he saw a single eye staring at him.

"You…" he said.

The Phantom Duelist walked out. His Disk was missing, but the rest of his bizarre costume was there.

"Hello Clifford," said the Phantom. "I wanted to congratulate you for making the finals… personally."

"I'm surprised _you_ didn't make it there," muttered Clive.

The Phantom shook his head. "I might have," sighed the Phantom, "but I was defeated by an Eliminator… one named Imhotep…"

"Imhotep?" said Clive in surprise.

"He didn't frighten me," assured the Phantom, "but my Masked Beast Des Gardius didn't fool him. He waited until there were no Monsters on his side of the field, and destroyed it with Tribute to the Doomed. With nothing to use Mask of the Bequeathed on, I was vulnerable when he summoned his Spirit of the Pharaoh on the next turn."

"I have news that might make you happy," smiled Clive. "I beat Imhotep."

"Really?" said the Phantom.

"Well, barely," shrugged Clive.

"Then you have indeed improved since we dueled, Clifford," said the Phantom. "You have my respect…"

"Enough respect for you to show me who you really are?" asked Clive.

The Phantom shook his head.

"You know Clive," he sighed, "I wasn't always a duelist… there was a time long ago when my battles were very real, when the violence was far deadlier, and real monsters lurked around every corner… A time when heroes and villains were a part of my life…"

Clive shuddered.

"I couldn't keep it up forever, though," said the Phantom. "Eventually, I retired. But still, a part of me became restless, and longed for the battles… That's why I took up Duel Monsters – it became a sort of outlet for my inner demons. A way to fight without _truly_ fighting, if you know what I mean…"

Clive was chuckling inside. _If only you knew,_ he thought.

"Still, the duelist you are going up against tomorrow may well be better than me," continued the Phantom, "possibly better than Imhotep. For all you know, Persephone was able to defeat an Eliminator as well…

"Clive, maybe before the semi-finals start, you should think about getting in some practice… You realize your Disk can't be downgraded anymore…"

"But," muttered Clive, "no one else in Duelatopia is allowed to Duel…"

"Some folks are…" said the Phantom.

He turned and vanished into the alley.

_Practice?_ thought Clive. _What can he mean?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his dark chambers, Saurius was watching his viewing globe.

He saw Yugi carefully shuffling his deck and going through his cards.

Saurius waved his hand in disgust and the globe dimmed.

"Bezelbub," he said, "you're in charge until I get back. I'm going to Duelatopia."

"In person, milord?" said the general. "Is that wise?"

"Kaiba thinks his technology is foolproof," muttered Saurius, "but I have ways of getting around it…

"And I think it's about time I finally met Yugi face to face…

"Even if only for a minute or two…"


	33. Dark Energy

"_**You should think about getting in some practice."**_

_**That's what The Phantom Duelist said, and it sounded like good advice at the time. So I'm getting some practice. **_

_**I didn't think he'd agree to it when I asked him, and frankly, I kind of hoped he wouldn't. Anyone who's seen as many of his duels as I have know that dueling him can be… painful.**_

_**But here's what I figure. If I can do well in this little "practice match", I know I can do well in the finals. And if I get anywhere in the finals, I'll probably have to face him eventually anyway.**_

_**I just hope I'm not in over my head this time – those large eyes that have spooked many a competitor are spooking ME now…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Energy**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was one hour after Clive had spoken to the Phantom.

Underneath the Stadium, Yugi slowly walked down the stairs to where the Dueling Computers were kept.

Yami appeared before him.

"Feeling nervous?" asked the Spirit.

"A little," replied Yugi. "Not so much about winning or losing…"

He sighed.

"If both Mary and I win our quarter finals, we go up against each other! What do we do then?"

"Then I'm sure you will conduct a duel fought with honor and integrity," said Yami. "Your fathers were the same way when they dueled in the finals of Duelist Kingdom…"

"Yeah," said Yugi. "But our fathers weren't boyfriend and girlfriend… When you were Pharaoh, did you ever feel for someone that way?"

Yami chuckled.

"Well, it's hard to say," he answered. "I don't know too much about my personal life… whether I had a wife or anything of the sort…"

"Do you think Mary and I are an item?" asked Yugi.

Yami sighed.

"Yugi," he said. "Monstrous villains and demented madmen I can deal with… girlfriends are another thing entirely…"

Yugi paused. He entered the room where a Dueling Computer was, and saw that Clive was competing against it.

The place was elaborate. Flawlessly clean white walls and ceilings laid out in a grid, and a surface the size of a suitable arena. The computer itself was an intimidating thing in appearance, a robotic construct that seemed to be one big holographic generator.

At least, it _seemed_ intimidating.

Clive was obviously winning. He had 6,000 Life Points and the computer had only 1,000. Clive had Don Zaloog and Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode and one card facedown – the computer's side was clear.

"End turn," sighed Clive, who was obviously bored out of his skull. His two Monsters didn't seem to be enjoying themselves either.

The computer beeped.

"SET ONE CARD FACEDOWN," it said.

A facedown card appeared.

"SUMMON KURIBOH IN ATTACK MODE," it said.

Kuriboh appeared on the field, and its stats appeared on a screen.

"END TURN," it said.

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna fall for _that_," muttered Clive.

He drew.

"I pass," he muttered. "End turn."

The computer beeped again.

"SUMMON ARCHFIEND SOLDIER IN ATTACK MODE," it said.

Archfiend Soldier materialized on the field, as did his stats.

"ATTACK MEANAE THE THORN," said the computer.

Archfiend Soldier raised his sword…

"Puh-lease, you fell for this last time!" said Clive, tapping his Disk. "Activate Magic-Arm Shield!"

The Trap Card lifted, and the Shield appeared on Meanae's arm. She thrust it forth, and the grabber shot out and grabbed Kuriboh, using it to block Archfiend Soldier's attack. The computer's Life Points were depleted.

"DUEL OVER," said the computer. "YOU WIN."

"What fun," said Clive sarcastically. "Haven't had so much fun since I had my wisdom teeth removed…"

"Good work Clive," smiled Yugi.

"What do you mean 'good work' Yug'?" scowled Clive. "This thing was at Level 10, and it was still a pushover! Phoebe could have beaten this bucket of bolts!"

"It makes sense, Clive," explained Yugi. "These computers are programmed with all the rules of Duel Monsters, but they are soulless machines. A machine has no Heart at all, so they are no match for a true duelist, one who can truly be one with the spirit of the game…"

"I have GOT to get some good practice in…" sighed Clive.

He looked at Yugi.

"Hey…" he smiled. "I just had the craziest idea…"

"Yeah?" asked Yugi.

"Yug'," asked Clive, "How about a little practice duel, you and me? No strings attached!"

"What?" asked Yugi. "Clive… why?"

"I want to know if I'm good enough!" exclaimed Clive. "If I can stand up to you, I know I'll be able to do good!"

"But Clive…" protested Yugi.

"You heard what Siegfried said," pleaded Clive. "Our Disks are at permanent Gold status – we can't be downgraded anymore. It couldn't hurt."

"Well…" said Yugi.

"Go ahead," said Yami's voice.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"He needs encouragement, Yugi, and he looks up to you," said Yami. "Give him a chance."

Yugi turned to Clive.

"Okay Clive," he said. "I'll duel you…"

"All right!" shouted Clive.

They backed up towards either end of the room and took out their decks. Yugi started to shuffle.

"Hold it Yugi," smiled Clive. "I don't want you to hold back. Bring _him_ out."

"Him?" asked Yugi. "You mean… the Spirit of the Puzzle?"

"Uh huh," affirmed Clive. "I want to duel Yugi in all his glory!"

Yugi paused. He wasn't intending to, but…

"Well Clive, if that's what you want…" he said.

The Puzzle glowed… Yugi's mind merged with Yami's, and the change overtook him.

"Better?" asked Yugi, loading his deck.

"You bet!" smiled Clive. "Now don't hold back!"

"Don't you either!" warned Yugi. "Now let's duel!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Things were being given a final run-down in the Stadium's control room.

"Holographic generator?" asked the Master of Games.

"Check," said a technician.

"Sound system?"

"Double check."

"Security detail?"

"Checkeroni."

"Okay," he sighed. "That just leaves…"

"Master of Games," said another technician. "There's something going on in one of the Dueling Computer rooms that you might want to see…"

"What?" he asked.

He looked at the screen.

He smiled.

_Well,_ he thought, _it seems Yugi and Clive couldn't wait for tomorrow to start the action!_

_This might be interesting to watch… who will prevail? The master… or the apprentice?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Why don't you make the first draw Clive?" said Yugi.

"Gotcha," smiled Clive, making a draw.

"Okay, Yugi, have I got a gal for you!" he announced. "Getsu Fuhma, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and in a dark flash, the gorgeous redheaded Warrior appeared, swinging her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"See if you can beat her," dared Clive.

Yugi drew.

"I may not be able to beat her," answered Yugi, "but I can match her. Skilled White Magician, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and in a flash of light, the sorcerer of light appeared with his staff. (1,700/1,900).

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

Clive drew.

"Nice Yug'," he said, "but you might have been better off putting that Magician in Defense Mode."

He swapped cards on his Disk.

"Bye-bye Getsu Fuhma…" he said.

Getsu Fuhma raised her sword and vanished.

"…hello Gorg the Strong!" laughed Clive.

Gorg the Strong appeared, holding his powerful mace. (1,800/1,500)

"Gorg, attack with Scorpion crush!" commanded Clive.

Gorg charged, and brought his club down on Skilled White Magician. The mage fell over in a pool of blood, and vanished. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,900.

"And since Gorg damaged your Life Points," said Clive, "you know what that means…"

Gorg snatched the card from the top of Yugi's deck and threw it into the discard slot.

"Your move, Yugi," smiled Clive.

_Huh, he was right,_ thought Yugi, drawing. _I _should_ have put him in Defense Mode…_

He looked at the card he just drew.

_I can't beat Gorg right now, but he can't beat this…_

"I'll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode and end my turn," said Yugi, placing a card down.

Mystical Elf appeared singing her enchanting melody. (800/2,000)

Clive drew.

_Well what do you know?_ he thought.

"Yugi," he said. "This may be a good time to tell you that I've been upgrading my deck… So let me be the first to give you a little preview…"

He put a card down.

"I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

A fiery bonfire appeared on the field, and a beautiful woman stepped out of it, with long, strawberry blonde hair, dressed in brown ceremonial armor with a cape, and a fur cap with feathers. She drew a golden sword. (1,200/1,900)

"Isn't she gorgeous?" asked Clive.

"Very," agreed Yugi.

"Don't knock it," said Clive. "To me, this Warrior represents Phoebe, and just as Phoebe inspires me, Command Knight inspires Warriors, raising their Attack scores by 400 points…"

Gorg the Strong's Attack went up to 2,200, while Command Knight herself had hers raised to 1,600.

"What's more," continued Clive. "They return the favor by protecting her. So long as I have at least one other Monster on the field, she can't be attacked.

"Now, Gorg the Strong, attack Mystical Elf!"

Gorg rushed at Mystical Elf, ramming his mace into her gut. Mystical Elf gasped, fell to her knees, and then fell flat on her face. She vanished.

"Now my Command Knight, attack Yugi directly with flame blade!"

Command Knight's sword blazed with fire and she charged! Yugi screamed as she smote him with it, and he fell over.

Yugi got up with a nasty burn across his chest. His Life Points fell to 6,300.

Yugi got up and looked at Command Knight. She _did_ look a little like Phoebe, only older and tougher. Yugi hated the fact that he had to try to destroy her, but this Monster had to go if he was to have any hope of winning…

He drew.

"I place two cards facedown," he said, fitting two cards into slots.

The two cards appeared.

"And I summon Kuriboh in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the small, furry Fiend appeared. (300/200)

"I end my turn."

"Please Yug'," laughed Clive. "I've seen you fool tons of people with that trick…"

"I know," said Yugi. "And I know you know you have. So how do you know I'm playing the same trick on you? Maybe I'm stalling so I can Tribute this Kuriboh, and the facedown cards are just bluffs…"

Clive paused.

_He's got a point,_ he thought.

He drew.

His eyes opened wide!

"Sorry, Yug'," I'm not falling for it," he said. "I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."

He put the card in the slot, and it appeared behind his two Monsters.

Yugi drew.

"I Tribute my Kuriboh," he said, "to summon the powerful Summoned Skull!"

He placed the card down, and Kuriboh vanished. A lightning bolt hit his side of the field, and the bony demon arose! (2,500/1,200)

"Summoned Skull," shouted Yugi, "attack Gorg the Strong with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skull powered up his lightning…

"Hang on Yug'," yelled Clive, "I'm going to stop you dead in your tracks!"

Yugi gasped. "A Trap?" he said.

"Yep," laughed Clive, as his facedown card lifted. "Courtesy of Imhotep… BLAST HELD BY A TRIBUTE!"

A huge explosion rocked Yugi's side! Summoned Skull was blown to pieces, and Yugi was thrown back!

"Blast Held by a Tribute can only be activated when your opponent attacks with a Monster that was summoned via Tribute," said Clive. "It destroys all Monsters on your side, and does you 1,000 points of damage! And don't forget, you lose an additional 625 Life Points from Summoned Skull's destruction!"

Yugi got up and held his head. His Life Points fell to 4,675.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the command center, Siegfried silently watched.

_Clive is doing good,_ he thought. _He's depleted almost half of Yugi's Life Points, and hasn't lost any himself! Maybe Yugi has taught him TOO good._

_Heh, to think Clive put a Monster in his deck to remind him of his girlfriend… That's funny in a way... Nonetheless, Command Knight is certainly useful – let's just see if Yugi can recover…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"It's your move, Clive," snarled Yugi, getting up.

Clive drew.

_Those facedown cards still worry me,_ he thought, _but if I took a chance, I could come very close to winning this duel… have to risk it…_

"First," said Clive, "I'll summon Chick the Yellow in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the youngest member of the Dark Scorpions leapt into view, swinging his quarterstaff. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,400/1,000)

"Now, Gorg the Strong, attack Yugi directly!"

Gorg raised his mace…

"Not this time Clive," smiled Yugi, tapping his Disk. "You aren't the only one who's upgraded his deck…"

Both of his facedown cards lifted.

"Activate Negate Attack, _and_ Enchanted Javelin!" shouted Yugi.

Gorg bounced off an invisible shield.

"Negate Attack's effect is well known," explained Yugi. "Enchanted Javelin is activated whenever my opponent declares an attack. It takes the current attack score of the Monster that attacked, and adds it to my Life Points. Combine it with Negate Attack, and instead of losing Life Points from Gorg's attack, I gain 2,200 Life Points!"

Yugi's Life Points went up to 6,875.

"Clever," said Clive. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew.

"I play Pot of Greed," he said, putting a card in the slot.

The smiling embodiment of want appeared on the field, as Yugi drew two more cards.

"I place one card facedown," he said, throwing a card into a slot, "and summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and the two elf twins rose up, with their arms around each other. (1,900/900)

"Gemini Elf," he yelled, "attack Chick the Yellow with dual magic attack!"

The two elves raised their hands and blasted lightning at Chick the Yellow! The thief screamed and fell to his knees before he burst.

Clive's Life Points fell to 7,500.

Clive drew. He looked at Yugi.

_Uh oh,_ he thought. _Yugi has "the look" in his eye. The look he usually gets before he kills his opponent. He's got something nasty planned… _

_Or maybe… maybe he's trying to test me somehow. See if I can take the pressure. Well Yugi, I can take it all right!_

"Gorg the Strong," shouted Clive, "attack Gemini Elf!"

Gorg charged again.

Yugi hit his Disk.

"Activate Magic Cylinder!" he shouted, as the Trap Card lifted.

"What? NO!" yelled Clive.

The two Cylinders appeared above Gemini Elf. Energy flowed out of Gorg, collected into one of the Cylinders, and then blasted out of the other, slamming into Clive! He fell over.

His Life Points fell to 5,300.

"My new Trap come as a surprise, Clive?" asked Yugi.

"Uh, yeah…" groaned Clive, getting up. "I guess it's your move…"

_Note to self,_ he thought, _watch out for "the look."_

Yugi drew.

"Hang onto your hats, Clive!" he yelled.

He put a card down.

"I Tribute Gemini Elf to summon… Dark Magician Girl!"

Gemini Elf vanished, and a magic circle appeared in the ground. Dark Magician Girl spun out of it, and winked at Clive. (2,000/1,700)

"And now," continued Yugi, fitting a card into a slot, "I use my Spell Card… Sage's Stone!"

_Aw nuts…_ thought Clive.

The glowing gem appeared in Dark Magician Girl's hand. A wave of magical energy flowed out of it, and Dark Magician appeared! (2,500/2,100)

"Ugh!" gasped Clive. "It's a two-for-one sale!"

"More like a baker's dozen!" laughed Yugi. "Now my Magicians, ATTACK!"

Dark Magician fired a blast at Gorg the Strong, blowing him apart!

Dark Magician Girl fired at Command Knight.

"NO! Command Knight!" screamed Clive.

Command Knight screamed, and then vanished in a ball of fire.

Clive's Life Points fell to 4,600. He hung his head.

"Uh, sorry about that Clive…" sighed Yugi.

Clive raised his head.

"Don't worry Yug'," he said. "She'll be back next time I duel… And it's my move…"

He looked at the two sorcerers.

_My next draw better be something good,_ he thought.

He drew.

He smiled.

"I'm sure you know what this card does, Yugi!" he smiled, throwing it into a slot. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl gasped as the cage of swords crashed down around them.

"Where did you get _that_?" asked Yugi.

"From a booster pack," smiled Clive. "And now I'll summon Frontier Wiseman in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the royal sorcerer appeared, clutching his book. (1,600/800)

"It's your move, Yug'," he said.

Yugi drew.

_Nothing that can destroy these Swords,_ he thought.

"I'll just pass for this turn," he said.

Clive drew.

_Yes!_ he thought.

He regained his composure.

"I'll summon Dark Blade in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the dark, armored, twin bladed Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"And I'll end my turn."

"I'll draw," said Yugi.

He drew and looked at the card.

"And I'll pass again."

"Thought you might," smiled Clive, drawing. "And now I'll avenge my Command Knight! I Tribute my Frontier Wiseman and my Dark Blade to bring forth someone darker than your Dark Magician!"

His two Monsters vanished, and a dark fog appeared on Clive's side of the field. Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl drew back in fright…

"You don't mean…" stuttered Yugi.

"That's right," said Clive, as the dark feminine form appeared in front of him. "Here comes her royal majesty, Crescent Moon Queen!"

(2,600/1,700)

The Queen bore her scimitars and starred at Yugi with her glowing eyes!

"Crescent Moon Queen," ordered Clive, "attack his two Magicians!"

Crescent Moon Queen flew forward, and tore into Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, blasting them out of existence!

Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,175. Crescent Moon Queen backed up and knelt in Defense Mode.

"Your move, Yugi," smiled Clive.

Yugi started to sweat as he drew.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Whoa,_ thought Siegfried.

_This is intense. Clive took out two of Yugi's best Monsters in one blow. He's certainly come a long way since he was just part of his cheering section in Duelist Labyrinth._

_It will be interesting to see how well he does tomorrow when it's no longer practice…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Still can't attack!_ thought Yugi, looking at a card. _If I summon this guy now he'll be filleted!_

"I play one card facedown," he said, "and one Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

He put the two cards down, and one appeared behind the other.

"I end my turn," he said.

The Swords of Revealing Light vanished.

Clive drew.

_Okay, NOW I'm pretty sure he's bluffing,_ he thought.

"I'll shift Crescent Moon Queen back into Attack Mode," he said, turning the card.

The Queen rose again and bore her swords.

"Aaaand, I'll summon the lovely, yet lethal Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down on the Disk, and Meanae appeared, lashing her whip dramatically. (1,000/1,800)

"Crescent Moon Queen, attack what he has in Defense!" said Clive.

Crescent Moon Queen flew to attack, and Beaver Warrior appeared. It was cut in half.

Clive chuckled. "Was that the best you could do?" he said.

Yugi remained stone-faced.

"The silent treatment, huh?" sighed Clive. "Attack him directly!"

Crescent Moon Queen slashed at Yugi up the middle! He yelped in pain as a spray of blood flew from the wound!

His Life Points fell to 3,575.

"Yugi!" gasped Clive. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" moaned Yugi, getting up.

"Good," smiled Clive. "That's all I needed to know. Meanae, your turn!"

"Crud," gasped Yugi, as the Dark Scorpion leapt up in the air…

Meanae landed behind him and lashed at Yugi in the seat of his pants! She giggled and leapt back to Clive's side.

His Life Points fell to 2,575.

Crescent Moon Queen reverted back to Defense Mode.

"Does she _always_ have to strike _there_?" asked Yugi, rubbing his backside. "It's… undignified."

"The Dark Scorpions learned a long time ago, Yugi," said Clive, "that anyone who wants their respect has to earn it, not only in word, but in deed. They don't expect dignity from their foes, so they don't think twice about humiliating them.

"It may seem cruel, but when you live a life of crime, that's the way it goes sometimes.

"Anyway, since Meanae damaged your Life Points, I can add one member of her team to my hand…"

He took his deck and looked through.

_Don Zaloog should come in handy later,_ he thought.

He plugged the deck back in, and it was reshuffled.

"Now it's my move," said Yugi, drawing.

He looked at his card, and he looked at Clive.

"And I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!"

The dark sorcerer in his bulky robe appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"No!" shouted Clive. "My Queen's a goner!"

"You got that right!" snarled Yugi. "Skilled Dark Magician, attack Crescent Moon Queen!"

Skilled Dark Magician fired a blast of dark magic, and struck Crescent Moon Queen. She shattered into shards of dark glass.

"And since this bluff didn't fool you, I'll use this facedown card," he continued. "Graceful Charity."

The card lifted. Yugi drew three cards from his deck. He looked at them, and made two discards.

Skilled Dark Magician's staff glowed with a copper luster.

"Your move, Clive," said Yugi.

Clive drew.

"I'll play a Pot of Greed of my own," he said.

He put the card down, and the Pot appeared. He made two draws.

"Clive," warned Yugi. "You just made a mistake. Don't you realize you just helped my Skilled Dark Magician?"

Clive looked. Skilled Dark Magician's staff was now glowing silver.

"Yugi, I know how your Skilled Dark Magician works," laughed Clive. "But I sent your Dark Magician to the Graveyard, and I know you don't have two in your deck."

"Clive, I'm only helping you here because you're a friend, and you would be in for a nasty surprise if I wasn't one. You _don't_ know fully how Skilled Dark Magician works. When three Spell Cards are played, he can be Tributed to special summon a Dark Magician from _anywhere_, your hand, deck, or even the Graveyard. So you're one Spell Card away from a dangerous situation right now."

"I… see," muttered Clive. "In that case…"

He looked at his cards.

"I'll switch Meanae the Thorn into Defense Mode…"

He turned the card, and Meanae knelt in Defense.

"And I'll also summon Don Zaloog in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and Don Zaloog appeared, crouching in defense. (1,400/1,500)

_Awfully nice of him,_ he thought. _Especially after I really clobbered him a few minutes ago… maybe he's still just feeling a little guilty about blowing away Command Knight… Still, if he plays a Spell Card, I'm dead meat…_

Yugi drew.

"I'll set one card facedown," he said.

He set the card, and it appeared.

"Skilled Dark Magician," he commanded, "Take out Don Zaloog!"

Skilled Dark Magician fired, blowing Don Zaloog into oblivion!

"And with that, I end my turn," said Yugi.

"Okay, let's see here," said Clive, drawing.

_Hey..._ he said. _That facedown card may be a Trap, but I've got to take a risk…_

"Okay Yugi, I'm playing two cards facedown," he said.

He fit two cards into slots, and they appeared.

"Now," he continued. "I shift Meanae into Attack Mode."

Meanae rose up and raised her whip.

"And now," said Clive, "I'm summoning this guy in Attack Mode. Say hello to Blade Knight!"

He put the card down, and shining light appeared on the field. It grew, and a knight in blinding, shining armor appeared, holding a large, curved sword. (1,600/1,000)

"Yet another new addition to my deck," explained Clive, "capable of doing away with your Skilled Dark Magician with one swipe!"

"Not likely," said Yugi. "His Attack Score is 300 points too low."

"No it isn't," smiled Clive. "Notice that I have only one card left in my hand. When I have one or no cards in my hand, Blade Knight gains 400 Attack points."

Blade Knight's Attack grew to 2,000.

"So go, Blade Knight!" shouted Clive. "Attack Skilled Dark Magician with shining blade!"

Blade Knight leapt forward in a blur of light, and slashed Skilled Dark Magician in two! He vanished, and Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,475.

_Huh?_ thought Clive. _No Trap?_

He smiled.

"Meanae, you know what to do," grinned Clive.

_Not again…_ thought Yugi, as Meanae leapt towards him.

Meanae made a downward slash with her whip, knocking Yugi down. She landed in front on him and giggled before turning back towards Clive.

His Life Points fell to 1,475.

Clive went to his deck again and got the card he needed.

_Cliff the Trap Remover,_ he thought. _He might be even better than Don Zaloog in the right situation…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried looked at the two scores. Clive was ahead at 4,600, while Yugi was behind at 1,475.

_This is truly an exciting duel,_ he thought. _I'll have to save the videotape for later… If Clive wins, I'll be sure to give him a copy…_

_Still, I wouldn't count Yugi out just yet…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

With two cards in his hand, Blade Knight's Attack score went back down to 1,600, but Clive didn't seem worried.

Yugi thought for a minute.

_He set those two facedown cards to power-up Blade Knight,_ he thought, _so they're likely nothing but throwaways._

He drew.

"I play Brain Control!" he said, fitting a card into a slot.

"What?" said Clive. "No!"

The fiendish Brain appeared, and grabbed Blade Knight!

"This will turn Blade Knight over to my side for one turn," said Yugi. "But he's not going to last that long…"

He put a card into a slot.

"Because I'm going to Tribute your Blade Knight to summon the powerful Machine King!"

Blade Knight vanished, and an intimidating form appeared on Yugi's side of the field. The huge robot arose, with lights flashing and eyes glowing. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,300/2,200)

"Ack!" gasped Clive.

"Machine King," said Yugi, "attack Meanae the Thorn with your powerful jet punch!"

Machine King launched his fists at Meanae! She yelped, and was smashed to bits!

Clive's Life Points were reduced to 3,300.

"And with that, I end my turn," said Yugi. "Guess my Machine was too much for Meanae to handle…"

Clive gulped. He drew.

_All right!_ he thought. _My Negative Energy card!_

_Now all I have to do is summon Cliff the Trap Remover, play this card, and he'll be stronger than that Machine King!_

He put his Monster Card down.

"I summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode!" he yelled.

Cliff appeared, brandishing his dagger. (1,200/1,000)

"And now," smiled Clive. "I use the Spell Card Negative Energy!"

He fit the card into a slot…

"Oh no you won't, Clive!" shouted Yugi, tapping his Disk.

"What?" gasped Clive.

"I activate my Trap," yelled Yugi, "Magic Jammer!"

The Trap lifted.

"With this Trap," explained Yugi, "I have to discard one card…"

He discarded the last card in his hand. A magic circle appeared on floor, and mist poured out of it.

"…but I can negate the effects of any opposing Spell Card, so your Negative Energy card fails!"

The image of Clive's card shattered!

"Nuts," moaned Clive. "I end my turn…"

"And I draw…" said Yugi.

"And I play Monster Reborn!"

He set the card down, and Dark Magician reappeared! (2,500/2,100)

Clive looked at Yugi's two Monsters and shivered.

"Clive," said Yugi, "not that I'd ask you to give up, but I don't have to do this…"

Clive smiled.

"Yugi," he smiled. "Do it… I insist!"

"Very well," said Yugi. "Machine King, attack Cliff the Trap Remover!"

Machine King powered up, and shot his fists forward, destroying Cliff. Clive's Life Points fell to 2,200.

"Now, Dark Magician, attack him directly!" shouted Yugi. "Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician aimed his scepter and fired! Clive screamed as the rest of his Life Points were blown away. He fell to his knees.

The holograms shut down, and just like always, their wounds went away.

Yugi came up to Clive.

"You all right, Clive?" he asked.

"So close…" moaned Clive. "I almost beat you, Yugi…"

"You came even closer than you think, Clive," he said. "I was one card away from losing – if I hadn't had the Magic Jammer, you'd have won…"

"Really?" asked Clive.

"Think about it Clive," said Yugi. "Think of what would have happened if Magic Jammer hadn't been there. You'd have increased Cliff's Attack to 2,400 and destroyed Machine King."

"And?" asked Clive. "You'd have lost one hundred Life Points, that's it…"

"Well," said Yugi, "Cliff can enact one of two effects when he damages someone's Life Points – destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field, or force the opponent to discard two cards from the top of his deck. I'd have had no Spell or Trap Cards on the field, so you would have used the latter option. Thus, I wouldn't have been able to draw and use Monster Reborn.

"And for the sake of novelty, see what your next draw would have been if you had lasted one more turn…"

Clive drew a card.

"My own Monster Reborn…" he mused.

Yugi smiled.

"You clearly would have used it to bring back Crescent Moon Queen," he said. "And given my next draw in that situation…"

He drew one card, discarded it, and drew again.

"… I'd have been finished. No Monster, Spell, or Trap Card would have stopped her AND your powered-up Cliff the Trap Remover. If it weren't for the Magic Jammer, I'd have been finished.

"Clive, I think you're going to do just fine tomorrow. Now we'd best get some rest – it's late."

"Yeah," sighed Clive, as they shook hands. "But oy… that dark magic sure stings!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Well,_ thought Siegfried, _a good time was had by all. We can only see what tomorrow brings. As far as rest goes, that might be a good idea… maybe the nightmares will leave me alone tonight…_

"I'm going to my own quarters," he said. "If there are any problems, you know what to do. Initiate lockdown at ten o'clock sharp."

"Yes, Master of Games," said the technician.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At midnight, Yugi was sleeping peacefully. His dreams were full of Duel Monsters, as they usually were…

"Yugi…" said a voice. "Oh Yugi…"

He slowly woke up. A voice was calling his name!

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw a figure at the other side of the room. It had glowing red eyes, a muscular frame, and seemed to have wings growing out of its shoulders!

"The Mandate will be mine, Yugi," it snarled. "You will never stop me…"

Yugi's slammed his fist on the button on his bedside table.

"**SECURITY!"** he screamed.

But when he reached for the light, the phantasm vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, five Centurions were in his room.

"A creature with wings?" asked one of them.

"Yeah," shuddered Yugi, "and glowing red eyes."

"I don't get it," said another one, "the Stadium is on lockdown, and there are Centurions everywhere, how could someone have snuck in?"

"Are you calling me a liar?" asked Yugi.

"Well…" said the Centurion.

At that point, Captain Descartes entered. And even though his helmet was on, it was clear that he wasn't happy.

"Answer the question, Sergeant!" he snapped, angrily. "Are you calling Mr. Mouto a liar?"

"No sir!" said the Centurion in fear. "It's just highly unlikely…"

"We all know what happened to this poor kid and his companions on Day Six," shouted Descartes. "The last thing we need now is another living nightmare attacking them!"

He turned to Yugi.

"I am dreadfully sorry, Mr. Mouto," he said. "I assure you that our security team will be reprimanded for this horrible breech in security…"

"Don't be too hard on them," sighed Yugi. "It is possible that this creature had powers that your security system couldn't handle."

"Possibly," said Descartes. "But we will do anything in our power to assure that this… thing doesn't threaten you again. Please try to get some sleep – you'll need strength tomorrow."

He turned to another Centurion.

"Have his room guarded personally," he said. "If anyone tries to get in, and I mean _anyone_ except me or the Master without either of us present, fire at will!"

Yugi wanted to tell him that that wouldn't be necessary, but he figured it was for the best.

As the Centurions left, Yugi thought to himself.

_From what that creature said, I'd wager he was probably Saurius… If he finally decided to show his face, things might truly be starting to heat up in his plans. I only wish I knew what they were… and what I'm supposed to do!_


	34. Big Wave, Small Wave

_**The finals have started at last… And I'm up first. Me versus Orin Tsunami.**_

_**I've got butterflies in my stomach like you wouldn't believe. There's going to be a capacity crowd watching, and I have to duel like I never had to keep from making a fool out of myself. I wonder if Orin is feeling this nervous? Not likely – he could stare a great white shark down.**_

_**It's an unlikely match-up to be certain. Orin plays a Water-based deck, and my Monsters are all Fiends. Fiends are more used to fire than water, even though most Fiend Monsters are of the Dark Attribute.**_

_**Well, I can't give up now. I have to try to do my best, and try to make it past the first round at least. Only problem is, I doubt Orin is going to give less than HIS best. He's going to try just as hard.**_

_**In this duel, all Hell is going to break loose, and I hope it won't be a total washout…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Big Wave, Small Wave**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

At eleven AM the next day, the population of Duelatopia was lining up outside the gates of the Stadium in hopes of scoring good seats.

Reaching the end of a line was Duke Devlin Jr. and his new "girlfriend" (more or less), Little Bo Peep.

They had met shortly after Bo's duel with Yugi. Bo had regained Violet status by then, and was looking for another challenge, one that Duke was happy to provide.

And this time, his Final Countdown didn't fail.

But after that, Duke felt a little sorry for her (losing by Final Countdown isn't pleasant), and bought her dinner. After that, Bo found a map to Imhotep's lair and decided to try her luck. Duke went with her, only to see her defeated. It took a while for Duke to console her and help her get over the shock, but the two became inseparable.

Later, Bo went with Duke when he decided to challenge an Eliminator of his own – The Gatekeeper. Unfortunately, he didn't fare nearly as well as Mary did, and twenty rounds were more than enough time for the elite duelist's Sphinxes to wipe him out. This time, Bo had to console _him_ They decided to stay together and have a good time for the rest of the free vacation – and one other thing interested them…

"So, Mary's in the finals," stated Bo. "Didn't you say you dueled her?"

"Uh huh," sighed Duke. "I almost had her, but she knocked me silly with some super-Warrior I had never even heard of."

"Funny," sighed Bo. "I almost beat Yugi… But he had killer strategy. My Sheep-Attack deck would have had him if not for his Sage's Stone."

"You guys talking about Yugi?" said a figure.

A tall youth in a dark robe walked up.

"A bit early for Halloween, isn't it?" asked Bo, nervously.

"Name's Terone," he said. "I nearly beat Yugi too… but he does know how to combo… I might have recovered anyway, if I wasn't so foolish to go up against an Eliminator…"

"You too?" asked Duke. "The same thing happened to us…"

They all sighed.

"_Excusez-moi Messieurs_," said a voice behind them.

They turned around, and saw Clover in her colorful costume.

"Pardon me for eavesdropping," she said, "but did you mention Mary?"

"Yeah," said Terone. He looked hard at Clover. "And they say my costume is weird."

"Clover, at your service," she smiled, bowing. "Mary dueled me as well – I might have defeated her, but she got lucky and destroyed my Toon World at a crucial time…"

"You play a Toon deck?" exclaimed Duke, somewhat surprised.

"Indeed," affirmed Clover. A sad look came across her face. "But sadly, cartoons couldn't help me from suffering the same fate as you – I ran afoul of an Eliminator named Shelob."

"Shelob?" asked Bo. "As in the monstrous spider in _The Lord of the Rings_?"

"Yes," said Clover. "She played an Insect deck, and used a Trap to turn my Monsters into Insects; then she played Insect Barrier to stop my direct attacks. Without that edge, It didn't take her long to finish me…"

She shivered. "I expected to become spider food… but she chose to spare me and just dumped me on the street…"

"Yeah," sighed Duke. "Maybe all of their threats are just bluffs…"

"Well anyway," stated Terone, "since we all know some of the finalists, why don't we stay together and do our best to form a small cheering section?"

"Sure!" smiled Bo.

"Of course," agreed Clover.

"I'm in," said Duke.

The four of them put their hands together.

_Of course,_ thought Terone, _there's one other finalist I'm supporting… and I hope this doesn't lead to a conflict of interests…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, in a large, entrance hall, Captain Descartes was talking to the eight finalists and making last minute preparations.

"Okay," he said, "there's one last thing you people need."

He handed them each something that looked like small headset microphones.

"Put these over your heads when you're on," he explained. "They let your voices be heard over the Stadium speakers, so the whole crowd can hear you. If you want to call a time out or otherwise say something that you don't want to be heard, tap the button on the left side to turn it off, and then tap the same button to turn it back on again. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," affirmed Clive.

"You'll be watching from the V.I.P. stands when you aren't the center of attraction. You all will be led there momentarily. So if there are any more questions, you'd best ask them now."

They were all silent.

"Very well," he said. "Follow me."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In one of the highest seats in the stadiums, four men and one woman wearing trenchcoats and sunglasses took their seats.

Their leader gestured, and the white orb appeared in his hand.

"Keep an eye on the proceedings," said Saurius's voice from it. "I want to know every important detail, big or small."

"Yes master," said the leader.

In his throne room, Saurius brooded.

"Well," he said. "All we can do now is watch and learn. Peter is dueling first… I somewhat admire that boy – stocking a deck full of Fiends. There must be some way we can turn his skills to our advantage…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the stroke of noon, music began to play again, and the holographic systems sprung to life. A huge form appeared – it was Mystical Elf, chanting her musical spell.

She opened her eyes and addressed the crowd. "Welcome guests… Let the finals commence!"

She vanished, and Mike Moise and Donna Parisi appeared on the screens.

"Good afternoon everybody!" said Mike. "And welcome to our spectacular quarter-final matches!"

"Today will feature four duels of epic proportions," said Donna, "between the greatest duelists in Duelatopia!"

"So without further ado," stated Mike, "let's meet out marvelous master of ceremonies…"

"An emcee who needs no introduction," smiled Donna, "the Master of Games!"

As the eight finalists watched from the V.I.P. seating, the armored Master of Games entered the balcony where the golden throne was stationed.

"Welcome, all!" he pronounced. "I'm certain you all are eager to see dueling action today. But first, we are bringing out a surprise guest – namely our guest referee! Donna, Mike, do the honors!"

He sat down in the chair.

"Gladly, Master of Games," started Mike. "Thirty-seven years ago, when still a tender age, this individual had the important job of rules commissioner of the Battle City Tournament. He wasn't much of a duelist then, but he had more exposure to great duelists in a typical week than most people do their entire lives."

"And throughout the years," continued Donna, "he's remained a good friend and ally of KaibaCorp, and a member of the family, in more ways than one. Everyone put your hands together… for Mokuba Kaiba!"

Yugi and Mary certainly took notice, as a large door opened opposite them. A man in his late forties walked out, with black hair worn slightly long, wearing sunglasses and the trademark striped shirt of a football referee.

Yugi had never met Siegfried's father, the younger brother of his father's old rival, but he had heard many stories about Mokuba. He was pretty much the only person Seto ever cared for other than himself – presumably until Siegfried came along. And unlike Seto, Mokuba had a lot of respect for Yugi and Mary's fathers.

He was somewhat surprised to see Mokuba here, but it wasn't too much of a shock. When he thought about it, what other "guest referee" was there whose identity would be kept hidden until the last moment?

Mokuba tapped his own microphone to see if it was working, and cleared his throat. "Is this thing on?" he asked.

He cleared his throat again

"Again," he said. "Welcome. And let's start the show!"

"I guess that means we're up, Orin," sighed Peter, as the two of them stood up. "Let me just wish you good luck."

"Good luck from me too," replied Orin. "But just let me say that I give no mercy, nor do I expect any from you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," said Peter.

As the two headed out onto the field, the crowd started to cheer. Donna and Mike spoke up.

"Let's introduce our first two finalists," announced Mike. "First, standing five-foot-ten, and weighing two-hundred pounds – all muscle – hailing from Osaka, Japan, but at home anywhere there's a shoreline or a port, Orin Tsunami!"

The screens focused on Orin, and at the same time, a picture of his face came up on two main screens on either end of the stadium, in the upper left of each screen. There was ample space below his picture.

_Wonder what that's for?_ thought Yugi.

"Orin will be using a deck that he calls 'Scion of Poseidon'," said Donna.

"Catchy name," replied Mike.

"And his opponent," continued Donna. "Hailing from Domino City, Japan, standing five-foot-two and weighing one-hundred-fifty pounds, an artistic-eyed youth with a flair for the dramatic, Peter Ramset!"

The screens fell on Peter's face, and his image appeared on the two screens, next to Orin's in the upper left.

"Peter will be using a deck that he calls 'Divine Comedy'," said Mike.

"You ever read that book, Mike?" asked Donna.

"I'm waiting for the movie," replied Mike. "And now it's time for our referee to get things started."

The two opponents went up to Mokuba where two attendants with trays were waiting. He took a golden coin from his pocket.

"The winner of the coin toss will decide who draws first in this duel," explained Mokuba. "This is heads…"

He turned it.

"…this is tails. Who will call it?"

"You go ahead, Peter," said Orin, his voice echoing over the speakers.

Mokuba flipped the coin.

"Heads!" called Peter.

The coin hit the floor.

"Heads it is," said Mokuba. "Peter?"

"I'll go first," he said.

"Then each of you shuffle each other's decks," said Mokuba.

The attendants held out the trays, and the two of them placed their decks on them. They switched places, and they each shuffled them.

The two of them returned the decks to their owners. They plugged the decks into their Disks.

"Now shake hands and get into position," ordered Mokuba.

The two clasped hands.

"May the best man win," said Peter.

"I intend to!" smiled Orin.

They stepped apart, and their Disks flicked into position, a ring of lights flashed on all sides of them, as the improved holo-imagers kicked in.

"Now the scores will be set," said Mokuba.

The numbers 8,000 appeared on the big screen next to Orin and Peter's images.

The two made their draws. Mokuba took a handkerchief out of his pocket

"The first match of the quarter-finals has begun! It's time to duel!"

He dropped the handkerchief on the floor.

_Well,_ thought Clive. _Here we go. Good luck bro… I should know that Orin is no slouch…_

Peter made his first draw.

_Great,_ he thought. _My first hand of cards in the finals and all I get is crap. Well, I hope this works…_

"I'll set one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

The hidden Monster appeared in front of him.

"Well, it looks like Peter is off to a slow start," stated Mike. "But you never know with a facedown Monster…"

Orin drew.

"My move now, landlubber," he replied. "And I'll summon Red Archery Girl in Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the beautiful mermaid appeared in her clamshell with her bow drawn. (1,400/1,500)

At this point, a portrait of Red Archery Girl, along with her stats, appeared below Orin's portrait on the largest screen.

"Attack his facedown Monster!" commanded Orin. "Arrow of Atlantis!"

Red Archery Girl giggled and fired her bow…

A Monster appeared on Peter's facedown card – the sly-looking Feral Imp. (1,300/1,400)

The Imp swatted away the arrow, and it landed broken on the ground.

And at that point, a portrait of Feral Imp and its stats appeared under Peter's portrait.

"Looks like that exchange was a draw, pal," smiled Peter. "Do try harder next time, or this is going to be boring!"

"Oh, I'll do more than try," warned Orin.

"Well, it seems _both_ of our finalists are off to slow starts," sighed Donna, "but I have a feeling that this is the calm before the storm."

_You couldn't be more right,_ thought Orin. _Little does Peter know the horrors I have waiting to unleash…_

Peter drew.

"You'd best have something better than that wimpy Imp if you want to stay afloat," warned Orin.

"Will this do?" asked Peter. "Feral Imp may be wimpy, but I'll Tribute him to bring forth a fiendish nobleman who'll bring chills down your spine!"

He placed the card down and Feral Imp vanished.

"Meet The Earl of Demise!" yelled Peter, triumphantly.

A ghostly form appeared, resembling a ghoulish creature in a tattered nobleman's outfit. He bore a slender rapier. (2,000/700)

Red Archery Girl shuddered and peeked out of her shell…

"Go, Earl of Demise!" ordered Peter. "Attack Red Archery Girl with your Sword of Peril!"

The Earl of Demise flew forward; Red Archer Girl screamed as he struck, cutting her in half!

The information on the board changed dramatically as Orin's Life Points dropped to 7,400. The portrait on Peter's side had changed, and the portrait of Red Archery Girl was burned up.

The crowd let out a cheer.

"Peter was right," shuddered Donna, "that Fiend _is_ pretty scary! Maybe we can get Peter to do an encore for Halloween."

"I second the motion," said Mary to Yugi. "I like Peter a lot, but his Monsters always creep me out!"

"Hey," mentioned Yugi. "I'm sure your Red Eyes is pretty scary to whoever is on his receiving end."

"Uh, touché," sighed Mary.

"First blood to you," affirmed Orin, "but it's my move."

He drew.

"Time to change the playing field," he smiled. "Deep breath now, Peter…"

He tapped his Disk, and opened his Field slot.

"…as I play A Legendary Ocean!"

He slid the card into the slot, and the holo-imagers around them blazed. Water started to rise, completely covering them!

"Whoa!" cried Mike. "Better turn on the close-up cameras in the viewing screens, this might be hard to see for those in the upper deck!"

Orin and Peter were submerged (as was Mokuba, but he didn't seem to care), and a beautiful underwater city appeared behind Orin. Beautiful fish started to swim by.

"Like my underwater paradise?" asked Orin.

"I take it you didn't take me here to sightsee," said Peter, nervously.

"Indeed," said Orin, taking a card from his hand. "First, I'll place one card facedown."

He set the facedown card.

"And now," said Orin, "judging by the two Monsters you've summoned and the name of your deck, I'm willing to bet you love Fiends. So I'll summon a Fiend of my own – a sea-Fiend, known as Lobstrocity! In Defense Mode."

He set the card down, and a very peculiar Monster appeared. It looked like a man-sized, humanoid lobster, with powerful pincers and a brown exoskeleton. (1,700/1,500)

"And the ocean terrain boosts the Attack and Defense of all my Water Monsters," explained Orin.

(1,900/1,700)

"So make your move."

Peter drew.

_Seventeen hundred Defense points is still weaker than my Earl's Attack,_ he thought. _I can take that thing out so long as his facedown card doesn't stop me. Just in case…_

"I'll summon Glasya, Duchess of Desire, in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The winged, horned, demoness in her skimpy outfit arose. (800/2,000)

"Wow," sighed Mike. "I don't know whether to be scared or fall in love!"

"Now, Earl of Demise, fillet that fish!" shouted Peter.

The Earl floated forward with his sword.

"I activate my Trap Card," yelled Orin. "Crimson Tide!"

The Trap Card lifted, and A Legendary Ocean became full of a smoky red substance. Peter coughed, as did his two Monsters.

"What?" he said.

"Even the hardiest of sailors fear the disease-ridden currents called Crimson Tide," smiled Orin. "When this card is played in sea terrain, all non-Water Monsters currently on the field lose 500 Attack Points!"

The Earl of Demise's Attack went down to 1,500, while Glasya's went down to 300.

"And since it's too late to call off your attack…" said Orin.

Lobstrocity swatted The Earl of Demise away, and Peter's Life Points fell to 7,800.

"A clever strategy by Orin," noted Donna. "It seems sea life isn't the only hazard you have to watch out for while swimming."

"I end my turn," sighed Peter.

The red cloud cleared, but his Monsters didn't regain their lost Attack points.

Orin drew.

"I'll switch my Lobstrocity into Attack Mode," he said.

The creature rose to its feet.

"And now I'll summon Amphibious Bugroth MK-3, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the large submarine with twin turrets on its back and claws on its front swam into view (1,500/1,300) –) (1,700/1,500)

"Oh no!" gasped Clive. "Orin used that thing against me!"

"What?" said Yugi.

"It's bad news…" moaned Clive.

"Lobstrocity," commanded Orin, "Attack The Earl of Demise with crush claw!"

Lobstrocity swam forward and grasped The Earl of Demise in its pincer, crushing the life out of him. He burst, and Peter's Life Points fell to 7,400.

"Now would be a good time to mention Lobstrocity's special effect," smiled Orin. "When it damages your Life Points, you lose a card from your hand!"

Lobstrocity reached out with its claw and swiped a card from Peter, stuffing it into the discard pile.

"HEY!" yelled Peter.

"An interesting Monster that Lobstrocity," pondered Mike. "Wonder if Orin has a Battle Ox in his deck – if he does, he could make this duel a surf 'n turf!"

"Doesn't seem likely," chuckled Donna.

"And now my Bugroth," ordered Orin, "attack Peter directly with high pressure hydro cannons!"

The Bugroth's turrets glowed, and shot out a stream of compressed water, slamming into Peter! Glasya gasped as he toppled over. His Life Points fell to 5,700.

Peter got up, covered with bruises.

"What the?" gasped Peter. "Glasya was defending me!"

"Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 can bypass your defenses when in ocean terrain," explained Orin.

"Peter's in trouble!" exclaimed Donna. "It's truly sink or swim time!"

Peter drew.

_This might cost me some Life Points when that shellfish attacks,_ he thought. _But I have to destroy that submarine before it gets off another shot…_

"Opticlops in Attack Mode!" he yelled, throwing a card down.

The hulking, one-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Attack the Bugroth!" he yelled. "Fiendish gaze attack!"

Opticlops's single eye glowed, and its energy gaze blasted forth. The submarine exploded.

Orin's Life Points fell slightly to 7,300.

"Impressive," smiled Orin.

"He may not be enough to take down your other Monster," sneered Peter. "But I'll find a way to cook your lobster eventually. So make your move!"

"Ooh, he's mad now!" laughed Mike, as Orin drew.

"I play Pot of Greed," said Orin.

He fit the card into the slot, and drew two new cards.

"Oh, Peter?" he grinned. "You know what you said about cooking my Lobstrocity? You won't be able to do that if I cook it first!"

"Say what?" asked Peter.

"I'm playing a Spell Card," said Orin. "Mystik Wok!"

He played the card, and a huge Chinese wok appeared. Lobstrocity hopped into it, and a fire lit underneath it. Peter thought it impossible that a fire could light underwater, but it was happening anyway.

"With Mystik Wok," explained Orin, "I can sacrifice a Monster, and raise my Life Points by its Attack Score or Defense Score, so I'll sacrifice Lobstrocity and use its Attack Score!"

Lobstrocity melted into energy, and the energy flowed into Orin. His Life Points went up to 9,200. The Mystik Wok vanished.

"Not only is Orin dominating this duel," grinned Donna, "he's managed to take a break for lunch in the middle! Talk about keeping a cool head!"

"Now then," smiled Orin, "I'll place one card facedown…"

He set the facedown card.

"…and I'll summon Mermaid Knight in Attack Mode."

He put another card down, and the fierce, sword wielding mermaid with purple scales and hair appeared. (1,500/700) –) (1,700/900)

"And it's your move, guppy," he mocked. "Have you gotten your sea legs yet?"

"What's he planning?" asked Mary.

"I fear we have only begun to see Orin's strategy," said Jade. "The ocean is one of the deadliest places on the planet. It is wild, untamed, merciless. It has claimed countless lives. Yet, Orin seeks to become the master of the creatures that populate it… whatever he is planning, we can only guess…"

Peter drew.

_I could tip this in my advantage by replacing his Field Card with mine,_ he thought. _But I have to draw it first!_

"Opticlops," he ordered. "Attack Mermaid Knight!"

Opticlops's eye glowed… Mermaid Knight sank back in fear…

"Activate Tornado Wall!" shouted Orin.

"Another Trap?" gasped Peter, as the card lifted.

Suddenly, a wall of waterspouts rose, dividing the two halves of the playing field. Opticlops's beam bounced off the spouts. Mermaid Knight wiped her brow in relief.

"The Continuous Trap Tornado Wall is like a permanent Waboku-effect," said Orin. "So long as we're in A Legendary Ocean, your Monsters can't touch mine… or me."

"Peachy," snarled Peter.

"Orin is leading Peter deeper and deeper into his ultimate goal, whatever that is," noted Mike.

"And I doubt it will be pleasant for Peter," added Donna.

"My turn now," said Orin, drawing.

"And I summon Flying Fish in Attack Mode!"

A small fish with wings swam into view. (800/500) –) (1,000/700)

"This little creature supposedly brings good luck to all who see it," explained Orin. "But I don't think we both can benefit from that boon. I end my turn."

_Can't attack with his Tornado Wall in place…_ thought Peter, reaching for his deck.

He drew.

_Hey, Sakuretsu Armor! Whatever powerful thing he's planning to bring out, this will blow it into chum!_

"I'm setting a card facedown," said Peter, "and ending my turn."

The facedown card appeared behind Opticlops and Glasya.

Orin drew.

"Okay, Peter," he said, "it's time…"

He fit a card into a slot.

"I'm playing the Spell Card… Dimensionhole," he said. "This card transports one of my Monsters to the Different Dimension, removing it from play until my next turn. And I'm using it on my Mermaid Knight."

A large black hole appeared behind Mermaid Knight. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was sucked into it and it closed.

"Well," shrugged Donna. "Orin has made a… strange move."

"Indeed," agreed Mike. "Very odd…"

"You want to tell me why you did that, Orin?" asked Peter.

"It will become clear in a minute or two," said Orin, taking another card from his hand. "In the meantime, A Legendary Ocean downgrades the level of all Water Monsters by one, enabling me to summon my next Monster with one Tribute."

_A Level-Seven Monster?_ thought Peter, starting to sweat. _What on earth am I up against?_

"So I Tribute my Flying Fish," continued Orin, "To summon a beast that will lead to your demise!"

Flying Fish vanished, and a rumbling was heard. A huge rift opened on the floor of A Legendary Ocean, and a huge claw three times the size of Peter came out of it!

"If that's a claw, I don't wanna see the rest of it!" squeaked Donna.

"Don't think we have much choice," shuddered Mike.

The rest of the beast pulled itself out, and the immense form grew, and grew, and grew! The resulting creature filled the whole Legendary Ocean, resembling nothing less than a cross between a whale and a gargantuan moray eel! This thing was rivaled in size only by the Egyptian God Monsters!

"What is THAT?" shouted Mary.

"It's the HUGEST Duel Monster I've ever seen!" gasped Clive.

The great sea monster roared!

"I've saved this guy especially for the finals!" exclaimed Orin. "Peter, say hello to _**Levia-Dragon Daedalus**_!"

(2,600/1,500) –) (2,800/1,700)

"I wouldn't want to go fishing with that guy around," gasped Mike. "He might bite back!"

Peter shook in fear, but then he regained his composure.

_Go ahead you oversized salmon,_ he thought. _I have a Trap all ready for you!_

"And now," smiled Orin, "I'll unleash Daedalus's special effect! Daedalus, absorb all the power of A Legendary Ocean! _Fury of the Maelstrom!_"

"Huh?" pondered Peter. "Fury of the…"

Levia-Dragon Daedalus bellowed, and suddenly, a furious whirlpool enveloped the whole area. Vision became impossible as it seemed like everything was coming undone! Peter was swept off his feet – he heard Opticlops roar and Glasya scream…

"Uh, Donna?" asked Mike. "You have any idea what's going on?"

"No," shuddered Donna. "But I think we'll find out in a minute…"

To those in the stands, it appeared as if the whole Legendary Ocean turned into a whirlpool and eventually flowed down a drain…

Peter slowly got up to his feet. He immediately realized what danger he was in. A Legendary Ocean was gone, as was Orin's Tornado Wall card, but so were both of his Monsters, and the Trap he had placed.

The only thing left on the field was the huge form of Levia-Dragon Daedalus! Its stats had returned to 2,600/1,500, but that was still powerful. Even worse, the destruction of his Monsters had dropped his Life Points to 4,750.

"Now you see the might of Daedalus's special effect," smiled Orin. "It can absorb the whole Ocean to destroy every card on the field aside from itself!"

_That's why he used Dimensionhole on his Mermaid!_ thought Peter. _He was protecting her!_

"Well," stammered Donna, "I know powerful, and THAT is powerful!"

"And since you have nothing at all to defend yourself with," shouted Orin, "Levia-Dragon Daedalus, attack Peter directly!"

Daedalus bore down on Peter…

"NOOOO!" screamed Peter.

Daedalus dove at Peter and closed his jaws around him, swallowing him whole! The crowd went nuts!

"PETER!" yelled Clive.

Daedalus growled for a minute. He roared and then spit Peter out! Peter fell to the ground covered with goo, and his Life Points fell to 2,150.

"Ugh," moaned Peter. "I got… eaten…"

He slowly picked up his cards and got up.

"This is bad, people!" shouted Mary. "Peter's lost most of his Life Points, and Orin has 9,200!"

"As a wise man once said," said Jade, "Do not give up the ship…"

They all gave her dirty looks.

"Okay," she said. "Maybe not the best thing to say…"

"I'll give you a chance to forfeit if you're getting seasick, Peter," smiled Orin.

"No… freakin'… way…" growled Peter.

"Fine," said Orin. "But my mighty leviathan can't be stopped, and I'm going to win this duel and take my victory all the way to the final round. Like the legendary Muhammad Ali, I will take home the trophy!"

"Boxers don't get trophies, you dolt!" threatened Peter, drawing. "They get _belts_! You know what belts are don't you? It's what my Fiends are going to make your Dragon's hide into once they skin it!"

"Ooh, judging from the look on Orin's face, that last jab was _below_ the belt!" laughed Mike.

"Now let's see if Peter can make good on his threat," said Donna.

Peter looked at his card.

"I place one card facedown," he snarled. "And I summon Archfiend Soldier in Defense Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and the demonic, horned General appeared, shielding himself with his cape. (1,900/1,500)

"Make your move," snarled Peter.

"I will," said Orin, drawing. "And now that a turn has passed, Mermaid Knight returns."

The black hole opened again, and Mermaid Knight emerged. (1,500/700)

"Now my great sea-beast," yelled Orin, "attack Archfiend Soldier!"

Levia-Dragon Daedalus roared…

"Not so fast, old salt," yelled Peter. "You aren't dealing with normal Fiends anymore, you're dealing with Archfiends! And Archfiend Soldier's presence allows me to activate this special Trap…"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Archfiend's Curse!" shouted Peter. "This card costs me 1,000 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 1,150.

"…but it cuts the Attack power of both of your Monsters in half!"

Levia-Dragon Daedalus's Attack lowered to 1,300, and Mermaid Knight's lowered to 750!

"And now that your 'great sea beast' is basically a wimp," smiled Peter, "it isn't strong enough to beat Archfiend Soldier's Defense!"

As the huge Monster bore down on Archfiend Soldier, the Fiend stabbed it in the nose with his sword, and Daedalus drew back, whimpering. Orin's Life Points slipped to 9,000.

"Wow, Peter just made a great play!" shouted Mike.

"And Orin isn't too happy!" confirmed Donna.

"I'll end my turn by shifting Mermaid Knight into Defense Mode," growled Orin.

Mermaid Knight shielded herself with her sword.

Peter drew.

"Here's my move," he said. "The Spell Card Reload!"

He fit the card into a slot.

"I put my hand of cards into my deck, they're reshuffled…"

The Disk reshuffled them.

"And I draw a new hand," said Peter, making his draws.

"Now," smiled Peter. "I'll play a Field Spell Card of my own… the incredible Pandemonium!"

He threw the card into his Field slot, and the holo-imagers blazed with flame. Fire erupted around the arena, and the ground turned to iron pavement with a checkerboard pattern. Fiendish castles and evil monuments appeared around them. Smoke and haze filled the air.

"Holy…" gasped Mike.

"Nothing 'holy' about this…" muttered Donna.

The whole crowd was silent for a minute. A few were terrified.

"Like it?" smiled Peter. "Not as serene and beautiful as your Legendary Ocean, but no less exotic. In this realm, I can summon my most powerful Monsters safely.

"And my turn is just starting, Orin. I use the Spell Card, Falling Down!"

He threw it into the slot.

"And I'll use it to target your Mermaid Knight!"

Archfiend Soldier ran forth and Mermaid Knight screamed. In the next moment, he had her! He grabbed her arm with one hand and her hair with another and dragged her over to Peter's side. She hung her head as Archfiend Soldier laughed.

"What are you doing?" asked Orin, aghast.

"_I'm_ not doing anything," said Peter, smugly. "Falling Down allows one of my Archfiends to enslave one of your Monsters… and she'll stay bound for as long as I'm willing to pay 800 Life Points per standby phase."

"You only have 1,150 Life Points," snarled Orin. "That would be foolish. Besides, she has only 750 Attack points now…"

"True," smiled Peter, taking a card, "so I'm going to solve both problems by turning her into an Archfiend…"

He placed the card down.

"I Tribute Mermaid Knight to summon Lesser Fiend!"

Mermaid Knight was engulfed in flames. From out of the flames, a huge beast emerged with sickly yellow skin and four muscular arms! (2,100/1,000)

"All right," said Peter. "Archfiend Soldier, harpoon that whale with dark sword of Perdition attack!"

Archfiend Soldier made a great leap, and landed on the nape of Levia-Dragon Daedalus's neck. He dramatically raised his sword, and plunged it into the beast! Levia-Dragon Daedalus roared in death-throes, and burst in a blast of pixels!

Orin's Life Points went down to 8,300, as the crowd cheered.

"Lesser Fiend, your turn!" commanded Peter. "Attack Orin directly with fiendish fists attack!"

The fiendish ogre leapt at Orin and slugged him with all four of his fists, pummeling him to the ground. Orin's Life Points slipped to 6,100.

The crowd cheered again.

"Peter might just do this!" cheered Clive.

"If he's careful," cautioned Mary. "Orin still has a commanding lead…"

Orin got up, covered with bruises. He drew.

"I play the Spell Card Cost Down," he said, putting a card in a slot. "And I use it to summon Neo Aqua Madoor, in Defense Mode."

He discarded a card, and put a card down.

A huge column of water erupted in front or Orin, and an icy wizard stepped out, wearing brown clothing, with wild white hair. A storm of snow and ice surrounded him. (1,200/3,000)

"Try to get at my Life Points NOW," he dared.

"Could Orin be running out of ideas?" asked Donna. "He's resorted to erecting a defensive wall!"

"True, but that wall is going to be hard to crack," added Mike.

Peter drew.

"I first summon Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode," said Peter, putting a card down.

Flames erupted on his side of the field, and the flaming Infernalqueen arose with a cackle. She covered herself with her wings. (900/1,500)

"And now," continued Peter. "I play the Spell Card Archfiend's Favor!"

He fit it into the slot, and Archfiend Soldier, Lesser Fiend, and Infernalqueen Archfiend turned towards him. Energy flowed from their hands and into Peter.

"So long as Pandemonium is active," said Peter, "this card replenishes my Life Points by 500 for each Fiend on the field!"

His Life Points went up to 2,650.

"And it's your move," he said.

_And next turn, your wall will come tumbling down…_

Orin drew.

"Ugh, I pass this turn," he growled.

"Then I'll draw," said Peter doing so.

"First, I'll switch Infernalqueen Archfiend into Attack Mode," he said.

Infernalqueen raised her wings and bore her claws.

"Now I'll use her effect," said Peter with a smile. "She can raise the Attack power of any Archfiend by 1,000 points… and since, as I told you, Lesser Fiend is considered an Archfiend, I can raise his score to 3,100!"

Infernalqueen laughed and cast a fiery spell at Lesser Fiend. He bathed in the flames, and his Attack score went up.

"WOW!" exclaimed Donna. "That Lesser Fiend is now stronger than a Blue-Eyes! Peter may well have turned this duel around!"

"Lesser Fiend," shouted Peter. "Melt that Neo Aqua Madoor!"

The flaming, flour-armed demon charged and slugged Neo Aqua Madoor, melting him into a puddle of water.

"He didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell!" laughed Mike.

Orin drew back in fear.

"Infernalqueen Archfiend," ordered Peter, "attack Orin directly with cross-the-board-capture attack!"

Infernalqueen's claw blazed with flame, and she sped forward, leaving a fiery wake! She slashed across Orin's chest, leaving a burning gash! His Life Points fell to 5,200.

"Didn't… hurt…" gasped Orin.

"Try this," smiled Peter. "Archfiend Soldier, ATTACK!"

Archfiend Soldier leapt up and stabbed Orin through the chest! He toppled, and his Life Points fell to 3,300.

The crowd cheered again, Peter's supporters among them.

"And by the way, Orin," smiled Peter, "your Neo Aqua Madoor not only is gone, he's _staying_ gone, because anything destroyed by Lesser Fiend is removed from play."

"Peter has narrowed the gap dramatically!" exclaimed Donna. "His Archfiend army seems unstoppable!"

Orin gritted his teeth and clutched his bleeding chest as he drew.

His eyes narrowed.

"I play one card facedown," he said. "And I summon Island Turtle in Defense Mode."

First the facedown card appeared, and then a gigantic turtle arose, with trees and shrubbery on its back. (1,100/2,000)

"I end my turn," said Orin.

_Okay,_ thought Peter, drawing. _Can't be too self-confident now… best not attack that Turtle while he has that facedown card in play…_

He looked at his card.

"I summon Darkbishop Archfiend in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a spout of foul water rose up. The demonic bishop arose. (300/1,400)

Orin smiled.

"You fell right into my Trap, Peter!" he shouted, tapping his Disk. "Torrential Tribute will wash all your Archfiends away!"

The Trap Card lifted…

"NO!" shouted Clive. He remembered how Orin had pulled this on him.

A huge tidal wave appeared behind Orin and slammed onto the whole field with a crash, knocking both duelists over!

Peter got up, and the water receded down the sewers of Pandemonium; but all four of his Monsters had gone with it. His Life Points fell to 1,175.

"Of course," said Orin, "to fool you I had to destroy my Island Turtle as well, so I lose 500 Life Points… but you just lost more!"

His Life Points fell to 2,800.

"Fine," said Peter, somewhat angry. "I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown."

He slid the card into a slot, and it appeared in front of him.

"This is truly heating up," said Mike. "Orin is in the lead, but it could go either way at this point…"

Orin drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity," he stated, plugging it in.

Both of them drew until they had six cards.

Orin took a card from his new hand.

"Recognize this card, Peter?" he grinned.

"Another Legendary Ocean card!" said Peter in shock.

"That's right," said Orin, sliding it into his Field slot. "Pandemonium is a nice place, but you know the old saying… there's no place like home…"

At that, the streets of Pandemonium flooded, the fires were extinguished, and the buildings crumbled! The water rose again, and A Legendary Ocean returned.

"If I knew I was going to spend all this duel swimming, Orin, I'd have brought a bathing suit!" scowled Peter.

"Tough talk coming from someone who's about to lose," laughed Orin. "Like I told you before, this place downgrades the level of any Water Monster, so I can summon Deepsea Warrior without a Tribute!"

He put the card down, and a strange Warrior wearing green, finned armor and holding a huge trident appeared (1,600/1,800) –) (1,800/2,000)

"This is it, people!" shouted Donna. "If Peter's facedown card can't save him, this duel is over!"

"Deepsea Warrior, ATTACK!" commanded Orin.

Everyone gasped as the Warrior swam forward…

Peter's card lifted, and the three Waboku priestesses sprang up to block the attack.

A great deal of people sighed in relief.

"All right," growled Orin, "make your move…"

_Have to give it all I've got,_ thought Peter. _Go little by little…_

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the golden lamp appeared in front of him. The huge form of La Jinn floated out. (1,800/1,000)

"And now, I'll add this Equip card," he said. "Dark Energy!"

He plugged the card into a slot, and a huge hand with a black crystal ball appeared. It threw it at la Jinn, and his Attack Power went up to 2,100.

"Go La Jinn," shouted Peter. "Attack Deepsea Warrior with mystical magic attack!"

La Jinn cast a powerful spell, and shot it forth at Deepsea Warrior, obliterating him. Orin's Life Points fell to 2,500.

Orin snarled.

"You're better than I imagined, Peter," he said. "But I'm far from finished yet…"

He drew.

"Now I'll summon a Monster that you simply can't defeat so long as my Legendary Ocean is in play," he said. "I summon The Legendary Fisherman!"

A large form swam out of the depths… it was a huge, bare-chested Warrior, riding a huge shark and holding a wicked harpoon! (1,850/1,650) –) (2,050/1,850)

"The Legendary Fisherman!" exclaimed Mike, as the portrait of the Warrior appeared below Orin's. "Now Peter may _really_ be in trouble!"

"You know this Monster?" asked Donna.

"Indeed I do," said Mike. "So long as The Legendary Fisherman is in ocean terrain, he's immune to Spell Cards, AND cannot be defeated in battle! Peter may well be in over his head, in more ways than one!"

"Now," said Orin, "I'll make my Fisherman stronger, with Power of Kaishin!"

He slid the Equip card into a slot, and a glowing golden axe appeared above The Legendary Fisherman. He threw his harpoon aside and grabbed it, and his Attack score rose to 2,350.

"Now my Legendary Fisherman, attack that genie with Kaishin Axe attack!"

Electricity shot from the Kaishin axe, and The Legendary Fisherman swam forward on his mount, smiting La Jinn! The genie groaned, and vanished in a burst of green dust.

Peter's Life Points fell to 875.

"And finally," exclaimed Orin, "I'll use this accessory card, the mighty Triton's Trumpet!"

He put the Spell Card into another slot, and the beautiful conch horn appeared over The Legendary Fisherman. He grabbed the conch and blew it, and its musical tone echoed across the whole Ocean. Orin's Life Points shot up to 4,500.

"Orin has turned this duel around again!" exclaimed Donna. "Peter best have something good up his sleeve if he wants to avoid being buried at sea!"

Peter assessed the situation.

_The key to Orin's power is this Ocean,_ he thought. _Taking it away would put a cramp in his style…_

He drew.

Monster Reborn.

_Hmm,_ thought Peter.

_Maybe, just maybe, I can use this Ocean against him!_

He threw a card into a slot.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed.

The Spell Card showed itself.

"I don't have a Monster in my Graveyard that can defeat your Fisherman," said Peter, "so I'll recruit a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

A huge shape started to form around the whole arena.

"He couldn't…" gasped Clive.

"Could he?" muttered Mary.

"He can, and he has!" exclaimed Yugi.

The gargantuan form of Levia-Dragon Daedalus reappeared and roared at Orin! (2,600/1,500) –) (2,800/1,700)

The crowd went crazy again.

"What a surprise twist!" shouted Mike. "Peter has brought back Orin's mightiest Monster for an encore!"

Orin chuckled.

"That's a clever trick, Peter," he grinned. "But I'm afraid it won't work. No Monster can attack The Legendary Fisherman here, no matter how powerful it is!"

"Orin," said Peter, softly, "have you forgotten where we are right now?"

Orin stopped for a moment.

"NO!" he screamed. "Levia-Dragon's special effect!"

"That's right!" laughed Peter. "Time to take a taste of your own medicine! Levia-Dragon Daedalus, absorb the power of the sea! Fury of the Maelstrom!"

Daedalus bellowed again, and once again, the fierce underwater storm raged!

"Whoa!" yelled Donna. "This is beyond belief! Two natural disasters in one duel!"

The water of A Legendary Ocean was sucked down a drain again, and once again, the only thing left was Levia-Dragon Daedalus. Orin's Life Points fell to 3,912. Levia-Dragon Daedalus's stats were back down to 2,600/1,500.

"Now let's see how you like it," chuckled Peter. "Daedalus, lunchtime."

Orin screamed as the huge sea monster bore down on him and gobbled him whole, just as it did to Peter! The crowd went nuts even more than last time!

Levia-Dragon Daedalus growled, and spat Orin out. His Life Points fell to 1,312.

"Maybe I should start calling you Jonah," laughed Peter.

The crown laughed, but Orin was a little too shaken up to enjoy the irony.

He nervously got up and wiped the sea-slime off his outfit. He drew.

"Let's see here…" he stuttered.

"I'll summon Aqua Madoor in Defense Mode!"

He played the Spell Card, and a lesser version of his first frigid sorcerer reappeared. (1,200/2,000)

"Orin is grasping at straws," sighed Mike.

"He may have precious little left in his deck to help," agreed Donna.

Peter drew.

"Ah, perfect," he said.

"Tempting as it is to keep this big guy," he said. "I'm going to Tribute him for someone better…"

He placed a card down, and a hulking dark shape arose.

"Meet Great Maju Garzett!" laughed Peter.

The huge, hairy, horned Fiend in armor appeared before him. (00/00)

"What?" said Orin. "He doesn't have…"

"Any Attack points?" interrupted Peter. "Wrong! The Attack points of Great Maju Garzett are twice the original Attack points of whatever I used as a Tribute to summon him! The Levia-Dragon had 2,600 Attack points, so Great Maju Garzett has 5,200!"

"Good lord!" exclaimed Mike. "Peter has pulled out a Monster that could beat Obelisk the Tormentor!"

"It seems Orin has nowhere to go but up in smoke!" grinned Donna.

"Great Maju Garzett," ordered Peter, "attack his Madoor with hellfire blast attack!"

A ball of flames appeared in Maju's hands and he hurled it forward, blasting Aqua Madoor to vapor!

"And I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," said Peter.

Orin's hand shook as he drew.

_Hey,_ he thought. _Mother Grizzly! All I have to do is set this, and when Peter destroys it, I'll be able to bring out my Tentacle Thug! His Monsters will be helpless, even that Great Maju Garzett!_

"I'll summon a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Orin.

The hidden Monster appeared.

_Okay,_ thought Peter. _What's he up to now?_

He drew.

"Ready for another trip, Orin?" he smiled. "I play my second Pandemonium card!"

He fit the card into a slot, and fire erupted around them again. The infernal city returned.

"I love this place!" laughed Peter. "And now it's time to introduce the newest member of my team…"

He took a card from his hand.

"…I summon Pandemonium Watchbear in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a huge Beast appeared. It was a ferocious bear with red fur, long claws and fangs, wearing a spiked collar attached to a chain. (1,300/1,800)

"I'll also play my Trap Card," said Peter, hitting a button.

The card lifted.

"Altar of the Archfiends!"

The demonic altar appeared behind him.

"What does that do?" asked Orin in fear.

"Glad you asked," responded Peter. "For this Trap to work, I have to sacrifice one Archfiend, and Great Maju Garzett will do nicely…"

Great Maju Garzett mounted the Altar, and he vanished in a column of flames.

"And in return for that," explained Peter, "my Life Points are raised by half of his current Attack Points!"

The flames flowed into Peter, and his Life Points went up to 3,475.

"And it's your move," said Peter.

Orin drew.

"Sorry, Peter, but I'm going to take away your edge!" he shouted. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Pandemonium!"

He threw the card into a slot, and a dark whirlwind erupted over the field.

"No!" gasped Clive. "That Field Card is his only chance!"

But then the Typhoon died down, and Pandemonium remained.

"What?" stuttered Orin. "It should have destroyed your Field Card!"

"Should it have?" smiled Peter.

Pandemonium Watchbear growled.

"Pandemonium Watchbear is the guardian of Pandemonium," said Peter. "So long as he remains on the field, Pandemonium cannot be destroyed. So you just wasted a Spell Card! And a powerful one at that."

Orin cringed.

"I'll summon Skull Mariner in Attack Mode," he said, putting a card down, "and end my turn."

A fog enveloped his side of the field, and a spooky pirate ship with a red hull and a skull in front sailed into view. (1,600/800)

"Okay, that's… creepy," muttered Donna.

"Reminds me of an old poem I read in college," mentioned Mike. "It was called _Rime of the Ancient Mariner _or something. It was pretty interesting – but long…"

"Yeah, but it's not too powerful," said Donna.

Peter drew.

_Still can't risk attacking his facedown card,_ he thought. _I'll bet it has a nasty effect…_

"Desrook Archfiend, in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the fiendish chess rook appeared. (1,100/1,800)

"Okay, that's even creepier than the Mariner," muttered Donna.

"I end my turn," said Peter.

Orin drew.

"I'll summon Great White in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and a huge shark with arms appeared, hovering next to Skull Mariner. (1,600/800)

"And I end my turn," said Orin.

"There seems to be a lull in the action right now," mentioned Mike.

"Don't worry," assured Donna. "I have a feeling that it's about to get exciting again in a minute."

Peter drew.

He laughed.

"Prepare to meet the mighty king of the Archfiends!" he laughed. "I summon Terrorking Archfiend!"

He threw the card down, and a huge flame erupted on his side of the field! The monstrous Terrorking arose, and roared! (2,000/1,500).

"Yup, I was right," smiled Donna.

"Terrorking," ordered Peter. "Take out his facedown Monster with charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking spread his wings and flew forward. Mother Grizzly appeared, and Terrorking leveled a punch which blew her to bits!

"Ha!" laughed Orin. "By destroying my Mother Grizzly, you've activated her potent effect! Now I can…"

"Actually, you can't," grinned Peter.

"Huh?" said Orin.

"When Terrorking Archfiend destroys a Monster, all of the defeated Monster's effects are nullified. But nice try anyway.

"I end my turn."

Orin looked at his deck.

_I have only one chance left…_ he thought.

He drew.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" he said.

He plugged the card into the slot, and the charitable angel appeared, flying into his deck.

He drew three cards.

His eyes opened wide as he looked at them. He made his two discards.

"Now it's time to take control of this duel!" he shouted. "I just drew the card that I can use to summon the most powerful Monster my deck can produce!"

_Most powerful?_ thought Peter. _He has something stronger than Daedalus?_

"Gaze upon the face of defeat!" yelled Orin, thrusting the card forward.

"A Ritual Card!" exclaimed Peter.

"It's a little thing called Omen of Atlantis!" exclaimed Orin, throwing it into the slot.

A huge altar made of seashells and corals, inlaid with giant pearls appeared on his side.

"So, to complete this ceremony I'll offer as sacrifice my Skull Mariner and my Great White…" said Orin.

The two Monsters mounted the Altar, and radiant beams consumed them. The altar vanished, and a huge waterspout rose in front of Orin.

"To summon the mighty god of the sea!" shouted Orin. "**KING NEPTUNE!**"

The waterspout shaped into a huge figure, thirty feet tall! From the waist down, he was a huge sea serpent – from the waist up, he was an elderly yet muscular man, with a flowing white beard and hair, decorated with seaweed. He wore a golden crown inlaid with pears, and carried a massive golden trident. (3,000/2,000)

The crowd started to cheer again.

"Hold the phone," gasped Mike. "I think Orin is truly about to go medieval on Peter's ass!"

"More like mythological!" exclaimed Donna.

"King Neptune," ordered Orin. "Obliterate Terrorking Archfiend with Trident of Thunder!"

Lightning flashed in the sky, and King Neptune aimed his weapon. A lightning bolt shot from it, eradicating Terrorking Archfiend!

Peter's Life Points fell to 2,475.

"Ugh," said Peter. "I activate Desrook's special effect…"

Desrook vanished.

"By sending Desrook to the Graveyard, I can bring Terrorking back," he said.

Terrorking reappeared.

"Whatever you say," said Orin. "And to finish my turn, I'll place one card facedown."

He put his last card into a slot, and it appeared behind King Neptune.

_Even if he does find a way to destroy King Neptune,_ he thought, _my Gift of the Sea Trap Card will let me summon Tentacle Thug, and it will be all over for him._

Peter looked at huge sea deity.

_So now what?_ he thought. _My chances of winning right now are very slim…_

He drew.

_What?_ he thought. _I'd forgotten about this!_

"I place one card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He set the card, and it appeared.

"Fine," said Orin, "I draw…"

"And I activate a Trap!" said Peter, in triumph. "FOOL'S MATE!"

"Fool's Mate!" gasped Clive. "Of course!"

"What does this 'Fool's Mate' do?" asked Jade.

"Just watch," smiled Mary.

The Trap Card lifted, and a storm erupted over Pandemonium.

"What the?" said Orin.

"This is the most powerful Archfiend accessory in existence!" cackled Peter. "It can only be played when Terrorking Archfiend is on the field, and even then, I have to cut my Life Points in half and discard my whole hand…"

He folded his hand, and his Life Points fell to 1,238.

"What's Peter doing?" gasped an astonished Donna. "He'd have to be mad as a hatter to take a risk like that!"

"And in return for that," said Peter, taking his deck, "I get to summon as many Monsters from my deck with the word 'Archfiend' in their names as I have room for… and I have two left…"

He slapped two cards down on his disk.

"So say hello to Shadowknight Archfiend, and Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

A whirlwind blew across the field, and the armored Shadowknight arose. (2,000/1,600). Then a lightning storm erupted on the field, and the mighty twin of Summoned Skull appeared. (2,500/1,200)

"King Neptune is still stronger than both of them!" shouted Orin.

"True," agreed Peter. "But for every Monster I summon with Fool's Mate, I get to destroy one card you have on the field. So say goodbye to your facedown card and your almighty Monster!"

The Trap Card in front of Orin shattered, and then King Neptune screamed and burst into pixels!

_No!_ thought Orin. _He destroyed the Trap Card first, so I couldn't play it!_

His Life Points fell down to 562.

"So finish your turn," said Peter.

Orin looked at the card in his hand.

"I play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…" he said.

"Excellent," said Peter.

He made a draw.

"Terrorking Archfiend, attack!"

Terrorking flew forward. A Jellyfish appeared on the facedown card, and was blasted to… well, to jelly.

"Fine," sighed Orin. "So just finish it…"

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning," ordered Peter, "attack him directly with Archfiend lightning attack!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning powered up, and shot forth his thunderbolts at Orin, knocking him over and depleting his Life Points.

The crowd roared in applause.

"And the winner is..." exclaimed Mokuba, "Peter!"

He went over to Peter and lifted his arm up to the cheers.

"All right bro!" shouted Clive.

Peter went up to Orin.

"You alright Orin?" he asked, offering his hand.

Orin smiled.

"I'm better than alright!" he laughed. "That was the greatest duel I've ever been in, and you were my greatest opponent!"

"Indeed," said the voice of the Master of Games. "You put on quite a show, Peter, bringing us to Hell and back. And via the rules of these finals, you are now allowed to claim a card from Orin's deck…"

"Gee," muttered Peter. "I wouldn't want to…"

"Please," insisted Orin, holding out his deck. "I insist. You deserve it."

"Well, if I must," said Peter. "What was that Water Fiend you had?"

"The Lobstrocity?" asked Orin.

He held out the card.

"Yes, quite a piece of work," said Peter, looking at it. "I'll take good care of it…"

"You bet you will!" warned Orin.

They shook hands, and the crowd cheered again.

The Master of Games spoke up.

"With Peter's victory, he will advance to the next round," he said. "There will now be a fifteen-minute intermission, after which Clive Marris will duel Persephone Amore."

"Whoa, I'm up next?" sighed Clive. "Time sure flies."

In her seat, about ten feet away from him, Persephone (who had remained silent throughout the whole duel) was plotting.

_Time to show Yugi and his friends what I'm truly capable of,_ she thought. _I hope you enjoyed Duelatopia, Clive, because after this, your dueling here is over…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the highest seats, Saurius's henchmen reported back to their master.

"Peter is triumphant, my lord," said one of them.

"I know," said Saurius. "Don't you know that I can watch from here?"

"I just presumed…" said the henchman.

"Don't presume," growled Saurius. "It's bad for you. Anyway, keep watching, and take detailed notes. We're going to need all the info we can soon…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LOBSTROCITY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **When this card inflicts Battle Damage, discard one card at random from your opponent's hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CRIMSON TIDE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **One of the goblins from Goblin Attack force drowning in a red sea.

**Card Description: **Activate when the field is "Umi". Decrease the ATK of all face-up non-WATER Monsters by 500.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**OMEN OF ATLANTIS (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image: **A beautiful altar made of seashells and corals inlaid with giant pearls.

**Card Description: **This card is used to ritual summon "King Neptune." You must offer Monsters whose total Levels equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KING NEPTUNE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Ritual  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **This card can only be Ritual Summoned via the Ritual Spell Card, "Omen of Atlantis".


	35. Hysteric Fairy

_**Peter has won his first match of the finals, and now it's my turn.**_

_**I'm going up against Persephone Amore, a lady whose arrogance is matched only by her ability to be annoying. She's cast her shadow on us throughout this entire tournament.**_

_**I hope I can prevail as well as Peter did. I want to more than anything. Winning this tournament and gaining the prize money will do a lot for me…**_

…_**and for Phoebe.**_

_**Phoebe. Sweet thing… I'll do anything to make you happy. **_

_**And I won't let this egotistical snob stop me from doing it!**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Hysteric Fairy**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes into the fifteen-minute intermission, Clive spoke up to Peter, who was sitting next to him drinking water from a bottle.

"Peter," he mused. "You do realize that if I win this duel, we're going at it tomorrow…"

"Yeah," muttered Peter, "I know."

They were silent for a minute.

"Clive," sighed Peter, "I'm going to cheer you on now, and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If we have to face each other, there'll be no hard feeling from whoever loses."

"Deal," assured Clive.

They shook hands.

Clive looked at something around his neck. His half of the Griggle card, the card he had cut in half and shared with Peter so that they would always remember their friendship. He wondered if wearing it would be right if he and Peter had to duel each other.

But he couldn't worry about that now.

He tied his bandana around his head and looked at Persephone. She glanced over at him.

_Your nicey-nicey talk makes me want to hurl,_ she thought. _Like I said once before, whoever is your friend today might soon be your enemy tomorrow in this business. You all wanted to get to the finals so badly, you all are going to have to deal with it…_

_But if you think I'm going to let you get to the second round, Clive, you're sadly mistaken…_

The music started up again, and the Master of Games arose.

"Welcome back!" he announced. "I hope everyone who had to take a bathroom break has done so, because we're not waiting any more! Over to you, Mike and Donna!"

_Ho boy,_ thought Clive, getting up. _It's showtime_.

He reached for a pouch in his bandoleer and took out the picture of himself and Phoebe.

_I'm going to win this sweetheart,_ he said. _I'm going to make you the happiest girl in the world…_

He put it back. He placed the microphone over his head.

"Good luck Clive!" shouted Yugi, as he and Persephone started onto the field.

"Kick her ass out of this thing!" yelled Mary.

"Knock that tiara right off of her head!" yelled Peter.

"Uh, go Clive," said Jade.

The crowd started to cheer again.

"Let's introduce our finalists for the second match of round one," announced Donna. "Hailing from Rome, Italy, standing five-foot-five and weighing one-hundred-ten pounds, the Dark Fairy Queen, Persephone Amore!"

Persephone raised her arms, and her jewelry glittered in the sunlight. The crowd cheered again.

"She's certainly dressed fit for a queen," said Mike. "And she'll be using a deck that she calls 'A Midsummer Nightmare'."

"She doesn't fool around," stated Donna.

"And her opponent," proclaimed Mike, "from Domino City, Japan, standing five-foot-eight and weighing one-hundred-fifty pounds, a youth with a flair for the seedy side of Duel Monsters, Clive Marris!"

The crowd cheered again.

"Interesting costume he has," stated Donna. "Sort of a dark biker/assassin look. And he'll be using a deck that he calls 'Honor Among Thieves'."

"Let's hope he has honor," said Mike. "And let's also hope that this duel has lots of good old fashioned bloodshed!"

As the coin toss and the shuffling were being done, Mary spoke up to Yugi.

"Think Clive can beat Persephone?" she asked.

"Persephone is tough," answered Yugi. "But Clive is tough himself. He's come leaps and bounds since he started. We've just got to cheer him on and put our faith behind him."

Persephone had won the honor to start, and they took their places. Their Disks flipped into position.

"Okay you two," ordered Mokuba. "I want a good clean duel here. Clive, no navel-gazing. Persephone, no fey curses. It's time to duel!"

Their Disks flipped into place, and the holo-imagers around them activated.

"All right Sephy," said Clive, making his draws, "let's get this started."

"Be careful Clive," smiled Persephone, making hers. "I do bruise easily…"

She smiled sweetly, and made her first draw.

"Let's see, decisions, decisions…" she pondered. "Guess I'll start with this…"

She placed a card down.

"I summon Happy Lover in Defense Mode," she said.

A tiny spherical Fairy with feathered wings on its top and a heart on its forehead flew out of the card, and squeaked. (800/500)

"And I end my turn," she said.

The crowd was dumbfounded, as was Clive.

"Uh, well," muttered Donna, as a portrait of Happy Lover appeared beneath Persephone's portrait, "that… that certainly is cute…"

"Well, 'cute' may cut it in children's beauty pageants," shrugged Mike, "but this is Duel Monsters. And that isn't much of a Monster…"

"You trying to insult me, Sephy?" sneered Clive. "That thing is barely worth my time!"

"Then you aren't going to attack it?" asked Persephone.

"I didn't say that!" snapped Clive, drawing.

He added the card to his hand.

"Let me show you a real Monster," snarled Clive. "A fighter known as The Hunter With 7 Weapons!"

He placed a card down, and a tall form appeared in front of him. It was a tall Warrior with a bald head and a serious face, dressed in leather clothing and armed to the teeth with weapons. (1,000/600)

"Wow, look at that guy!" chuckled Mike. "He's got slicers, dicers, and various face-rearrangers!"

"He's a walking Swiss army knife!" agreed Donna.

"As you can tell from his name," explained Clive. "The Hunter With 7 Weapons has a weapon for every occasion. When summoned, I can name one Type of Monster, and while fighting that Type, he gains a 1,000-point bonus to his Attack Score. So I'm naming Fairies, which means that against any of your Monsters, his Attack Score is 2,000! Not that he needs it to take care of that creampuff!

"Now Hunter, attack Happy Lover!"

The Hunter with 7 Weapons drew a long blade from his coat, and rushed forward, striking Happy Lover and obliterating it.

"I don't think your Happy Lover is very happy now," muttered Clive.

"Ah, too bad," shrugged Persephone.

She made a draw.

"I'll place one card facedown, and summon Petite Angel in Defense Mode," she said.

She placed the cards. The facedown card appeared, and a tiny blue fairy with wings and a halo appeared. (600/900)

"Your move, flyboy," she said.

"Persephone if you think I am impressed, I am NOT!" scowled Clive, drawing. "Hunter, destroy that piece of fluff!"

_Clive, no, her Trap!_ shouted Peter, mentally.

The Hunter ran forward and struck Petite Angel; it burst with a squeak.

_Huh? No Trap?_ thought Peter in wonder.

Persephone drew again.

"I activate my facedown card," she said, grinning.

The card lifted.

"Ultimate Offering!" she announced. "And now I'll use it to summon Dancing Elf and Key Mace #1, both in Defense Mode."

Her Life Points slipped to 7,500, as she put two cards on her disk. A windy elf with dragonfly wings appeared (300/200), and then a small pixie holding a golden key appeared next to it. (400/300)

"Want to go two on two, Sephy?" sneered Clive, drawing. "I can handle that… Mad Dog of Darkness, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the huge dog appeared, drooling. (1,900/1,400)

"Mad Dog of Darkness," he ordered, "take out Dancing Elf!"

Dancing Elf shrieked as Mad Dog leapt. He pounced and she was devoured.

"Hunter, attack Tinkerbelle!" demanded Clive.

The Hunter charged and made a slash at Key Mace. The small pixie dissolved into sparkling dust.

"What is Persephone doing?" asked Donna, now confused.

"Either Clive is up against the world's worst duelist," mused Mike, "or Persephone has something big planned… we just aren't getting it."

Yugi was deep in thought.

_Hold it,_ he thought. _Persephone's strategy seems eerily familiar…_

He held his chin.

_Yes… when I was a child and was learning the game, dad mostly taught me… But one day mom tried to teach me something. I played her… _

_On her first move, she played a Spell Card called The Dark Door, which made me limited to one attack per round, and then started summoning only weak Fairies in Defense Mode. This went on for four of her turns, until on her fifth turn…_

_Oh no… Clive is being led into a trap!_

"It's your move, Persephone," sighed Clive. "Why don't you summon something worthwhile now?"

Persephone smiled as she drew.

"Oh, I will," she grinned, adding the card to her hand. "All this time you've been doing just what I wanted you to do Clive. You fell for it like a ton of bricks!"

She put a card down.

"I summon… Mudora, in Attack Mode!"

Light struck down from the heavens, and a tall form arose. It was a brown-skinned Fairy warrior, with a golden Egyptian-style mask, holding a large sword. (1,500/1,800)

"Very pretty," scowled Clive. "But he can't defeat either of my Monsters."

"Yes he can!" laughed Persephone. "Mudora here gains 200 Attack points for every Fairy in my Graveyard! And since you were kind enough to send four of them there, his Attack is now 2,300!"

Mudora's Attack Score grew.

_I knew it…_ thought Yugi.

"Now, Mudora," shouted Persephone, "attack The Hunter with your Blade of Vengeance!"

Mudora leapt and did a flip, shattering The Hunter With 7 Weapons's blade and running him through!

Clive's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"Persephone's strategy is finally revealed!" exclaimed Donna. "And it was indeed clever!"

The crowd let out a cheer.

"Now Clive is in trouble," said Mike. "Let's see what he has that can stand up to this ferocious Fairy!"

Clive drew.

_There she is!_ he thought. _Command Knight! The card I got to remind me of Phoebe!_

He thought. He looked at another card in his hand.

_Maybe, just maybe I can use her to fool Persephone. It all depends on how anxious she is to defeat me…_

"I'll switch Mad Dog of Darkness to Defense Mode," he said, turning his card.

Mad Dog sat.

He put the card he just drew down.

"And I summon Command Knight in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed.

A bonfire erupted on the field, and the beautiful female Warrior in ceremonial armor appeared. She knelt. (1,200/1,900)

"My Command Knight serves as an inspiration to other Warriors," said Clive. "With her on the field, all of my Warriors gain a bonus to their Attack Score, including herself."

Command Knight's Attack went up to 1,600.

"Huh," said Donna. "Too bad then that Mad Dog of Darkness is a Beast – if it benefited from Command Knight, its Attack would have been equal to Mudora's."

"I end my turn," said Clive.

_Come on,_ thought Clive. _Take the bait!_

Persephone drew.

"So, your Knight can power up Warriors?" she grinned. "Well, we can't have that, can we? Mudora, attack Command Knight!"

Mudora ran, swinging his sword…

And then Mad Dog of Darkness leapt up between them and let out a fierce snarl! Mudora slowly backed away in fear.

"What?" said Persephone.

Clive chuckled.

"Didn't tell you about her _other_ effect," smiled Clive. "So long as there's at least one other Monster on my side of the field, you can't attack her!"

The crowd applauded.

"A brilliant move by Clive!" proclaimed Donna.

"Now let's see if he can make the most out of it," agreed Mike.

"Fine," frowned Persephone, "I'm ending my turn."

Clive drew.

"First, I'll shift Command Knight into Attack Mode," he said.

Command Knight rose, and lifted her sword.

"Say, Persephone," he questioned. "Ever hear of fan dancing?"

"Frankly, no," she said, annoyed.

"It's a popular performance art in Japan," explained Clive. "A dancer uses two fans while dancing to make dramatic moves. Just like my next Warrior…"

He put a card down.

"I Tribute my Mad Dog of Darkness to summon Steel Fan Fighter!"

A whirlwind erupted around Mad Dog, consuming him. As the wind subsided, a dancer in a blue jumpsuit with a long ponytail appeared. He bowed, and opened two large, razor-sharp, steel fans with dragons painted on them. (2,200/1,850)

"And lest we forget about Command Knight's effect…" continued Clive.

Command Knight nodded to Steel Fan Fighter, and his stats changed. (2,600/1,850).

"Steel Fan Fighter, attack Mudora with fan dance!" he shouted.

Steel Fan Fighter capered gracefully and struck Mudora with his weapons. The Fairy fighter dropped his weapon and exploded into a cloud of dust.

"This is certainly something," laughed Mike. "Violent, yet elegant as well!"

Persephone's Life Points dropped to 7,200.

Persephone drew back in fear as Command Knight eagerly eyed her.

"Now, Command Knight, attack her directly with flame blade!" shouted Clive.

Command Knight's sword blazed with fire as she closed in on Persephone. She slashed the Dark Fairy Queen across the chest, and Persephone fell to her knees.

Her Life Points fell to 5,600.

"And Clive takes the lead with a move that's too hot for Persephone to handle!" exclaimed Donna, as the crowd cheered.

"Go Clive!" cheered Peter. "Keep it up!"

Persephone took a deep breath as she got up. She looked at her hand.

_You'll pay for that, Clive,_ she thought.

She drew. She looked at the Spell Card in her hand.

_This will do._

"Watch this combo," she said, fitting a card into a slot. "I play the Continuous Spell Card, Mokey Mokey Smackdown!"

The card appeared on the field. It looked like a picture of an incredibly angry Mokey Mokey with an exclamation point on its head rather than a question mark.

"What does that do?" asked Clive.

"Prepare to find out!" smiled Persephone. "Next, since I still have my Ultimate Offering card, I'll use it again, to summon Dunames Dark Witch and naturally, Mokey Mokey, both in Attack Mode."

Her Life Points fell to 5,100 as she put two Monster Cards down. First, the tall, pretty, female Fairy in a red dress and metallic wings appeared on the field. (1,800/1,050) Then the tiny, white, cubical fairy with little wings and a question mark on its head appeared. (300/100)

"Well, this is another odd strategy…" mused Donna.

"Dunames Dark Witch," ordered Persephone, "attack Steel Fan Fighter!"

The Witch powered up a blast of dark magic.

"What?" gasped Clive. "She'll be destroyed!"

As Dunames Dark Witch shot forth her blast, Steel Fan Fighter spun aside, and swiped with his fan. She was cut in half before exploding into pixels.

Persephone's Life Points dropped to 4,300.

"Okay, Sephy, want to tell me what you're up to?" asked Clive.

"Gladly," smiled Persephone. "Now you'll see the magic of Mokey Mokey Smackdown! When it's active, and a fellow Fairy is destroyed in front of Mokey Mokey, it becomes so angry that its Attack Score becomes 3,000 for the rest of my turn!"

Mokey Mokey's features transformed into something similar to the picture on the Spell Card, and steam shot out of its ears! Its Attack Score skyrocketed!

"Mokey Mokey," laughed Persephone, "attack Steel Fan Fighter with infinite anger burst!"

Blasts of rainbow-colored light shot out of the furious Mokey Mokey's eyes, and Steel Fan Fighter was immolated in a huge explosion!

Clive's Life Points dropped to 7,300. And the crowd cheered again.

"Whoa, nelly," gasped Mike. "That's what happens when you make a tiny Fairy really mad!"

"So," smiled Persephone, "how did you like the taste of my three-card combo?"

"It tastes lousy," muttered Clive.

"Too bad," said Persephone, "Because that was just the appetizer! I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."

She inserted the card, and it appeared in front of her.

"The main course is just starting…" she smiled.

Mokey Mokey calmed down, and its Attack Score returned to 300.

Clive drew.

_That facedown card is a concern,_ he thought, _but she had to keep that weak Mokey Mokey in Attack Mode. If I attack, I could seriously damage her Life Points…_

"I summon Frontier Wiseman in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the royal Spellcaster appeared, holding his tome. (1,600/800)

"Frontier Wiseman, attack Mokey Mokey!" ordered Clive.

The Wiseman lifted his hand and cast a spell at the tiny Fairy.

"Uh uh, Clive," said Persephone, hitting her Disk.

A Waboku card lifted, and the blast was deflected.

"Personally, I saw that coming a mile away," stated Donna.

"Your move, then," said Clive.

Persephone drew.

"I'll play my favorite Spell Card," she announced, "Card of Sanctity!"

She threw it into the slot.

They each made their draws.

She looked at her cards.

"Now to introduce two special guests," she proclaimed. "I first summon Lady Titania in Defense Mode!"

She put a card down, and a wave of dark energy issued forth from her Disk. A pale woman in a dark robe, with long black hair and pointed ears appeared on the field, surrounded by a dark aura. She opened her eyes, and they glowed with pale light! (600/2,000)

"Yeesh!" gasped Peter. "She's a Fairy? I wouldn't want to meet _her_ in an enchanted forest!"

"Don't you remember English class, Peter?" explained Mary. "Titania was the Queen of the Fairies in Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Queen of the Night. Obviously, this is a Dark Fairy…"

"And now," continued Persephone, reaching for her deck, "I'll activate Lady Titania's special effect. "I have to pay 800 Life Points…"

Her Life Points fell to 3,500 as she found a card from her deck. She plugged it back in and it was reshuffled.

"…but now I can special summon her beloved, a more offensive Fairy named Lord Oberon, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and another wave of dark energy flew out of her Disk. A tall man with a long ponytail, the same pointed ears, the same dark aura surrounding him, and a masculine version of his wife's dark robe appeared. He opened his eyes, and they glowed with the same light. (2,000/1,000)

"Figures," muttered Mary. "If she summoned Titania, wouldn't Oberon be far behind?"

"Persephone has summoned two of The Bard's most mystical creations," announced Donna. "And I can bet this is trouble for Clive!"

"Lord Oberon," ordered Persephone, "Attack Frontier Wiseman with dark fairy enchantment!"

Oberon's eyes sparkled, and he reached out with his arms, shooting rays of black magic at his foe. Frontier Wiseman staggered back, and he was consumed by it.

Clive's Life Points fell to 6,900.

"And, since I don't need my Ultimate Offering or Mokey Mokey Smackdown anymore," continued Persephone, "I'll use this Emergency Provisions Spell Card to discard them, and regain my Life Points!"

She fit a card into a slot, and a large mouth appeared, swallowing the Trap and Spell Card. Her Life Points went up to 5,500.

"Your move, flyboy,"

Clive drew.

_Nothing that can take down those two Fairies,_ he said. _I have to defend..._

"I'll shift Command Knight into Defense Mode," he said.

He turned the card, and Command Knight kneeled.

"And I'll also summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in Defense Mode," he continued.

He put another card down, and the armored samurai appeared. He knelt as well. (1,100/1,100) –) (1,500/1,100)

"Make your move," he said.

Persephone drew.

And then she laughed. She laughed out loud.

"Um, I think she got a good card…" said Mike.

"I just drew the most powerful card in my deck!" laughed Persephone. "It will summon a being who will bring you to your knees! Behold the Ritual Card known as Shinato's Ark!"

Yugi actually got up.

"No!" he cried. "Not that!"

Persephone plugged it into the slot.

"But don't take my word for it…" she laughed. "Watch…"

A huge, shining boat with Japanese letters on its sails appeared in front of her.

"For this Ritual, I'll sacrifice both Titania and Oberon…" said Persephone.

The two Fairies clasped hands and flew into the Ark. It vanished in a twinkling of light.

The holo-imagers blazed, and brilliant light shone down, bathing Persephone's side.

"…summoning the lord of all Fairies," shouted Titania, "the greatest of his kind, **Shinato, King of a Higher Plane!**"

The immense, glorious, winged form of Shinato floated down, and his blazing eyes stared at Clive, looking both at him and through him! (3,300/3,000)

"Good lord!" gasped Mike. "Any duelist out there who thinks that Fairies are weak obviously never met THIS guy!"

"Handsome fellow, isn't he?" remarked Persephone. "But wait! There's more! Since summoning Shinato was a special summon, I'll Tribute my Mokey Mokey to summon Airknight Parshath in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and Mokey Mokey vanished. In its place rose a powerful Fairy warrior dressed in blue and gold armor with a feathered cape. His blonde hair waved as if it was in the wind. (1,900/1,400)

Clive gulped as the two Fairies stared at him…

"Airknight Parshath," ordered Persephone, "blow Masaki away with winds of Elysium!"

Airknight Parshath raised his arms, and a blast of wind demolished the samurai!

Clive's Life Points fell to 6,100.

"Not only do you loose 800 Life Points due to my Airknight's built-in Fairy Meteor Crush," explained Persephone, "but when he damages your Life Points, I get to draw one card!"

She drew.

"Now, Shinato," she commanded, "attack Command Knight with Divine Ring!"

Shinato stretched out his hands and fired his six Kanji-marked orbs! Command Knight screamed and burst in a fiery explosion!

_No! Command Knight!_ screamed Clive in his head.

He was more stunned when he looked at his Disk. His Life Points went down to 4,900.

"Huh?" he gasped. "I lost Life Points again?"

"When Shinato destroys a Defense position Monster," said Persephone, "that Monster's original Attack Score is deducted from your Life Points. With these two Fairies on the field, you can't protect yourself by defending!"

She laughed.

"So make your move if you dare!"

"Looks like it might be all over for Clive," sighed Donna. "I don't know WHAT he can summon that will stand up to that creature."

"His next draw had best be something special," agreed Mike.

_Come on, Clive,_ thought Peter.

Clive drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," said Clive, plugging a card into a slot.

The laughing pot appeared, and vanished, as he drew two more cards.

His eyes opened.

_Maybe…_ he thought.

"I'll set one card facedown," he said, fitting it into the slot.

The card appeared.

"And then I'll summon Dark Blade in Attack Mode," he said, "ending my move."

The warrior in dark, metal armor, holding twin swords appeared. (1,800/1,500)

Persephone laughed.

"Sorry, Clive," she laughed. "But there's no way I'm gonna fall for THAT!"

She drew.

"So I'm just going to draw and pass this turn, and turn it over to you."

Clive smiled and drew.

"That's exactly what I hoped you'd do, Sephy," he smiled. "I'm pretty good at laying traps myself."

He put a card down.

"I Tribute Dark Blade for the strongest member of the Dark Scorpions… Gorg the Strong!"

Dark Blade vanished, and the muscle-bound, bald, mace-wielding member of the Dark Scorpion Gang arose. (1,800/1,500)

"Well," stammered Mike. "Clive has certainly played an odd move there…"

"Hmm," mused Donna. "You know, I do believe that the costume that Warrior is wearing is the same costume as Clive is wearing! The Dark Scorpions might be the keystones to Clive's deck!"

Persephone chuckled.

"That was dumb, Clive," she smiled. "You Tributed a Monster for one with exactly the same Attack and Defense Score!"

"That's because Dark Blade couldn't benefit from this card," said Clive, opening his Field slot.

He slid a card into it.

"I use this card to transport us to Scorpion's Den!"

The holo-imagers around them flared, and the floor of the arena was changed to a cavernous floor, where crates and barrels overflowing with, gold, gems, and treasure were strewn about.

"Welcome to the secret home of the Dark Scorpions," smiled Clive, "where they pause to ponder their plunder! And since this is their home, all of them, like Gorg, gain a bonus to their Attack and Defense!"

Gorg's stats changed to 2,300/2,000.

"Very nice," smiled Persephone, "But it still isn't good enough to defeat Shinato."

"True, but I still have my facedown card," grinned Clive. "You made a BIG mistake by not attacking!"

He pushed a button and the facedown card lifted.

"Activate Negative Energy!" he yelled. "This card doubles the Attack of all Dark Monsters!"

Gorg bathed in a dark aura, and his Attack Score went all the way up to 4,600.

"NO!" screamed Persephone. "He's too powerful!"

"Gorg the Strong," shouted Clive, "attack Shinato with Scorpion crush attack!"

Gorg lifted his mace and slammed into the giant Fairy! Shinato let out a cry and burst in a stream of multicolored pyrotechnics!

"ARRGH!" shouted Persephone, as her Life Points fell to 4,200.

"And it gets worse, Persephone," said Clive. "When Gorg damages your Life Points, I can activate one of two effects, and I think I'll activate the one that sends your other Monster back to the top of your deck!"

Airknight Parshath vanished.

"And it's your move," he said.

"Clive has just taken control of this duel!" exclaimed Mike. "His super-powered Warrior might well be unstoppable!"

"Go Clive, go Clive!" shouted Peter.

"He's gonna do it!" giggled Mary.

Persephone seethed in anger.

_Nothing good in my hand that I can summon,_ she thought. _But I have one way to get rid of that chrome dome…_

She drew, getting Airknight Parshath again.

"I'm placing one card facedown, flyboy," she said, "and ending my turn."

The facedown card appeared.

_Huh?_ thought Clive, as he drew. _No Monster?_

He looked at the card he just drew.

_This will be risky, but if I can attack now, I'll have won!_

_And why not have some fun while I'm at it?_

He put a card down.

"I summon another Dark Scorpion," he said. "The lovely Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and Meanae appeared, giving her whip a lash. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/2,300)

"Wow," said Donna. "She reminds me of your last girlfriend, Mike!"

"Don't go there!" sneered Mike.

"Meanae the Thorn," ordered Clive, "attack directly with Scorpion lash!"

Meanae leapt into the air, and vanished in a blur…

"Where'd she go?" gasped Persephone, looking around.

Meanae appeared behind her, and lashed her whip across Persephone's buttocks! She yelped!

Tears started to form in her eyes, and the crowd laughed.

Meanae giggled, and leapt back to Clive's side. Persephone's Life Points fell to 2,700. She glared at Clive in rage…

"Now, Gorg, finish her off!" shouted Clive.

The crowd went silent as Gorg charged.

"Activate Trap!" shouted Persephone, hitting a button. "Raigeki Break!"

The card lifted.

"Now I just have to discard a card, and say goodbye to Gorg the Strong!" said Persephone.

She threw a card into her discard slot, and a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, obliterating Gorg!

Clive's Life Points fell to 3,750.

"Urgh!" he grunted.

He went to his deck.

"Well," he said. "Since Meanae damaged your Life Points, I get to search my deck for another member of the team…"

He pulled a card out.

_And Don Zaloog will do nicely,_ he thought.

He put his deck back, and it was reshuffled.

"Then it's my move," said Persephone.

She drew.

"Persephone just took out Clive's edge right after he took away hers," commented Donna, "and now they're back to square one. We'll just have to see what unfolds now…"

"I'll play _my_ Pot of Greed," she said, placing the card in the slot.

She drew two new cards.

"I'll summon Spirit of the Harp in Defense Mode," said Persephone.

She slapped a card down, and the golden-robed Fairy appeared, playing her large harp. (800/2,000)

"Looks like Persephone has added a musical accompaniment to this duel," responded Mike, "and it does sound lovely."

Clive drew.

Monster Reborn.

_I really should save this for later,_ he thought. _But it may give me an edge now…_

He thought.

_I could use this to summon Shinato, and then Persephone would really be in trouble!_

_But wait… what if she has a plan for that? Persephone isn't an idiot… she knows her cards left from right. Certainly, if Shinato has any weaknesses, she'd know how to exploit them…_

_Best play it safe…_

"I play Monster Reborn," he exclaimed. "And I'll bring back… Command Knight in Attack Mode."

Command Knight reappeared, and assumed a fighting stance. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

Meanae's stats changed to 1,900/2,300.

"I'll end my turn," said Clive.

Persephone gave a sly smile.

_Clever,_ she thought. _You aren't as dumb as I thought, Clive. I know you wanted to resurrect Shinato…_

She looked at a Monster Card in her hand… Jowgen the Spiritualist, a Spellcaster with the power to obliterate any special summoned Monster.

…_and I always keep this guy in my deck in case anyone tries just that. I could summon him right now and do away with Command Knight, but let's see what I draw first…_

She drew.

_Hmm,_ she thought.

"I summon Pixie Knight, in Defense Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and the blue-clad pixie appeared and hid behind her wings. (1,300/200)

"Your move," she said.

Clive drew.

He sighed.

_Phoebe,_ he thought, _I know that you wouldn't mind me doing this… After all, you'll be helping me win…_

He threw a card down.

"I Tribute both Meanae the Thorn and Command Knight to summon the mighty Crescent Moon Queen!" he yelled.

His two Warriors gave him a thumb's up, and they vanished into shadow. The shadow grew, and the ebony-skinned, silver-armored Queen appeared and opened her glowing eyes! (2,600/1,700)

The crowd went crazy in applause.

"Holy, mackerel!" shouted Mike. "Crescent Moon Queen! Where did he get a card that rare?"

"You got me," shrugged Donna. "There are only thirty of those cards in the world!"

_That's right,_ thought Persephone, _and my card supplier will be __**begging**__ me to sell it to him once I win it from Clive!_

Clive paused as the Queen drew her scimitars.

_This will be a risk_, he thought, _but I don't think she can summon anything with more than 1,700 Attack points with no Tribute. So now I'll just clear the board of her two Monsters!_

"Crescent Moon Queen," said Clive. "Attack both her Fairies with crescent sword slash!"

The next moment was a bloodbath. Crescent Moon Queen charged Spirit of the Harp; she screamed as she and her instrument were cut in half! Pixie Knight drew back in fear… and she was cut down as well.

"No mercy from Crescent Moon Queen!" yelled Donna. "And now Clive may have the upper hand."

The Queen backed up, and knelt in Defense Mode.

"Very good Clive," smiled Persephone, smiling. "But now that you sent Pixie Knight to the Card Graveyard, you get to choose a Spell Card from my Graveyard and put it on the top of my deck… choose wisely…"

"Um…" said Clive.

_Let's see…_ he thought. _If I choose Mokey Mokey Smackdown it might cripple her… no, she might bring that thing back and use that combo again… Emergency Provisions is out of the question… best go for broke…_

"Card of Sanctity," he said.

The card flipped out of the slot.

"Why do they always choose that one?" laughed Persephone, putting it at the top of her deck. "Any other moves you'd like to make?"

Clive looked at his hand. "No," he said.

"Then I'll draw," smiled Persephone. "And I'll use the Card of Sanctity you just gave me back…"

They both made their draws.

Persephone laughed.

"Say bye-bye to your Queen!" she laughed. "I summon Hysteric Fairy in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the blue-garbed, bespectacled angel appeared. (1,800/500)

"NO!" shouted Clive. "My Queen is doomed!"

"Geeze, Clive," shrugged Persephone. "I think you're more 'hysteric' than my Fairy is! Hysteric Fairy, attack with hysteric blast!"

Hysteric Fairy formed a crackling ball of light in her hands and hurled it, blowing Crescent Moon Queen away!

Persephone chuckled.

"Now," she continued, "I play the Spell Card Scapegoat!"

She plugged the card into a slot, and the four colorful sheep appeared.

"Huh?" questioned Mike. "Erecting a wall of Scapegoats? What's her game now?"

"Now I'll activate Hysteric Fairy's special effect," said Persephone. "I can sacrifice two Monsters to gain 1,000 Life Points… so if I sacrifice all _four_ Scapegoats, I gain 2,000 Life Points!"

Hysteric Fairy absorbed the four sheep, and a glowing light appeared in her hands. She hurled it at Persephone, and she glowed, as her Life Points went up to 4,700.

"Now then Clive," continued Persephone, taking another card from her hand, "let's play a little game…"

"I'm in no mood for games, Sephy!" scowled Clive, still a little angry.

"This Spell Card lets me, so tough!" smiled Persephone, plugging the card in. "It's called Heavenly Smite! Otherwise known as 'playing with divine fire'…"

The card appeared.

"Heavenly Smite?" said Donna. "I don't like the sound of that…"

_Neither do I…_ thought Clive.

"Here's the deal, Clive," she explained. "Now that I've played this card, the Archlords are going to inflict divine punishment on one of us, and use their messenger – that would be Hysteric Fairy – to do it. Whoever gets smote depends on how lucky you are. Now you get to draw one card from your deck, but first you have to try to guess whether it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap card. If you guess correctly, my own Hysteric Fairy will blast me for 1,000 Life Points of direct damage…"

"And if I guess wrong?" asked Clive, sweating.

"She'll blast _you_ for the same amount," said Persephone, with a smile. "Now make a guess and make it count…"

Clive gulped as he looked at his deck.

"Come on Clive," urged Mary. "Don't mess this one up…"

"Persephone is taking a big risk here," said Donna. "This might really screw up her chances."

"In the meantime," continued Mike. "Let's get a close-up on Clive…"

The screens all focused on Clive…

"Scared Clive?" asked Persephone, in a sweet voice. "You should be scared. The consequences of losing this little game are unpleasant…"

She chuckled.

"I should know…"

"I guess…" muttered Clive, "I guess… Monster Card!"

He drew.

"Well?" asked Persephone.

Clive grimaced and showed the card. Reinforcement of the Army.

Persephone laughed. "Aw, too bad!" she laughed. "Hysteric Fairy, do your stuff!"

Hysteric Fairy flew into the air, and thunder rolled. She pointed at Clive. He covered his head as he was struck by lightning! He screamed!

He picked himself off the ground, and his costume was burned, and smoke was rising from him. His Life Points fell to 2,750.

Some of the crowd gasped, while others applauded. It had been a rather brutal sight.

"You can stick a fork in Clive," chuckled Mike, "he's cooked!"

"Talk about bad luck…" sighed Peter.

"And with that," chuckled Persephone, "I end my turn."

Clive made another draw.

"I summon the leader of the Dark Scorpions," he exclaimed, "Don Zaloog!"

He put the card down, and Don flipped into Attack Mode, brandishing his two weapons. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/2,000)

"Don Zaloog," he shouted. "Attack Hysteric Fairy with Sting of the Scorpions!"

Don leapt up it the air and drove his rapier through Hysteric Fairy! The Fairy groaned, and fell to her knees, vanishing.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 4,600.

"And you haven't seen anything yet!" yelled Clive. "Don?"

Don snatched the Jowgen the Spiritualist card from Persephone's hand and threw it into the discard pile.

_Well,_ thought Persephone. _Not a big loss._

She looked at the last card in her hand.

_But this other guy is useless I get the right card..._

"My move?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Clive.

She drew.

_Perfect!_ she thought.

She flicked open her Field slot.

"Your Scorpion's Den is a nice place, Clive," she said, "but it's time to take trip to a much nicer place…"

She slid a card into the slot.

"I take us to The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

Scorpion's Den melted away, and the whole arena became filled with a starry void. Clouds appeared above and below, and ancient palaces appeared around them.

Don Zaloog's Attack Score reverted to 1,400/1,500.

"Wow," gasped Donna. "This place is beautiful…"

"Reminds me of something I read about in an old book…" said Mike. "I think it was called was called 'Five People You Meet In…' naw…"

"This is the place where all Fairies live," smiled Persephone. "Where the air is sweet, the music is heavenly… and your Monsters can't attack them!"

"Very pretty," muttered Clive, sarcastically.

"And now," she continued, "I'm going to summon a Fairy Lord who, when used at the right time can be more powerful than any Monster…"

She put her last card down on her Disk.

"I summon, in Attack Mode, The Agent of Force – Mars!"

A very tall shape appeared. It was a muscular, male angel with red skin and dark blue feathered wings. He wore a long, maroon kilt made of silk, and a golden headdress. He carried a huge, fancy hammer. (00/00)

"Okay Sephy, I'll bite," asked Clive. "What's the deal with this guy? He has no Attack or Defense Score."

"Let's see how fast you can do the math," said Persephone. "My score right now is 4,600, and yours is 2,750. So what's the difference between them?"

"Uh…" said Clive. "1,850."

"Give the man a prize!" smiled Persephone. "When The Sanctuary in the Sky is in play and I'm in the lead, The Agent of Force has an Attack and Defense Score equal to the difference in our scores!"

The angel raised his hammer, and his stats rose to 1,850/1,850.

"Now, Agent of Force, attack Don Zaloog with Codex Hammer attack!"

The Agent of Force flew forward and smote Don with him mighty hammer, practically smashing him flat. The whole arena shook!

Clive's Life Points fell to 2,300.

"This is truly a match made in heaven!" exclaimed Donna.

"Yeah, but I doubt Clive sees it that way," sighed Mike.

"It's your move, flyboy," dared Persephone.

"Will you stop calling me that?" snarled Clive.

He drew.

"Let's see here…" he said.

He smiled.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" he shouted, throwing the card into the slot.

The cage of Swords crashed down around Persephone and her Fairy.

"Now I have three turns to figure out a way to defeat your Agent and your Sanctuary," said Clive. "But just in case…"

He put a card down.

"…I'll summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Defense Mode."

Cliff appeared in a kneeling position. (1,200/1,000)

"And I'll place one card facedown," he continued.

He put a card into a slot and it appeared in front of him.

"Make your move…" he said.

"I draw…" said Persephone.

She drew.

She chuckled. And then she laughed out loud.

"Why do I have the feeling this is bad news for Clive?" asked Mike.

"Well Clive," smiled Persephone, "it has been a great duel, I'll tell you that. But my next attack is going to wipe you out!"

"What are you talking about?" scowled Clive. "You can't attack while my Swords are in place!"

"Not only can my next Monster attack while your Swords are in place," grinned Persephone, "she can attack you _directly!_ Observe!"

She placed the card down.

"You like hanging around thieves and robbers so much," she said, "I think it's time you were put before a judge. Therefore, I Tribute The Agent of Force – Mars to summon his big sister… The Agent of Judgment – Saturn!"

Thunder rolled over The Sanctuary in the Sky, as The Agent of Force vanished, and another powerful-looking angel appeared. She was dressed like an Egyptian priestess in a white gown and headdress, and had blue skin and blue feathered wings. (2,400/00)

"And how is she supposed to attack me?" said Clive, trying hard not to sound nervous.

"Let's see how fast you can do the math _this_ time," stated Persephone. "NOW how much am I winning by?"

Clive looked at the scores.

"2,300 points, why?" he asked.

"When The Sanctuary in the Sky is active, and I'm winning," explained Persephone, "I can offer The Agent of Judgment – Saturn as a Tribute, and blast you for direct damage equal to the difference in our scores, no matter WHAT barrier stands in the way!"

"No!" gasped Peter.

"I can't watch!" moaned Mary.

"No…" gasped Clive. "That's all I have left!"

"Bingo," smiled Persephone. "The court finds you guilty, Clive! And the sentence… is death!"

She put her thumb down.

"Agent of Judgment, use all your power for ultimate judgment attack!"

The Agent of Judgment – Saturn melted into a nimbus of pure light, and it shot forward, striking Clive and practically consuming him! He let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell to ground, covered head to toe with burns.

His Life Points fell to zero.

Tears formed in his eyes.

_Phoebe..._ he thought. _I'm sorry… I tried…_

"A dramatic conclusion to a dramatic duel!" shouted Mike.

The crowd started to applaud. Mokuba came up to Persephone.

"And Persephone Amore is the winner!" he announced, holding her hand up.

The Master of Games held his chin.

_Unfortunate,_ he thought. _I didn't expect this. Persephone is truly a better duelist than I had first believed… We can only hope that Clive isn't too crushed by this… I'll still need him after this is over…_

Persephone went up to Clive and nudged him with his foot.

"Get up, you loser," she mocked. "Or are you going to stay down there and wallow in self pity?"

The crowd gasped.

"In your dreams…" snarled Clive.

"Yeah, well you know the rules," said Persephone. "So fork over that Crescent Moon Queen!"

Clive gritted his teeth. It was clear that rage was building inside him.

He took the card out of his discard pile and handed it over.

Frankly, Yugi was just as angry, but not surprised.

_That was Clive's most valuable card, Persephone,_ he thought. _You took it just to spite him…_

_Mark my words, you may have won this round, but you won't be getting much farther… I can assure you that…_

Persephone slipped the card into her side deck and smiled.

_One down,_ she thought. _I can barely wait to see what I win in round two!_

The Master of Games stood up.

"We're only half done, people!" he said. "There will be another fifteen-minute intermission, after which Yugi Mouto Jr. will duel Thomas "Nasty" Kanasta! This might be a good time to go for a hot dog, folks, because you won't want to miss what's coming up next!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his throne room, Saurius leaned back on his chair.

"Cursed Fairies," he growled. "My least favorite type of Duel Monster! Oh well… at least Clive has fallen…"

He chuckled and put his hands behind his head.

"That Fairy duelist is cute," he mused. "Perhaps once I seize control of this island she'll make a nice slave girl. We'll see how she likes it when I remove that jewelry and give her a set of chains…"

"Master," said a voice, "if I may speak up…"

The voice came from a tall figure wearing red and gold robes. He had small horns on his forehead, and a neatly trimmed goatee. He was both handsome and sinister at the same time.

"Asmodan?" asked Saurius. "What do you want?"

"If I may speak freely master," said Asmodan, "young Clive may have been defeated, but his deck is still powerful, and he may prove to be a threat when our plans are unleashed…"

"What are you proposing?" asked Saurius.

"I believe I know the perfect one who can destroy him should Yugi and his disciples interfere," said Asmodan. "With a little persuasion, I believe this individual can gain the upper hand over Clive…"

"And who is this person?" asked Saurius.

A globe appeared in Asmodan's hand, and an image appeared in it.

Saurius looked into it.

"That will be tricky," pondered Saurius, "but if you are certain you can make it work, do it."

"Yes, my lord," said Asmodan, turning to leave.

"And no mistakes," said Saurius. "Our goals are in sight, and no foul-ups will be tolerated at this point…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HEAVENLY SMITE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Archlord Zerato on a hill under a stormy sky, overlooking two duelists.

**Card Description: **Activate when you control at least one face-up Fairy-Type Monster. Your opponent declares one Type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap) and then draws one card. If the drawn card is not the Type he declared, he takes 1,000 points of damage. If it is the Type he declared, you take 1,000 points of damage.


	36. Machine Conversion Factory

_**My first Duelatopia challenge was from "Nasty" Kanasta, a loudmouthed American punk who dueled using a Machine deck. I beat him pretty badly, and he ran off swearing revenge.**_

_**I didn't expect to see him again, but apparently he was a better duelist than I figured. He not only recovered from the loss, but he made it all the way to the finals. And as fate would have it, I'm going to have to duel him a second time, in a rematch, in the first round of the finals.**_

_**No problem. I defeated him once, I can do it again…**_

_**I'm pretty sure I can…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Machine Conversion Factory**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and Mary's four-person support group in the spectator seats had heeded the Master's advice; Terone and Clover decided to go to the concession stand.

That left Duke and Little Bo Peep alone… not the wisest idea.

Within a minute after their companions had left, they started kissing each other.

"Duke…" moaned Bo. "All this dueling action makes me so excited… I feel like…"

"Yes…?" he muttered kissing her again.

"Ooh…" she moaned.

"Uh, guys, there are people watching," chuckled Clover's voice.

The two of them broke apart from each other and blushed. They saw Terone and Clover, with armloads of food.

"Uh heh, heh," said Duke, embarrassed.

"People, save it for your hotel," sighed Terone. "Anyway, who's hungry? We've got hot dogs, cheeseburgers, tacos, popcorn, soft pretzels, nachos, the works!"

"Looks good," said Duke. "So Yugi's dueling?"

"And who is he up against?" asked Bo.

"This 'Nasty' Kanasta guy," responded Terone. "I heard he plays a Machine deck."

"Machines…" pondered Clover. She shuffled through her own deck. "I'm not big on Machines, except for my Toon Cannon Soldier, and he's a Toon Machine anyway…"

"I've used a fair amount of Machines myself," mused Duke, "and they can be pretty powerful. They try to overwhelm with crushing strength and power. The way to win against Machines is to try to use their own power against them in some way."

"Well, let's hope Yugi the best," sighed Bo.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Down in the V.I.P. stands, Clive was still sulking. He took out his deck and took out his Command Knight card.

_Well,_ he thought, _at least I still have you…_

"Clive?" mentioned Peter. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine," sighed Clive.

Peter sighed.

"Clive," he muttered, "I know why you wanted to win so badly, it was hardly a secret…"

"Oh?" asked Clive.

"You wanted to win the money for Phoebe didn't you?"

Clive paused. "Maybe," he said.

"I can relate, Clive," sighed Peter. "I'm hoping to win so I can please Josephine…"

"Really?" asked Clive.

"Josephine means a lot to me," said Peter. "You know what her fantasy is? She wants to be married at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. I want to make her dream a reality, and winning the money – and hopefully the big prize – will do so."

"Well," sighed Clive. "Good luck then. Hopefully you can make it where I didn't…"

"And I can at least promise you this," assured Peter. "When I beat Persephone's butt tomorrow, I'll make her give back that Crescent Moon Queen!"

Clive paused.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"Now we'd best support Yugi," said Peter.

"No problem," smiled Clive. "Our boy can handle Kanasta!"

Sitting in the corner of the V.I.P. stands, Kanasta was eyeing Yugi.

_Don't get too self-confident, Yugi,_ he thought. _You may have won by a shutout the last time, but I've gotten better. If I'd have gotten the right cards in my hands that time, I would have unleashed a beast that would have blown you away!_

_And this time, I have a strong hunch that I won't fail… and once I defeat you and win your Machine King, I'll be unstoppable for the rest of this tournament!_

The music started again. A large chest appeared on the field, and opened; a flock of Yata-Garasu flew out and into the sky.

"Guess that means we're up," said Yugi, softly.

"We can do it," said Yami. "We can defeat Kanasta no matter how nasty he is. We've come a long way… don't give up now…"

"I don't intend to," said Yugi.

The Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook him.

He started out onto the field, and Kanasta started out as well.

"Welcome back, guys and dolls!" announced the Master of Games. "And you're just in time for our third match! Here's our announcers once again!"

"Thank you Master of Games!" said Donna. "Our first finalists, hailing from the south side of Chicago, the meanest part of town, standing six feet tall and weighing two-hundred-ten pounds, a guy you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, Thomas 'Nasty' Kanasta!"

Kanasta raised his fist, and the crowd cheered.

"That guy looks like he's _looking_ for a fight!" chuckled Mike. "And that outfit is like something out of a video game – a really _violent_ one! I wouldn't want to duel him alone!"

"Let's hope so," responded Donna. "And Kanasta will be using a deck that he calls 'Advanced Robotics'. I think we can presume what we'll be seeing from him in this competition."

"And his opponent," continued Mike. "From Domino City, standing five-foot-two and weighting one-hundred-twenty pounds, may we present the son of the legendary King of Games, a duelist like none other, Yugi Mouto Jr.!"

The crowd cheered again.

"Man, I wouldn't want to duel HIM in a dark alley either!" gasped Donna.

"And Yugi will be using a deck that he calls "Pride of Yami," explained Mike.

"'Pride of Yami'?" pondered Donna. "I… don't get it…"

"Well, here goes," sighed Bo, as they watched the coin toss.

"Show this punk, Yugi!" shouted Terone.

Kanasta had won the right to start, and they were shuffling.

"I hope those hands are clean, Kanasta," warned Yugi.

"Hey, I won't hurt your deck," assured Kanasta, placing it back on the tray. "YOU, on the other hand…"

"Boy, the trash talk has started before the duel has even started," said Mike. "This might get ugly!"

The two took their positions.

"Okay Yugi," warned Kanasta clearly. "You may have beaten me once before, but I'm back, and I'm ready for you! My Machines are all state-of-the-art, supercharged, and refueled!"

"Batteries not included…" mocked Yugi.

"OOOHHH!" said most of the crowd.

"Keep yappin' squirt," threatened Kanasta. "I'm going to blow you into the next time zone before this is over!"

"All right, all right!" shouted Mokuba. "I want a good clean duel, people! Yugi, no shadow magic. Kanasta, no foul language. It's time to duel!"

Their Disk flicked into position, and the holo-imagers around them flared.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his shadowy chamber, Saurius and his second-in-command watched.

"So," pondered Bezelbub, "Yugi duels for the first time in the finals. This should be interesting."

"Please," said Saurius. "If this Kanasta clown can defeat Yugi, I'd have handed him his intestines by now…

"Still we might learn more about Yugi from this confrontation…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," dared Kanasta, "ready to rumble?"

"Just make your move," frowned Yugi.

Kanasta made his first draw.

"First I will play…" he said, looking at the card, "Hmmm… Graceful Charity!"

He plugged the card into the slot and reached for his deck. The beautiful angel appeared and flew into his deck.

"That let's me…"

"I know what it does!" snarled Yugi. "Everybody uses that card!"

Kanasta frowned. He drew three cards.

He added them to his hand, gave them a look, and discarded two.

"Now then," he continued. "I'll summon Bowganian in Defense Mode."

He put a card down, and a strange Machine appeared. It looked like a large robotic eye with a silver pupil, holding a metal crossbow armed with a sharp metal arrow in front of it, hovering in the air. (1,300/1,000)

"That's an odd looking Monster…" stated Donna.

"Somehow," sighed Mike, "I feel Kanasta has plans for it other than defending his Life Points…"

"And to aid Bowganian," continued Kanasta, "I'll add this Equip Spell Card…"

He fit a card into a slot.

"Adamantium Armor!"

Bowganian turned silver and much shinier.

"Adamantium Armor doubles the Defense of any Machine," he said, "making my Bowganian practically untouchable! And I end my turn."

Bowganian's Defense grew to 2,000.

Yugi drew.

_Can't destroy that Bowganian yet,_ he thought. _but this is a start. If he went through so much trouble to protect Bowganian with that Equip, I doubt he plans to Tribute it._

He put a card down.

"Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" he cried.

The female Warrior with her burning saber appeared. She waved her sword dramatically. (1,600/1,500)

"Whoa, that's one lethal lady," smiled Mike.

"I don't think she's your type," sighed Donna.

Kanasta smiled.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"It's your move," said Yugi.

"Then watch," smiled Kanasta. "As soon as I draw, you'll see the special effect of Bowganian!"

He drew.

Bowganian aimed its crossbow at Yugi, drew back the metal string and fired! The arrow shot forward and struck Yugi in a spray of blood! Yugi fell over with a bolt in his chest! The crowd gasped.

His Life Points fell to 7,400.

"It attacked me?" gasped Yugi. "Directly? In Defense Mode?"

"Every one of my standby phases, Bowganian shoots you for 600 points of damage," laughed Kanasta, "and nothing can block it!"

"And I'm not done yet!" he continued. "I summon Drillago in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a more humanoid Machine appeared. It was tall and lanky, and its whole body, even its head, was covered with drills and screws. (1,600/1,100)

"I don't know about you," laughed Donna, "but I think there's something _screwy_ about that Monster!"

"Feeling nervous, Yugi?" grinned Kanasta. "You should, because when the only Monsters you have on the field have 1,600 Attack points or more, like your Flame Swordmistress there, Drillago can attack you directly!"

"Oh geeze!" gasped Yugi.

"Drillago, attack his Life Points directly!" shouted Kanasta.

The drills on Drillago whirred and spun rapidly, and it bull-rushed Yugi! He screamed as his blood spurted from a dozen wounds!

"YUGI!" screamed Mary.

"Calm down, Mary," said Clive. "He'll hold together."

Yugi gasped for breath as his Life Points fell to 5,800.

"Come on Yugi, hold together…" muttered Clive.

"Kanasta really knows how to drill the point home," chuckled Mike. "And he takes a commanding lead!"

"This looks bad," groaned Terone.

"Don't sweat it," smiled Bo Peep. "Yugi is just playing with this guy, just like he did with me…"

_I hope,_ she thought.

Yugi drew.

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I Tribute my Flame Swordmistress to summon Dark Magician Girl!" he said.

Flame Swordmistress vanished, and a magical circle appeared out of the floor. Dark Magician Girl spun out of it, and struck a dramatic pose. (2,000/1,700)

The crowd cheered, and a bevy of whistles came from the male fans.

"Wow, another gorgeous Monster!" applauded Mike. He sighed. "Too bad these gals are just holograms…"

"I know what you mean," agreed Donna. "I've always found Dark Magician to be quite a handsome guy…"

"Dark Magician Girl," ordered Yugi, "attack Drillago with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt up, spun her scepter and fired, blowing Drillago to bits of metal. Kanasta's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"Now I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," continued Yugi.

He fit the card into the slot, and it appeared in front of him.

"Good," smiled Kanasta. "Now get ready… as I draw!"

He drew, and Bowganian shot another arrow at Yugi! Another bolt planted in his chest, and he toppled over, his Life Points falling to 5,200.

As Yugi got up, Kanasta looked at his card and chuckled.

"Now I'm playing a Spell Card Yugi," he chuckled. "A powerful one called Grave Arm!"

He fit it into a slot.

The ground below Dark Magician Girl started to stir. She looked down curiously…

And then a huge gruesome claw burst up and grabbed her! She shrieked!

"Say goodbye to your Dark Magician Girl, Yugi!" laughed Kanasta. "My Grave Arm will _bury_ her in the Graveyard!"

Yugi could only watch as Dark Magician Girl was pulled under. His Life Points fell to 4,700.

The crowd started to boo.

"Kanasta certainly isn't making many friends here today," sighed Mike.

"You're going to regret that, Kanasta…" snarled Yugi.

"Tough talk, coming from someone with no Monsters on his side," laughed Kanasta. "Now I'll summon Robotic Knight in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the golden android in a cavalier's outfit appeared, holding an energy sword.

"Go Robotic Knight!" shouted Kanasta. "Attack Yugi directly with energy sword slash!"

Robotic Knight lifted his sword, and energy crackled from it. He charged.

"Oh really?" snarled Yugi. "Activate Magic Cylinder!"

"What?" gasped Kanasta.

Yugi hit a button on his Disk, and his facedown card revealed itself. The two Cylinders appeared in the air, and energy flowed from Robotic Knight's sword, collecting in one of them. The energy blasted out of the second one, plowing into Kanasta!

Kanasta grunted and toppled over. His Life Points fell to 6,000.

"A great save by Yugi!" shouted Donna. "I guess Kanasta should have known to look before you leap."

The crowd cheered again.

"All right!" cheered Mary. "He just clobbered him good!"

"Now he just has to get rid of that pesky Bowganian," noted Peter.

"My move," stated Yugi, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"And my card is Breaker the Magical Warrior!" he yelled, putting the card down.

A Spellcaster in fancy crimson robes and a peaked hat carrying a glowing sword and a shield appeared on Yugi's side of the field. The only part of his face you could see were his glowing yellow eyes. (1,600/1,000)

Persephone watched. She was beside herself with fury.

_He got that card from me!_ she thought. _Well, enjoy winning now, Yugi, because soon I'm going to take something even more precious from you…_

"When I summon Breaker," stated Yugi, "I can use his effect to 'break' one Spell or Trap card, and I'm going to use that effect to break your Bowganian's Adamantium Armor!"

Breaker swung his sword forth, and the armor covering Bowganian shattered. Its Defense returned to 1,000.

"Now, Breaker, destroy Bowganian with breaking blade attack!" he shouted.

Breaker leapt up and his sword glowed with light. He brought it down on the Machine, and it exploded.

"And I end my turn," said Yugi.

Kanasta snarled.

"Okay, Yugi," he growled, "you win that round…"

He drew.

He chuckled.

"But now you're in for it. I Tribute my Robotic Knight to summon my high-flying Satellite Cannon, in Attack Mode!"

Robotic Knight transformed into a globe of energy, and the globe shot upwards. It formed into a huge Machine that hovered a hundred feet overhead, which resembled a military satellite, armed with a giant laser. (00/00)

"Gee," muttered Donna. "I didn't know we were going to show this event on satellite television…"

"And I end my turn," smiled Kanasta.

"I don't know how to break this to you, Kanasta," mocked Yugi, "but your Satellite Cannon might look intimidating, but it has zero Attack points."

"Then why don't you attack it?" dared Kanasta with a grin.

_This has got to be a trick,_ thought Yugi. _What secrets is that thing hiding? But I've got to try…_

He drew.

"Breaker, attack Satellite Cannon!" he shouted.

Breaker the Magical Warrior raised his sword…

He looked up at Satellite Cannon.

Then he turned to Yugi and shrugged.

"Well, this is odd," stated Mike. "Looks like Breaker just can't do it!"

Kanasta laughed.

"And just how is your Magical Warrior supposed to reach it, you big dummy?" he chuckled. "Let me explain how Satellite Cannon works. It flies so high that only Monsters of seven stars or greater can reach it in order to attack it. And by the way, it will still defend me from a direct attack, even though it seems out of reach from me as well.

"What's more, on each of my standby phases, it will gain 1,000 points to its Attack and Defense Scores, until I order it to attack. When I order it to attack, the scores will go back to zero, and it will start the cycle again.

"So finish your move!"

"Well," noted Donna, "Yugi is in a sticky situation right now. That Cannon might well become too powerful for him to stop in a matter of just a few turns…"

_Okay…_ thought Yugi, looking at his hand, _things just got a lot more complicated._

_There are six Monsters I can summon from my deck that could attack that thing… Dark Magician, Buster Blader, Dark Magician of Chaos, Guardian Angel Joan, Black Luster Soldier, and naturally, Dark Paladin. But all are hard to summon, and I don't even have one of the right cards in my hand now…_

_And I've got to summon one before in my next two turns, or Satellite Cannon will be too powerful for any of them._

He put a card down.

"I'll end my turn by summoning Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said.

He put a card down, and Mystical Elf arose, chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)

Kanasta drew. Lights flashed on Satellite Cannon's laser. (1,000/1,000)

"I'll summon Battle Footballer," he shouted, "in… Attack Mode!"

The large android athlete arose, and crouched. (1,000/2,100)

"Now, that's another strange move," stated Donna. "Playing a defensive Monster in Attack Mode?"

"Confused?" asked Kanasta. "Maybe this will explain it. I'm using the Spell Card Weapon Change!"

He fit a card into a slot, and a card appeared, with the image of a knight in armor juggling a sword and a shield.

"With this Continuous Spell Card," continued Kanasta, I can spend 700 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 5,300.

"And in return, I can swap the Attack and Defense Scores of one of my Warrior or Machine Monsters until the next end phase of your next turn!"

Battle Footballer's stats became 2,100/1,000.

"Battle Footballer, attack Breaker with blitz tackle attack!" he shouted.

Battle Footballer leapt and tackled Breaker, and the Magical Warrior's weapon and shield flew from him! The Spellcaster was smashed to pieces.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,200.

"An impressive sack by Battle Footballer, and Kanasta has just gained first down!" shouted Mike.

"And since Weapon Change is a Continuous Spell Card, I can do that whenever I want," explained Kanasta. "I'll end my turn."

Yugi drew.

_If he activates Weapon Change again and destroys Mystical Elf,_ he thought, _my chances of summoning anything that can destroy Satellite Cannon will be slim… but he can't destroy this guy…_

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The armored elf appeared, and knelt in defense. (1,400/1,200)

Battle Footballer's stats went back to 1,000/2,100.

"Your move," said Yugi nervously.

Kanasta drew.

Satellite Cannon's gun glowed even brighter! (2,000/2,000)

_I could take out that Mystical Elf,_ he thought. _But that would be a waste of Life Points…_

"I'll shift my Battle Footballer to Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said, turning the card.

Battle Footballer crouched in a defensive position.

Yugi drew.

He smiled.

"You messed up, Kanasta," he smiled.

"Eh?" said Kanasta.

"You really should have used that Weapon Change again to take out my Mystical Elf. It you had, your plan might have succeeded. But you didn't… and now I can do this…

"I Tribute both my Mystical Elf and my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…"

The two Monsters turned into pools of energy, which coalesced into one…

"And summon my mighty Buster Blader!"

The energy took shape, and the intimidating form of Buster Blader arose, brandishing his huge sword! (2,600/2,300)

The crowd cheered again.

"Go Yugi!" shouted Terone.

"Smash that Machine to smithereens!" shouted Bo.

"And guess what, Kanasta?" smiled Yugi. "Buster Blader is a seven-star Monster! Buster Blader, ground that Satellite Cannon with blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader gripped his sword with both hands and hurled it upwards! The blade sailed into the sky and ripped through the huge Satellite! It exploded in a mighty burst, and a shower of burning metal rained down upon the arena!

Kanasta covered his head, as his Life Points fell to 4,700.

"Who needs a missile-defense system when you have Buster Blader around?" laughed Mike.

Buster Blader's sword fell to earth, and he caught it. He glared at Kanasta.

"He did it!" shouted Mary. "He wrecked that Cannon!"

Kanasta was clearly upset.

"Alright," he growled. "So you destroyed my Satellite Cannon. I still have a lot more tricks in store."

"Then let's see one," said Yugi.

"Then maybe this time I'll draw something worth using," frowned Kanasta.

He drew.

"No, this is no good… I'll pass this turn."

"Your funeral," said Yugi, drawing. "Buster Blader, demolish his Battle Footballer!"

Buster Blader charged, and slashed across Battle Footballer, blowing the android apart.

"Your Footballer just got ejected from the game," mocked Yugi. "This won't be good for his endorsements."

"Hilarious," frowned Kanasta.

"Your move," said Yugi.

"Kanasta better play a card this time," said Mike. "He has absolutely nothing on his side to protect him from that mighty Buster Blader…"

Kanasta drew.

"I'll play Pot of Charity," he said, putting a card into a slot. "To activate this card, I gotta remove one Light Monster in my Graveyard from play…"

He punched a command into his Disk.

"So I'll remove my Satellite Cannon. And in return, I can draw three more cards…"

He drew three cards and looked at them.

"Okay Yugi," he said. "Let's test your mind. I'm playing the Spell Card… Question!"

"Question?" asked Yugi.

Kanasta plugged the card into the slot, and it appeared.

"Now then Yugi, you have to try to guess what the first Monster Card is at the bottom of my Graveyard pile! If you guess right, I have to remove it from play. If you get it wrong, I get to special summon it right now. So guess!"

Yugi paused for a minute.

"Well, this is an interesting gambit…" pondered Donna. "Can Yugi remember?"

Everyone quieted down.

"I know what it is, Kanasta," he responded, "Drillago!"

A buzzer buzzed.

"Heh, heh," smiled Kanasta. "Wrong!"

"What do you mean, wrong?" exclaimed Yugi. "It was the first Monster I destroyed!"

"But not the first one I discarded," chuckled Kanasta. "I played Graceful Charity on my first turn, remember? And one of the cards I discarded was a Monster Card!"

Yugi was shocked. He turned to Mokuba.

"I want a ruling on this!" he demanded.

"Sorry, son," said Mokuba, "but I'm afraid the rules are on his side…"

"Well," sighed Mike, "the rules may be on Kanasta's side, but that was a dirty trick, even if it _was_ legal. Yugi never had a chance!"

A card flipped out of Kanasta's discard slot.

"Now here was the right answer," smiled Kanasta. "I summon… Slot Machine!"

A wave of energy appeared on Kanasta's side, and a huge, golden robot shaped like a one-armed bandit with a huge cannon for one arm appeared. (2,000/2,300)

"AND…" grinned Kanasta, taking another card. "You know, 7 Completed works on any Machine, but it's so much more FUN when you use it on this one!"

He fit the Equip card into his slot, and Slot Machine's central window spun until the number "7" came up in it. Its Attack increased to 2,700.

"Slot Machine, attack with photon cannon attack!" he hollered.

Slot Machine raised its cannon and fired a blast of white, blazing energy, vaporizing Buster Blader!

Yugi's Life Points slipped to 4,100.

"Ugh, that dirty rat," scowled Mary.

"Don't worry," assured Peter. "Yugi will think of something… I hope…"

"And I'll end my turn by laying one card facedown," said Kanasta.

He fit the card in the slot, and it appeared behind Slot Machine.

Yugi drew.

_Double Spell,_ he thought.

He pondered.

_I've got an idea…_ he thought.

"Okay, punk," said Yugi, "I'm playing a Spell Card… the powerful Double Spell!"

He fit the card into the slot, and it appeared.

"Huh?" said Kanasta.

"With Double Spell, I can discard another Spell Card and duplicate one that's in your Graveyard!" smiled Yugi. "So, I'll discard my Magic Formula card…"

He made the discard.

"And then duplicate your Grave Arm!"

"WHAT?" gasped Kanasta.

The ground under Slot Machine stirred, and the huge Grave Arm reached up and grabbed Slot Machine!

"MY SLOT MACHINE!" yelled Kanasta.

The Machine was pulled under.

"That's what's called getting a taste of your own medicine," said Yugi.

Kanasta's Life Points fell to 4,025, and the crown went nuts!

"Kanasta is mad now!" shouted Mike. "He's turning purple!"

"Purple?" replied Donna. "More like a shade of mauve!"

"Now I'll summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!" exclaimed Yugi.

The ferocious gator-man leapt forward, swinging his blade. (1,500/1,200)

"All right," cheered Mike. "Let's see him try to wrestle that gator!"

"Attack him directly!" ordered Yugi.

Alligator's Sword leapt forward, and slashed his sword across Kanasta's chest, opening a huge gash! He fell over, and his Life Point fell to 2,525.

"Tee hee," laughed Clover. "This is getting fun!"

"You're lucky you dueled Mary instead of Yugi," warned Bo. "He'd have walloped your butt even worse…"

"Go, Yugi!" shouted Mary. "Put that bully in his place!"

Kanasta got up and clutched his chest.

He drew.

"Well, since my Pot of Charity didn't help me much, I'll play the old fashioned Pot of Greed," he said.

He fit the card into a slot, and the smiling jar appeared.

He made two draws.

"Now I reveal my facedown card," he said. "You remember my Ultimate Offering card, don't you?"

The card lifted.

"I'll use it to summon my Mechanicalchaser, and a second Robotic Knight, both in Attack Mode!"

His Life Points fell to 2,025, as he placed two Monster Cards facedown. First the spherical Machine with spindly arms, wings, a skull-like head, and carrying a long prod appeared. (1,850/800). Then a second android soldier appeared next to it. (1,600/1,800)

"But I'm not ready to attack just yet," he said offhand. "I'll just place one card facedown, and end my turn.

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared facedown, next to Ultimate Offering and Weapon Change.

"Well, this is a true noodle scratcher," pondered Donna. "What could Kanasta be plotting now?"

Yugi looked on in confusion.

_Why didn't he attack?_ he thought. _He could have taken a big chunk out of my Life Points just then…_

He looked at the cards in his hand.

_Summoned Skull could melt those two Machines into molten metal… but there's that facedown card… It could be something deadly…_

He drew.

_Just to be safe…_ he said, looking at it.

"I'll place one card facedown," he said, fitting the card into a slot.

It appeared.

"And now I'll Tribute my Alligator's Sword for the powerful Summoned Skull!"

Alligator's Sword was consumed, and the huge, ferocious, bony Fiend arose! (2,500/1,200)

"Summoned Skull," shouted Yugi, "attack Mechanicalchaser with lightning strike!"

A storm erupted around Summoned Skull! His lightning shot forward…

"Not so fast, Yugi!" shouted Kanasta. "I activate Covering Fire!"

His Trap Card lifted, showing a picture of Mechanicalchaser defending against an attack while Cannon Soldier supported from behind.

"Huh?" asked Yugi, as the lightning enveloped Mechanicalchaser.

"Covering Fire can be activated when I have two or more Monsters on the field and you attack one of them!" laughed Kanasta. "I get to add the Attack Score of one Monster to that of the Monster that's being attacked for the purposes of that attack!

"So, I can add Robotic Knight's Attack Score to Mechanicalchaser's, giving Mechanicalchaser an Attack Score of 3,450!"

"No!" gasped Yugi, as Mechanicalchaser shrugged off the lightning.

"Now counterattack!" shouted Kanasta.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward and rammed his rod into Summoned Skull, electrocuting the Fiend! Summoned Skull was reduced to ashes, and Yugi's Life Points fell to 3,150.

"Kanasta pulled what might be the deadliest Trap in his playbook!" said Mike. "And now it might be all over for Yugi!"

The crowd was getting tense.

Mechanicalchaser's Attack went back to normal.

"No…" gasped Mary. "That punk has him pinned down!"

"He isn't out yet…" said Clive.

"It all depends on what Yugi does next, and what his facedown card is," said Jade. "That might make all the difference… As a wise man once said, it ain't over till it's over."

"Didn't Yogi Berra say that?" asked Peter.

"He was still a wise man," said Jade.

"I'll end my turn," gasped Yugi.

Kanasta drew.

"And now I'll destroy you!" he said. "Just in case you have something up your sleeve, I'll use Dian Keto the Cure Master to increase my Life Points!"

He played the Spell Card, and the god of healing appeared behind him. His Life Points went up to 3,025.

"Now I'll summon Oni Tank T-34 in Attack Mode!" he gloated, slapping a card down.

A huge, green tank with a demonic visage appeared, pointing its turret at Yugi. (1,400/1,700)

"Now to finish you off!" gloated Kanasta. "Mechanicalchaser, attack Yugi directly with electric prod attack!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward.

Yugi hit a button on his Disk, and his Trap Card lifted…

The Machine stabbed him with its prod, and sparks flew! The crowd gasped!

"Yes!" cackled Kanasta. "Rip him a new… huh?"

He looked at the screen.

"His Life Points are untouched?"

He looked at Yugi's Trap Card.

Yugi panted and spoke up.

"I activated my Enchanted Javelin card, Kanasta," he said. "True, you were able to inflict 1,850 points of damage on my Life Points, but I gained it back in the same instant."

"Really?" chuckled Kanasta. "Does that Trap Card work more than once?"

"Unfortunately, no," said Yugi.

"In that case," said Kanasta, "Oni Tank T-34, attack with demonic artillery!"

The tank blasted its cannon, striking Yugi in the chest!

"Oh, that's gotta hurt!" exclaimed Donna.

"Robotic Knight, ATTACK!" shouted Kanasta.

The Knight leapt forward with his energy sword and made a downward slash across Yugi's gut! Yugi gave out a cry and collapsed.

"I stand corrected," laughed Donna. "THAT'S gotta hurt!"

Yugi's Life Points dropped to 150.

"Get up you wimp," mocked Kanasta. "Get up so I can hit you again!"

"Now I know why they call this guy 'Nasty' Kanasta!" exclaimed Mike.

"No!" gasped Mary, with tears in her eyes. "Yugi's gonna lose!"

Persephone started to get upset.

_No…_ she thought. _If Yugi doesn't beat this clown, I'll never get a chance to win his Guardian Angel Joan!_

_I have to do the unthinkable…_

_I have to support Yugi!_

"Get up, Yugi!" she shouted. "Get up and fight! Show everyone here that you're better than this backstreet greaser! Blast those oversized vacuum cleaners!"

Clive looked at her.

_She has some nerve,_ he thought.

Yugi slowly got up.

"You want more, do ya?" gloated Kanasta.

"I won't give up, Kanasta," growled Yugi. "I know now that you are a better duelist than I once thought… possibly smarter as well… but I've defeated better. And it's my draw!"

He drew.

"This worked for you, so I play Pot of Greed!"

He threw the card into his slot.

He drew two new cards and looked at them.

_Huh,_ he thought. _This will be risky if he brings out that Queen Machine… but right now, it's the only thing I have that can give me an edge…_

"I use the Spell Card Brain Control!" he said, throwing a card into a slot.

The fiendish brain appeared.

"Mechanicalchaser, come to me!" he shouted.

The brain's two arms grabbed Mechanicalchaser, bringing it over to Yugi's side.

"And now," he said, putting a card down. "I'll Tribute your Mechanicalchaser to summon Machine King, in Attack Mode!"

Mechanicalchaser vanished into a shower of sparks, and the huge robot arose, his optic sensors flashing, and motors humming. (2,200/2,000)

"Yugi has decided to fight fire with fire, and Machines with Machines!" said Donna. "This could get interesting!"

"With three Machines on the field," shouted Yugi. "Machine King's Attack Score goes up to 2,500!"

Machine King's attack score rose.

"Machine King," yelled Yugi, "Attack Robotic Knight with jet punch attack!"

Machine King raised his arms, and his fists shot forward like rockets, hitting Robotic Knight and blowing it to pieces in a huge explosion!

Kanasta covered his eyes, as his Life Points dropped to 2,125.

Machine King's Attack dropped to 2,400

"And that will end my turn," said Yugi.

Kanasta grinned.

_That was exactly what I wanted you to do, Yugi,_ he thought. _Now all I need to do is draw the right card…_

He drew.

_Well, lucky me…_

"Well Yugi," smiled Kanasta, "that took guts. But apparently you didn't learn from our last duel…"

"You mean…?" asked Yugi.

"That's right," said Kanasta with a grin. "I Tribute my Oni Tank to summon her royal majesty, Queen Machine, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and Oni Tank vanished in an aura of light. The beautiful female android with silvery plating and sharp, delicate fingers rose out of the light, and opened her glowing eyes.

"Aw, crud…" moaned Clive.

"Queen Machine?" said Donna. "Well that was unexpected…"

"Ain't she lovely folks?" smiled Kanasta. "Ain't she a decent piece of titanium? And I'm sure you remember her effect, don't you Yugi? So long as she's on the field, none of my Machines can be attacked by any of yours, making your Machine King dead weight!

"And if you try to summon anything else besides Machine King, she'll destroy it before you manage to summon anything powerful enough to destroy her! And soon, I'll find a way to get rid of your Machine King, and it will be all over!"

"Not likely," sneered Yugi. "Even though my Machine King is unable to attack your Machines, he still gains 100 Attack points for every Machine you summon, a power that Queen Machine doesn't share. So as long as I keep him in Attack Mode, he's safe from your Queen Machine."

"We'll see," smiled Kanasta. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew. He looked at the card.

"I'll place one card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

"Ooh, sneaky," grinned Kanasta, drawing.

"Well, looky what I got!" he said. "My other Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

He plugged it into a slot, and the deity appeared behind him again. His Life Points went up to 3,125.

"This looks bad!" gasped Bo.

"Yugi can still recover," assured Terone. "His deck is full of surprises."

Yugi drew.

"I'll pass for this turn," he said.

Kanasta drew.

And then he laughed. He laughed out loud.

"Now it's the beginning of the end, Yugi!" he said, placing a Monster Card down.

"I summon Cyber Commander in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the android soldier with his rifle appeared. (750/700)

"And now, a Spell Card…" he continued. "Creature Swap!"

He dramatically threw it into the slot.

"Oh geeze…" gasped Mary.

"Creature Swap allows both of us to choose one of our Monsters on the field to swap with the other player!" laughed Kanasta. "I choose Cyber Commander, but since you have only one Monster one the field…"

Two large hands reached down and picked up Cyber Commander and Machine King, and switched their positions.

"Well, I hate to say this," groaned Mike, "but it looks like Yugi's a goner…"

"Now then," laughed Kanasta, "I could attack Cyber Commander right now and win, but I'm not gonna do that…"

"Why not?" snarled Yugi.

"See, Yugi," smiled Kanasta, "in order to really rub your nose in it, and give this audience _quite_ a show, I'm going to give you the premier of the move that's going to let me sweep these finals! I didn't get a chance to do this during our first duel, but I can do it NOW!

"You see Yugi, Machine King and Queen Machine weren't meant to be adversaries. On the world of Duel Monsters, a whole nation of Machines exists, where they rule side by side as consorts. They founded this nation from scratch, building themselves an army of loyal subjects to follow them.

"But Yugi, it's a known fact that no Machine can build itself. Even these two monarchs were built by another being.

"Who was this master crafter? Only Machine King and Queen Machine knew for sure. But legend said that when the time was right, the two consorts could combine their powers to summon their creator…"

He took a card from his hand.

"And I think that time is now! I play Polymerization!"

Machine King and Queen Machine nodded to each other. They clasped hands and leapt into the air. Then they were enveloped in a shining light that shone like the sun…

A huge form descended. It looked like a giant mechanical Vishnu, with eight arms, and glowing optic sensors for eyes, covered with golden armor. It hovered in the air, sitting in the lotus position.

"Presenting," announced Kanasta, "the mightiest Machine of all, _**[B]Mechanicles the Digital Deity![/B]**__"_

(3,500/1,000)

Everyone paused, and then applauded.

Yugi drew back.

"Not only does this guy have Queen Machine's defensive powers," said Kanasta, "But he gains 500 Attack points for every Machine on the field, aside from himself, and there's already one!"

Mechanicles's Attack went up to 4,000.

"But since he's a Fusion Monster, I have to wait one turn to attack, so I'll just wait for you to make your move!"

"Good lord!" gasped Mike. "That thing's power is off the charts! I really should get bigger charts."

"So," pondered Yugi. "This guy built Machine King and Queen Machine. But if what you said is true and no Machine can build itself, then who built Mechanicles?"

Kanasta started to say something and then stopped

Yugi smiled.

"It seems your little fairy tale has a major flaw in it, Kanasta," he said, smiling.

The whole crowd started to laugh.

"Yeah, laugh at me," growled Kanasta. "It doesn't matter if my story is flawed. He's still going to kick your ass!"

"Hey!" shouted Mokuba. "Watch the language, mister!"

"Uh, yeah, sorry… sir…" said Kanasta.

"Rule number one of these finals," chuckled Donna, "don't tick off Mokuba!"

Yugi drew.

_I can use this…_ he said.

"I'm shifting Cyber Commander to Defense Mode," he said.

Cyber Commander knelt.

"And I'm summoning a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said.

He set the card, and the hidden Monster appeared.

"And I'll turn it over to you."

"You think I'm scared of your facedown Monster?" said Kanasta. "Well I'm NOT!"

He drew.

"I summon Disk Magician in Attack Mode!" he said.

He threw the card down, and a small hovering disk appeared. A large, blocky, blue robot materialized out of it and hovered over it. (1,350/1,000)

"And as you can see, it makes my mighty Deity even mightier!"

Mechanicles's Attack Score rose to 4,500.

"Disk Magician, destroy Cyber Commander with deadly disks attack!"

Disk Magician wound up, and threw his arms forward, shooting forth a wave of flying disks, and they slammed into Cyber Commander; the soldier exploded.

Mechanicles Attack Score went back down to 4,000.

"Mechanicles, attack the facedown Monster with digital blast!"

The Digital Deity waved his eight arms and then shot forth a blast of energy that looked like a wave of ones and zeroes. The blast shot towards the facedown Monster…

And the facedown Monster appeared…

"A Morphing Jar?" shouted Kanasta.

The grinning, one-eyed jar laughed, and it was smashed to bits.

"Where the heck did you get a card that rare?" gasped Kanasta.

"That's an interesting story…" said Yugi. "Remind me to tell you about it sometime. In the meantime, I'm afraid we'll both have to discard our hands and draw five new ones…"

"Fine," growled Kanasta.

The both discarded and drew.

Yugi looked at the five cards.

_This plan could work,_ he thought. _So long as he's as anxious to win as I think he is, and my next draw is a good one._

"So, is that your turn?" asked Yugi.

"Yeah," said Kanasta. "Feel free to make your move…"

Yugi drew.

"In that case," said Yugi, "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

He threw the Spell Card into the slot, and the paralyzing Swords crashed down around Kanasta and his two Monsters.

"You think that will stop me?" gloated Kanasta.

"I do," smiled Yugi. "Because my turn isn't over yet. I play… Monster Reborn!"

He put the card in the slot.

"I'll use it to bring back my Dark Magician Girl!" he said.

The ankh appeared, and Dark Magician Girl appeared on it. (2,000/1,700)

The crowd cheered and whistled again.

"Amazing!" shouted Mike. "Yugi has brought his princess back for an encore!"

"Only now she looks kind of mad!" said Donna.

"I'd watch it if I were you, Kanasta," warned Yugi. "She's really angry at you for that cheesy move you made that buried her alive!"

"I'm not scared of her!" threatened Kanasta.

"Really?" smiled Yugi. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Disk Magician!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt into the air, and fired a blast, blowing apart Disk Magician! Its disk fell to the ground with a clatter.

Kanasta's Life Points fell to 2,475.

"And that's my turn," said Yugi.

Kanasta drew.

_Blasted swords,_ he thought. _I can't get rid of them yet, and I can't risk summoning anything else…_

"I pass this turn…" he said.

_Okay,_ thought Yugi. _The whole duel could ride on this draw…_

He drew.

_Perfect,_ he said.

"I play a Spell Card," said Yugi. "The powerful Sage's Stone!"

Little Bo Peep got up.

"I know this!" she gasped. "This is how he beat me!"

Yugi put the card into a slot, and the sparkling gem hovered over Dark Magician Girl.

"The Sage's Stone let's Dark Magician Girl summon her powerful mentor to the field," shouted Yugi. "Arise, Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician Girl squealed with glee, as Dark Magician arose. (2,500/2,100)

"Humph!" grunted Kanasta. "I'm not impressed!"

"Now I'll use a second Spell Card," said Yugi, taking another card from his hand. "It's called Dedication Through Light And Darkness."

He fit it into the slot, and Dark Magician vanished into shadows.

"This allows me to Tribute Dark Magician to bring forth an even stronger Spellcaster…"

A dark form appeared out of the shadows…

"Meet Dark Magician of Chaos!"

The powerful Dark Magician of Chaos emerged, brandishing his staff. He opened his eyes and they blazed with fire! (2,800/2,600)

"Bah!" said Kanasta.

"I'm not done!" exclaimed Yugi. "By summoning Dark Magician of Chaos, I am able to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

He hit a button, and a card slid out of his discard slot.

"And the card I choose… Monster Reborn! Which I'll use to bring Dark Magician back!"

He put the card down, and Dark Magician reappeared beside Dark Magician Girl.

The crowd erupted into applause.

"What a feat of magic!" exclaimed Donna. "Three Spellcasters for the price of one!"

"Yugi obviously has a plan in mind," said Mike. "And I hope he keeps going, because I can barely wait to see what comes next!"

"Big deal!" snarled Kanasta. "So you have three powerful Spellcasters. Mechanicles is still stronger than any of your Three Stooges, and when your Swords wear off, all he has to do is destroy one of them, and you'll lose!"

"I'm afraid it's still my turn, and I still have one card left to play…" stated Yugi.

He fit a Spell Card into a slot.

"It's a mighty Spell Card called Power of the Titans!"

Clouds started to form overhead, and heavenly music started to play. Dark Magician, Dark Magician of Chaos, and Mechanicles the Digital Deity looked up to the clouds…

"Power of the Titans?" asked Kanasta. "What the heck does that do?"

"Simple," said Yugi. "For every Monster of seven stars or higher on the field when this card is played, both of our Life Points are increased by 800 points. There are three such Monsters – my Dark Magician and Dark Magician of Chaos, and your Mechanicles. So we both gain 2,400 Life Points!"

"What's Yugi doing?" shouted Clive. "Has he gone nuts? He's helping Kanasta!"

"With Yugi, it is hard to say…" said Jade.

Light shot up from the three powerful Monsters and into the clouds. A rumble was heard, and then two beams of lightning shot down, striking both Yugi and Kanasta!

Kanasta laughed like a madman. "Such… power!" he exclaimed.

Yugi's Life Points went up to 2,550, and Kanasta's went up to 4,875.

"And now," stated Yugi, "I end my turn."

"Well, thank you!" cackled Kanasta. "I haven't felt an energy rush like _that _since a friend of mine dared me to drink a whole twelve-pack of Jolt!"

"Well, Yugi's strategy is certainly… strange," noted Donna. "He either made a very foolish move, or he's planning something that we can't see."

Kanasta drew. He gave an evil grin.

"And now I'll destroy your Swords with Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He threw the Spell Card into the slot and, the Swords shattered!

"I'm afraid that pathetic attempt to raise your Life Points won't save you, Yugi," he gloated. "I can still wipe you out with one blow!"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play a Spell Card… Limiter Removal!"

He slammed it into the slot. A gauge appeared in mid-air, and started spinning until it broke.

"This will double the attack of Mechanicles the Digital Deity, bringing him all the way up to 7,000 Attack points!"

The crowd gasped as Mechanicles's strength grew to enormous levels.

"Now then," he smiled. "Which one of your Spellcasters to blow away? How about you, gorgeous?"

Dark Magician Girl gulped…

"Yes…" smiled Kanasta. "Mechanicles, attack Dark Magician Girl with digital blast!"

Mechanicles raised his eight arms and powered up…

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Kanasta," said Yugi, softly. "You forgot all about the facedown card I set nine turns ago. And it seems your going to fall for the same trick that you fell for last time. That's going to cost you! Activate… Negate Attack!"

The Trap Card lifted, and Mechanicles's blast was halted by a dome of invisible energy!

"NOOOO!" shouted Kanasta.

"At first I had just set Negate Attack to buy time after you had summoned Queen Machine," said Yugi, calmly. "But after you summoned Mechanicles, I devised a plan. I knew if I raised both of our Life Points using Power of the Titans, you'd be so anxious to defeat me that you'd use Limiter Removal to double his Attack power in order to crash through whatever powerful Monster I had summoned in order to play it.

"Now when you end your turn, your almighty Machine god will fall into a pile of useless junk, and you'll be defenseless.

"There's an old saying, Kanasta, attributed to an American philosopher from the early 20th Century named George Santayana. He said, 'Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.' You didn't learn, so you are doomed.

"So finish your move."

Clive, Peter, and Mary looked at Jade.

"Yes, I have heard the expression," she said. "And it is a very important one."

Kanasta sweat as he looked at his hand.

_I've got nothing that I can summon without a Tribute!_ he said. _And no Trap Cards that can stop him!_

"Uh…" muttered Kanasta. "I'll place three cards facedown, and end my turn…"

As he did that, Mechanicles the Digital Deity fell apart and the pieces fell to the ground with a clatter.

Everyone watched as Yugi drew.

He looked at the card.

"You know, Kanasta, I doubt that any of those three facedown cards are anything but big bluffs… but why take chances when you don't have to?"

He put a card into a slot.

"I play Harpie's Feather Duster!"

A huge feather appeared across the field, and made a sweep! Kanasta's Ultimate Offering, Weapon Change, and three facedown cards were blown away!

"Now then," said Yugi, "about that threat you made about blowing me into the next time zone…"

"Uh…" gasped Kanasta. "Well, I… see I…"

The three Spellcasters took aim.

"Aw crap…" he said.

"ATTACK!" shouted Yugi. "_Dark magic blast!_"

A blast of dark magic the size of a small house enveloped Kanasta as the three mages shot forth their spell, and his scream shook the whole coliseum.

He fell to the ground moaning out cuss words.

"A truly explosive ending!" exclaimed Mike. "And that, as they say, is all they wrote!"

Mokuba came up and lifted Yugi's hand in the air.

"Yugi is the winner!" he said.

The crowd let out a deafening applause.

"All right Yugi!" cheered Clive.

"You go!" shouted Peter.

"Yes!" yelled Clive.

In the stands, Yugi's other supporters were just as pleased.

"I haven't seen a comeback like that since…" cheered Duke. "I _haven't_ seen a comeback like that!"

"I'm just glad he didn't use that move against me!" gulped Bo.

The three Spellcasters waved goodbye before the holo-imagers shut down.

Yugi walked up to Kanasta, who was sitting up.

"Ugh…" he moaned. "Did someone get the number of that truck?"

"Enough with the jokes, Kanasta," growled Yugi. "I win. And you can hand over the Queen Machine card. She'll just cause more trouble in your hands!"

"What?" gasped Kanasta. "No way!"

"Give it to him, Kanasta," ordered Mokuba, "or I'll have the Centurions _make_ you give it to him."

"All right, all right!" gasped Kanasta in panic. "You don't have to threaten me."

He took the Monster Card out of his discard pile and handed it over.

Kanasta walked away as Yugi looked at the card.

_Queen Machine is a creature of Light who protects her kind,_ said Yugi. _She's a noble creature… she certainly didn't belong to be in the deck of a scoundrel like Kanasta…_

He rebuilt his deck.

_I'm certain she'll be happier with me…_ he thought, as he put the card in his deck.

The Master of Games arose.

"There'll be another fifteen minute break, people," he said. "And then be here for the last duel of the day… Jade Valentine versus Mary Wheeler! If you've liked what you've seen so far, I don't think what's coming up is going to disappoint!"

Mary looked at Jade. Jade glanced back.

_Man,_ thought Mary. _This is what I've been dreading this whole time…_

She paused.

_Me against Jade… I've wondered if it would ever come to this again since she beat me in the Duelist Labyrinth finals…_

_Do I even stand a chance?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his throne room, Saurius was watching the proceedings with Mordent by his side.

"Kanasta really screwed up," said Mordent. "Why did he fall for that trick?

"Because," snarled Saurius, "Kanasta is like you, _stupid_! Yugi, on the other hand, is smart, like me."

He waved his hand over the globe, and it replayed the last scene of the duel.

"Yugi knew that with a Monster as powerful as Mechanicles, he couldn't defeat his foe with strength alone, so he had to outsmart him. He lulled Kanasta into a false sense of security, making the dimwit believe that playing Power of the Titans was a big mistake, when in actuality, it was all part of a complex and long-term plan to lead him into a trap.

"Yugi is certainly a worthy adversary – I'll admit that. I'm not like the jerks his sire faced…"

"Oh?" said Mordent.

"I researched Yugi Jr.'s father, the great Yugi Mouto Sr.," said Saurius. "He faced a lot of enemies in his time… people like Pegasus, Marik, and Dartz… These men were all different in their idiosyncrasies, but they shared one thing in common."

He paused.

"They were overconfident, and weighed down by ego. They were powerful, but they didn't know the limits of their power, and they underestimated the power of their enemy. That led to their defeat. The same was true of Anastasia and Remi.

"But as Yugi quoted so excellently, 'Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.' I will _not _repeat the mistakes that the Mouto family's foes made; I can be more cautious – and when Yugi decides to face me, he will be defeated… He and his disciples will fall…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ADAMANTIUM ARMOR (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A robot having silvery metal plating attached to it.

**Card Description: **Equip only to a Machine-Type Monster. Double the base DEF of the Equipped Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**POWER OF THE TITANS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A duelist in a grand hall under statues of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Sorcerer of Dark Magic, Mazera DeVille, and Archlord Zerato.

**Card Description: **For every Level 7 or higher Monster face-up on the field, both players gain 800 Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MECHANICLES THE DIGITAL DEITY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 3,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **_Machine King + Queen Machine_

When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select any Machine-Type Monsters as the target of attacks. This card gains 500 Attack Points for each Machine-Type Monster on the field, except this card.


	37. The Warrior Returning Alive

_**I'm up next in the first round of these finals, and my opponent is Jade.**_

_**Well hurrah for me.**_

_**I suppose this rivalry goes back a long time. My dad and her mom were friendly rivals when they were our age – he was the first one who ever defeated her in a duel, way back in Duelist Kingdom. Jade isn't as egotistical or sarcastic as Mai Valentine was. Far from it. But she's just as skilled, and her deck is just as deadly. Her Monsters are tough creatures. Not to mention the fact that she could likely break me in half – or cut me to pieces – if I ever dared to challenge her to a fistfight. **_

_**I don't mind admitting something… I'm scared. I don't know if I can beat Jade…**_

_**Heck, I don't know if I can stand up to her without making a complete and utter fool of myself.**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Warrior Returning Alive**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi slowly walked back to his seat. He was still sore from the blows inflicted on him by Kanasta's Mechanicalchaser, Robotic Knight, and Oni Tank. His Power of the Titans card had eased some of the pain, but not all of it.

The Puzzle glowed, and Yami left him for now.

"Great work, Yugi!" commended Peter. "Can we get you anything from the concession stand?"

"Anything that's filling…" sighed Yugi. "And if you get popcorn…"

"I know," muttered Clive. "Make sure it's real butter and not fake butter."

"Come on Clive," said Peter. "We'd best hurry."

As they left, Yugi turned to Mary.

"Mary," mumbled Yugi. "You do realize that if you win this next duel, we're going up against each other tomorrow."

"Uh huh…" she sighed. "So what should we do then?"

Yugi paused.

"I suppose we'll just have to agree to conduct the duel with honor and dignity," assured Yugi. "The way a true duel should be held."

"Of course," affirmed Mary. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

She looked over at Jade, who was being given a pep talk by Amber.

_That is,_ she thought, _IF I can win…_

"Now remember sis," stated Amber, "that Dragon that Mary has packs some serious punch, so…"

"Amber, please," said Jade. "I know…"

"Hey Jade," mention Mary. "Uh, getting set?"

"Indeed," said Jade. "Mary, I hope you realize, I expect the best from you. My kind prefers defeat to an easy victory – or even worse, one that is given to us freely."

"I'm not about to give less than my best," assured Mary.

"And do not expect less than my best either," said Jade. "We are friends now, and we will be once this is over… but I will do my best to slay you in this duel."

Mary gave out a nervous chuckle.

"Uh huh…" she muttered.

Thoughts ran through her mind.

She had seen most of Jade's Monsters, and twice now, she had seen her most powerful creature. A Dragon called Shen Lung the Celestial Herald.

The best way to describe this creature, which was summoned via a Ritual Spell Card called Temple of Heaven, was to compare him to Rayquaza from the old Pokemon video games. He was at least a hundred feet long, and had more Attack strength than a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

While Mary had dueled Jade twice in her career (she won once and lost the second time), Jade had never used this Monster against her, but she dreaded having to face him. She could just imagine having to endure a direct attack from the divine creature's mighty breath… She could almost imagine the pain it must have been like for his victims…

"Well," she stuttered "we'll see…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Up in the stands, Duke, Bo, Clover, and Terone were waiting.

"So Mary's up next?" asked Clover. "What do we know about this Jade Valentine?"

"Not much," answered Duke. "I hear she's Mai Valentine's daughter, but she doesn't use her mother's Harpies. I think her deck is full of all sorts of oriental Monsters."

"Well, we can only cheer Mary on," sighed Clover.

_You can cheer Mary on,_ thought Terone. _I have other plans…_

He sighed.

_It's hard to imagine how it all started, back in the horrible City of Souls,_ he thought. _I was brainwashed, and fooled into dueling Yugi. Yugi cured me, but before he could, it was Jade who dismantled the deathtrap that Remi had set up, the one that would skewer the loser with crossbow bolts…_

_And for the whole next year, I couldn't stop thinking about you Jade. It was strange how I had seemed to develop such a crush on you. Maybe your personality reminded me so much of Hermione Granger… tough, dedicated, headstrong, not willing to take any crap from anyone…_

_Maybe it was fate then, that when Siegfried invited me, I came to Domino two weeks early, and decided to find a tea shop to relax… and you were in the same one. I summoned enough courage to ask you out for sushi, and to my surprise, you accepted. I guess you simply wanted companionship at that time, and didn't mind the fact that it was from some Harry Potter fanboy._

_The next two weeks were incredible. Who'd have ever thought that a Samurai warrior could have a softer side? You're all I ever envisioned in a girlfriend, Jade – a lover AND a fighter._

_And I'll be standing behind you through this whole thing…_

The holo-imagers flashed on the field again. A huge Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared on the field, then a second, and then a third. They melted into pools of light, and combined. In a flash, the enormous Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon appeared! It roared from its three mouths, and then burst into a stream of pixels.

The crowd applauded, and the Master of Games spoke up again.

"Welcome to the last match of the day!" he announced. "As our last two finalists square off in what promises to be a war like none other! Here's our two announcers with the fiery details!"

As Mary and Jade made their way onto the field, Mike spoke up.

"Introducing our first finalist for this duel," he announced. "This promises to be quite the conflict, as two lovely ladies try to tear each other apart! From Domino City, Japan, standing five-foot-two and weighing a slender one-hundred pounds, the daughter of the great Joey Wheeler, Mary Wheeler!"

The crowd erupted in applause, as the cameras fell on Mary.

"Isn't she adorable folks?" asked Mike. "Mary will be using a deck that she calls 'Sword and Fist', which is sure to rattle a few ribcages!"

"Yeah, Mary!" cheered Clive.

"Be careful, everyone," cautioned Yugi. "We don't want to hurt Amber's feelings."

"And her opponent," continued Donna, "also from Domino City, standing five-foot-eight and weighing one-hundred-seventy pounds, two-hundred-forty with the armor, the daughter of the equally great Mai Valentine, Jade Valentine!"

The crowd cheered again, as the camera focused on Jade.

"She'll be using a deck that she calls 'Code of Bushido'," continued Donna, "and is sure to contain many surprises."

"That's some costume she has," commented Mike.

"Afraid it isn't a costume," said Donna. "Jade is a true Samurai, with all the abilities passed down from the tradition of feudal Japan!"

"Indeed," said Mike. "Well, both our finalists are princesses, but they're quite different… This is pretty much a battle between Zelda and Sheik!"

"Interesting analogy," smiled Donna.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well, this should be amusing indeed," mentioned Saurius, who was watching.

"We should pay close attention," said Bezelbub, who was by his side. "Both Mary and Jade are significant threats. Jade is perhaps more of a threat. While both are excellent duelists, Jade has many other talents as well that could impair us."

Saurius chuckled.

"True," he said. "The sacred power she wields in her soul is a concern. But we do have one edge should Jade interfere. One of our recruits is just waiting for a chance to settle the score with her…

"In the meantime, we can only watch and see who will be victorious… This is good entertainment, after all."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the coin toss and shuffling was done, Persephone watched with baited breath.

_I'm gonna LOVE this,_ she thought. _Seeing Yugi's little girlfriend get sliced and diced is going to make my day!_

Mary had won the right to start. The two shook hands, and walked to their positions.

"Okay," started Mokuba, "I want a good clean duel, ladies. Normally I'd post some ground rules here, but I know from experience never to give orders to people tougher than I am, so I guess you can do whatever the heck you want."

He nervously eyed Jade.

He dropped the glove on the ground.

"It's time to duel!"

Jade and Mary flipped their Disks into position, and the scores set. The holo-imagers flared, and they made their five draws.

"Prepare for defeat!" shouted Jade.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," said Mary, as she made her draw.

Truthfully, she _was_ scarred, but she could hide it.

She selected a card from her hand.

_Best see what I'm up against first,_ she thought.

"I'll start with this," she announced. "Mystical Elf in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down, and the delicate elf appeared, singing in her enchanted voice. (800/2,000)

"And it's your turn," she said.

"Not the best of opening moves," commented Mike, "but not the worst. Mary is playing conservatively. Let's see what Jade has for her."

Jade drew. She placed a card down.

"I will summon Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode," she said.

A humanoid form leapt forth. It was a Beast-Warrior with a hare's head with his ears tied back. His hands and bare feet were paws. He was dressed in a _gi_ and carried a long katana. (1,500/1,000)

Mary well remembered the first time Jade had used this guy against her – Mary had made fun of him, calling him a 'kung-fu bunny rabbit'. She since learned to treat him with more respect.

"And I will lay one card facedown," said Jade, fitting a card into a slot, "and with that, I conclude my move."

The facedown card appeared.

"Truly a unique Monster, there," said Mike. "we can only wait and see what other surprises we can see in Jade's deck."

Mary drew.

_Usagi isn't the strongest Monster around,_ she thought. _This gal should handle him…_

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" she shouted, placing a card down.

Flames erupted on the field, and the female Fire Warrior with her bronze saber leapt out of them. (1,600/1,500)

"I think that's the same Warrior Yugi used in the last duel," stated Donna.

"And she's just as beautiful as before!" exclaimed Mike.

"You have serious issues, Mike," said Donna.

"Attack!" yelled Mary. "Blazing saber of battle!"

Flame Swordmistress raised her blade, and flames erupted from it! She charged at Usagi Warrior…

"Activate… Book of Tao!" shouted Jade, as her facedown card lifted.

"What?" exclaimed Mary. "NO! That Trap…"

"Doubles the Attack power of all Light Monsters on the field for one round," affirmed Jade, "giving Usagi Warrior an Attack of 3,000!"

As Flame Swordmistress charged, Usagi Warrior raised his own sword. It glowed, and he made a slash with it, cutting his foe in half! She vanished in a burst of flame.

Mary's Life Points fell to 6,600.

"Yay!" yelled Amber. "Way to go, sis!"

"Aw," moaned Clive. "Mary just goofed up!"

Yugi was strangely silent.

_I don't know why I'm thinking this,_ he thought. _Part of me hopes Mary the best… but the other part wants her to lose so I don't have to duel her. What do I do? Do I cheer her on, or just watch?_

Mary sighed. "Your move," she said.

_At least I still have Mystical Elf…_

Usagi Warrior's Attack returned to normal as Jade drew.

"First," she started, "I will Equip Usagi Warrior with Blade of Bushido!"

She fit a new card into a slot, and Usagi Warrior's normal sword vanished. A sword of glowing light appeared in the air. He grabbed it and made a deft stroke. His Attack went up to 2,300.

"Next," continued Jade, "I will summon Beautiful Headhuntress in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and a new Warrior arose. She looked like a young girl dressed in a fancy blue kimono with her hair tied back in a bow. She hefted a large, sharp executioner's cleaver. (1,600/800)

Mary drew back and cringed.

"That is one lethal lady," said Mike.

"Usagi Warrior," yelled Jade, "attack Mystical Elf!"

Usagi Warrior ran forward in a blur, and sped past Mystical Elf, cutting her down. She collapsed and vanished.

"Beautiful Headhuntress," commanded Jade. "Attack directly!"

Beautiful Headhuntress raised her weapon, but she didn't charge. She walked up to Mary and locked her gaze with hers…

"No…" whined Mary.

Then the Headhuntress grabbed Mary's shoulder and forced her to the floor! She held her down with her knee and lifted the cleaver…

"Figures," chuckled Donna. "Mary always struck me as the kind of girl who would stick her neck out for anybody…"

Everybody gasped as Beautiful Headhuntress swung down with her blade and struck Mary in the neck! Mary screamed!

_Ha, ha!_ thought Persephone. _This is priceless! Don't lose your head, Mary!_

Beautiful Headhuntress sadly shook her head. She released Mary with a kick and backed up towards Jade. Mary's Life Points fell to 5,000.

"Unfortunate," sighed Jade. "Well Mary, my Headhuntress failed to sever your head, so in accordance with the executioner's code, you are pardoned… for now. I end my turn."

"Nuts!" groaned Clive. "Mary's lost 3,000 Life Points, and Jade still has all of hers! Now what?"

"Don't give up people," said Yugi. "As bad as it gets, I know Mary isn't about to quit."

Mary got up, holding the back of her neck in pain. She looked at her hand of cards.

_I've got nothing that can beat either of them,_ she said. _And if I don't do something, that Headhuntress will try to behead me again!_

She drew.

She looked at the card.

"I'll set one card facedown," said Mary, fitting a card into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

"And now I'll summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!"

She placed the card down, and the ferocious lizard man leapt up, brandishing his scimitar! (1,500/1,200)

"And I end my turn," said Mary.

"Okay, this is unexpected…" muttered Mike.

"You must _want_ me to attack your Alligator's Sword," said Jade. "That facedown card must be a Trap."

"Yeah, well maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," mumbled Mary. "You never can tell these days…"

Jade thought as she drew.

_If I don't attack, it will give her time to summon something stronger. If I do and it's a Trap, the effects might be dire…_

She looked at her hand.

_I don't have anything to destroy that facedown card, so I must take my chances…_

"Usagi Warrior," she ordered, "attack Alligator's Sword!"

Usagi Warrior leapt forward, sword first.

"Hang on a minute, Jade," exclaimed Mary. "Activate… Fairy Box!"

Her facedown card lifted, and a colorful box that looked like a whack-a-mole appeared. Loony music started playing, and colorful cylinders started popping in and out of its six holes. Usagi Warrior stopped.

"What?" said Jade.

"I'm guessing you don't spend too much time at carnivals, Jade, so I'll explain," said Mary, with a smile. "Once this contraption finishes its little tune, a number of its six cylinders will be visible. If it's an odd number, your Monster will be able to attack… an even number, and his attack will be reduced to zero, and my Alligator's Sword will get a free shot at him!"

"Well, a clever but risky move!" said Donna.

Everyone quieted as the Fairy Box sang…

And it stopped, with four cylinders up!

"All right!" smiled Mary. "Alligator's Sword, counter attack!"

Alligator's Sword growled and leapt over the Fairy Box, and made two slashes, destroying Usagi Warrior's sword, and then hacking the Beast-Warrior in two!

Jade's Life Points fell to 6,500.

Jade grimaced.

"All right, Mary!" shouted Clive. "Keep it up!"

"Beautiful Headhuntress, attack!" shouted Jade.

Beautiful Headhuntress raised her cleaver…

"You never learn, do you?" said Mary, smiling.

The Fairy Box started its tune again!

"What?" gasped Jade. "It can do it twice?"

"It can do it each time you attack, so long as I pay 500 Life Points for each turn that I intend to use it!" exclaimed Mary.

"Boy, this reminds me of those pleasant summer days I spent as a kid on Coney Island," sighed Mike, as the Fairy Box sang.

The Fairy Box stopped… and this time, three cylinders came up!

"You were not so lucky this time," said Jade.

Beautiful Headhuntress grabbed Alligator's Sword and held him down, just as she had Mary. With a quick, stroke, Alligator's Sword was beheaded.

Mary's Life Points fell to 4,900.

"It is your move," said Jade.

Mary drew.

Her eyes opened.

_Yes!_ she thought.

"I'll deactivate my Fairy Box…" she said, hitting a button.

The Fairy Box vanished.

"And now I'll summon one of the newest members of my crew… **King's Knight, **in Attack Mode!"

A beam of light struck from the heavens, and a powerful form appeared on the field. He was a muscular, armored man in fancy, golden armor, wearing a crown-like helmet that covered his right eye and a blue cape. His bearded face echoed wisdom. He bore a longsword and a round shield. (1,600/1,400)

"King's Knight!" exclaimed Donna. "Now that's an interesting Monster!"

"Look's like we have a stand-off here," agreed Mike.

Yugi got up in surprise!

_My father used that card!_ he thought. _Don't tell me…_

King's Knight and Beautiful Headhuntress stared each other in the face. They lifted their weapons.

"I end my turn, Jade," smiled Mary.

Jade drew.

_Hmmm,_ she thought. _This might work, if my luck is better than hers…_

She put a card down.

"I summon Goddess of Whim in Attack Mode!" she stated.

Mary's eyes perked, as the tall goddess dressed in green with ivy leaves in her hair arose. (950/700)

"I trust you know how this works, Mary," said Jade, as Goddess of Whim walked up to King's Knight.

"Yeah," said Mary, with a snarl. "She and my Knight have to _ro-sham-bo,_ and if she wins, her Attack Score is doubled for this round."

King's Knight put his sword in his shield hand, and the two of them raised their fists.

"It comes down to a shake," muttered Donna. "The suspense is killing me!"

The two Monsters shook their fists and threw them down…

Both of them opened – paper.

"Again!" shouted Jade.

The two shook again…

Both stayed closed – rock.

"Third time's the charm…" said Mary, sweating.

They shook their hands again and threw them down…

Goddess of whim jutted out two fingers – scissors. King's Knight's fist remained closed – rock!

"Rock smashes scissors, Jade!" shouted Mary. "That means your Goddess loses, and she loses half of her Attack points for this round!"

Goddess of Whim moaned, and her Attack fell to 425.

The crowd cheered.

"Phew!" gasped Clive.

"How unfortunate," sighed Jade. "I end my turn."

Goddess of Whim's attack returned to 950.

_Okay deck,_ thought Mary. _Give me something good…_

She drew…

_All right!_ she thought.

"You liked King's Knight Jade?" asked Mary, putting a card down. "Then you'll _love_ this… I summon… **Queen's Knight**!"

Another beam of light struck from the heavens, and a new Warrior appeared. It was a beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair down to her knees, in ruby red armor with a crested helmet. She had a triangular shield and a longsword. (1,500/1,600)

"And that's not all," continued Mary, reaching for her deck. "When King's Knight and Queen's Knight are on the field together, I can special summon the more powerful **Jack's Knight**!"

She put another card down, and a third Warrior appeared in a flash of light. He was handsome with blonde hair, wore sapphire-blue armor, a blue crown, and carried a blue crest shield and a longsword. (1,900/1,000)

The crowd let out a great cheer.

Yugi gasped.

_She has the whole set!_ he thought.

"What a feat!" exclaimed Mike. "Mary has just summoned a whole royal flush of Warriors, and now it looks like she's about to ante up!"

"Jack's Knight, attack Beautiful Headhuntress with knave's blade!" shouted Mary.

"YA!" shouted Jack's Knight, leaping forward. Beautiful Headhuntress dropped her cleaver and cringed back in fear before she was beheaded by a swift stroke from the Jack's blade.

_Ironic,_ thought Clive.

"Queen's Knight, attack Goddess of Whim with sovereign slash!" she yelled.

"HAI!" shouted Queen's Knight. She drove her blade into Goddess of Whim's chest. She shrieked and fell dead.

"King's Knight, attack Jade directly with mark of royalty!"

King's Knight waved his sword dramatically and lunged at Jade. Jade gasped as the Knight drove his sword through her belly.

Jade fell to her knees.

The crowd went wild.

"Yes! Go Mary!" shouted Duke.

"Finish her!" shouted Clover.

_No, Jade…_ thought Terone. _Please, recover…_

"It's okay, sis!" shouted Amber. "You can still win!"

Jade's Life Points had fallen to 4,050. She didn't get up right away…

"You okay, Jade?" asked Mary.

Jade chuckled. "I can take worse," she said. "That is why they are called attacks… Whatever does not kill me only makes me stronger…"

She got up.

"It is my draw now…"

She looked at the three Knights.

_My next draw had best be good,_ she thought.

She drew.

_Well, well,_ she thought.

"I summon Shugenja Sorceress in Attack Mode," she said, placing a card facedown.

Another beam of light formed on the field, and a young girl in a gi emerged. She was barefoot with long black hair covered by a straw hat. She had scroll tubes tied to her belt. (1,900/800)

"Jade has just summoned a Spellcaster with a scary resemblance to Mulan," commented Donna, "and I have a feeling that she's just as formidable!"

"Aw, geeze," moaned Mary.

"Shugenja Sorceress, attack Queen's Knight with ki magic!" ordered Jade.

The Sorceress threw forth her arms and cast forth a spell of brilliant light. Queen's Knight gasped and was enveloped in the light, and then lifted off the ground. After a few seconds, the aura burst, and she vanished.

"Nuts," sighed Mary. Her Life Points fell to 4,500.

"Do not cry for your Queen's Knight," assured Jade. "I assure you her death was painless. My Sorceress is merciful to her foes."

"Touching…" said Mary, sarcastically.

"I end my move," said Jade.

Mary drew.

"This whole duel is going back and forth," said Donna. "The scores are close, and I'd say it could go either way…"

_Hmm…_ thought Mary, looking at her card.

"All right," she said, turning a card. "I shift my Jack's Knight into Defense Mode…"

Jack's Knight knelt in defense.

"And I also Tribute my King's Knight to summon Total Defense Shogun in Defense Mode!"

A shadow consumed King's Knight, and a new warrior took his place. This one was hulking, wore a red cape, and bore armor, a huge shield, and a greatsword all apparently made of iron. Two more huge swords were strapped to his back. (1,550/2,500)

"Just try to get past him…" dared Mary.

"I will do more than try, Mary," warned Jade, drawing.

_Excellent,_ she thought.

"Here it comes, Mary," warned Jade. "I Tribute my Shugenja Sorceress to summon Yamoto the Noble Samurai!"

She put a card down, and Shugenja Sorceress crossed her arms, as a glow radiated from her. She was consumed by the glow, and a powerful form stepped out. The intimating Warrior dressed in golden oriental armor, holding his shining sword stepped out, and glared at Mary with his glowing eyes! (2,200/2,000)

_Yes! _thought Terone._ Her signature Monster!_

"Now that is one impressive Warrior," commented Mike. "I'm betting that this means trouble for Mary!"

"Yeah sis, go!" yelled Amber. "Now you've got her!"

"Yamoto, attack Jack's Knight!" ordered Jade.

Yamoto's eyes sparkled. He raised his sword and leapt forth, bringing it down on Jack's Knight and blowing him away in a burst of light.

"Ugh," sighed Peter. "Yugi, Mary can still win, can't she?"

"Well," muttered Yugi. "She has Monsters that are stronger than Yamoto, but summoning them is going to be difficult now…"

Mary drew.

_If she played Yamoto, _she thought,_ her next card has GOT to be Sashia. She always plays those two together. And I have nothing that can stand up to him! I'd better prepare…_

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and the toy soldier appeared, kneeling and leaning on his sword.

"And I'll turn it over to you," she said.

"Very well," said Jade, making a draw. "I summon Sashia the Samurai Squire in Attack Mode."

She put another card down, and another Warrior appeared in another burst of light. The young Samurai girl in leather armor carried a short sword and held a quiver of arrows and a bow on her back. (1,700/1,500)

Yamoto and Sashia looked at each other and nodded.

"And, as you well know," continued Jade, "Sashia's Attack power is raised to 2,000 when Yamoto is on the field…"

Sashia's Attack Score grew.

"Now, Sashia, Yamoto, combine your attacks!" she commanded. "Attack Total Defense Shogun with ki energy blast!"

Yamoto and Sashia clashed their swords together, and they were surrounded by a nimbus of light. The light shot forth, and it struck Total Defense Shogun! He groaned, and burst.

The crowd cheered again.

"That's teamwork for you," stated Donna. "Jade has just taken control of this duel!"

"Lovely," groaned Peter. "Now what's Mary gonna do?"

"I don't know," said Yugi. "That cooperative attack has a 2,600-point intensity! Even I had trouble against those two Samurai…"

Mary drew.

_Still nothing good!_ she thought.

"I'll just summon Battle Warrior in Defense Mode," she stammered.

She put the card down, and the blue-garbed boxer appeared, and knelt beside Swordsman of Landstar.

"Mary seems to be having a run of bad luck," stated Mike.

"Well, she can't defend forever," sighed Donna. "Especially not now…"

Jade drew.

"Well now it is time for a big surprise," she smiled. "I do not believe you have seen this yet, Mary…"

She put a card down.

"I summon Ancient Master Yoshi, in Defense Mode!"

Yet another aura of light appeared on her side of the field, and a tall form arose. It was an old man wearing a red kimono with a large, fancy belt. He was bald, and had a short neatly trimmed goatee. His eyes were closed, and his hands were clasped in a praying position. (800/2,000)

"Yes!" yelled Amber. "It's her three-card-combo!"

"Huh?" asked Mary. "Who's THAT?"

"Just as Yamoto is Sashia's teacher," explained Jade, "Ancient Master Yoshi is Yamoto's teacher. And he is such an influence on his pupils, that any Samurai on my side of the field when he is present gains a 500-point bonus to his or her Attack Score."

Yamoto's Attack went up to 2,700, while Sashia's went up to 2,500.

"Aw, man…" groaned Mary.

"Yamoto, Sashia!" ordered Jade. "Destroy her Warriors!"

The next moment was a massacre. Yamoto leapt up and slashed through Swordsman of Landstar, smashing him to bits. Sashia ran her sword through Battle Warrior and he fell in a bloody mess.

"Jade certainly knows how to combo!" commented Donna. "And she may be unstoppable!"

"It certainly looks like its curtains for Mary!" agreed Mike.

_Yes! _thought Terone._ Go Jade! Finish her!_

_Sorry Mary…_

"You have no Monsters left on your side of the field, Mary," warned Jade. "It will be over soon…"

"Aw, man," muttered Clive (softly so Amber couldn't hear). "What is Mary gonna do?"

"Her chances are slipping," said Yugi. "But she's gotten out of tighter spots…"

_Actually, come to think of it, _he thought,_ I don't think she's EVER been in a spot this tight…_

He sighed.

_At least this cloud has a silver lining… Once Jade wins, I won't have to duel Mary. I feel sorry for Mary, but I'd feel sorrier if I had to defeat her myself…_

Mary drew and added the card to her hand. She selected a card that had been in her hand from the first round.

_Sorry I have to do this Jade, she thought, but I don't have much choice…_

"I place one card facedown," she said, fitting a card into a slot.

The card appeared in front of her.

"And one Monster facedown in Defense Mode," she said.

She placed the card down, and the card appeared, concealing the Monster.

She stared Jade in the face.

"It's your move…"

"Very well," said Jade. "I draw…"

"And I activate my Trap!" shouted Mary. "Just Desserts!"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Huh?" said Jade.

Two ghostly arms floated out of Mary's Duel Disk and shot towards Jade.

"Here, get a grip on yourself!" smiled Mary. "You have three Monsters on the field, and this will drain 500 Life Points for _each_!"

The two hands grabbed Jade by the throat and throttled her! She gasped, and fell to her knees.

"Ooh," gulped Donna. "Nasty!"

The move had apparently frightened the spectators, as there was a slight pause… but then they erupted into cheers again.

Jade's Life Points fell to 2,550.

As the hands retracted, Jade rose to her feet and caught her breath.

"Sashia, attack the facedown Monster!" she ordered.

Sashia ran forward and Armored Lizard appeared on the facedown card. The Samurai Squire struck with her sword and sliced the Reptile in half.

"Yamoto, attack Mary directly!" she shouted.

"AAAHH!" shouted Mary as Yamoto bore down on her.

Yamoto struck with his katana, opening a slash which reached from Mary's left shoulder to her right shin! Yugi forced himself to look away as Mary collapsed.

Mary's Life Points fell all the way to 1,800, and the crowd went crazy.

_YES! _thought Persephone._ Kill! Kill! Kill! Spill her guts all over the floor! _

"It takes more than one nasty Trap to keep a tough lady like Jade down!" laughed Mike. "And this duel might soon be over!"

_All right! _thought Terone._ Jade's gonna win!_

Mary crawled to her knees.

_This is hopeless… _she thought._ Why embarrass myself further?_

She slowly started to move her hand to her deck…

"Don't you dare!" ordered Jade.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"Do not even think about a surrender!" snapped Jade. "Are you that much of a coward?

"Mary, I've told you before, as a Samurai I was taught from day one that it is more honorable to die in battle than to submit to your enemy. No matter how hopeless the odds, the Samurai never gives up. You should know that well…"

She reached under her helmet and turned off her microphone.

"Remember the City of Souls, Mary?" she asked softly. "You proved yourself time and again in the face of ultimate evil, where a typical girl your age would have just run and found a place to hide. You have a Heart as strong as the Warriors in your deck, and I'm not about to let you lose with dishonor and disgrace."

Mary looked at her.

"Prove to me that you can endure it as well as I can," stated Jade. "Prove it to Yugi if not to yourself."

Mary got up. She simply nodded.

Jade turned the microphone back on.

"Fine," exclaimed Mary. "I draw!"

"Well, I don't know what Jade just told her," said Donna, "but it seemed to have boosted Mary's confidence…"

_Jade is right, _said Mary._ I beat that Rare Hunter Lady Circe after all… and maybe there's still a chance I can recover…_

_And did she just want me to prove something to Yugi? Is she trying to tell me that we belong together?_

She looked at her card.

_Even if she isn't, I have to fight on!_

"I play Graceful Charity!" she said, plugging the card into a slot.

The angel appeared in front of her and flew into her deck. She drew three cards.

_Hmm, _she thought, looking at them._ A strategy is starting to form…_

She made two discards.

"Okay Jade," she said. "Watch. I place one card facedown on the field…"

She set the card, and it appeared in front of her.

"And now I play a Spell Card… Brain Control!"

She played the card, and the demonic brain appeared.

"I'll use it to brainwash Ancient Master Yoshi!" exclaimed Mary, as the brain's arms reached forward. Jade gasped, as they grabbed the sensei and pulled him over to Mary's side.

"And now, I'll Tribute Yoshi to summon my Flame Swordsman, in Attack Mode!" said Mary, throwing a card down.

Yoshi was consumed by fire, and out of the fire, the powerful Warrior appeared, brandishing his great bronze sword! (1,800/1,600)

"Without Yoshi," smiled Mary, your two Samurai have their Attack scores reduced back to the way they were…"

Yamoto's Attack Score went back to 2,200, while Sashia's went beck to 2,000.

"And I end my turn…" she said.

"Mary has certainly played a risky gambit," pondered Mike. "Whatever she's up to, I have no idea."

Yugi, Clive, Peter, and Amber looked on as Mary stared Jade down. Duke, Bo, Clover and Terone watched as Jade drew.

_Okay, _thought Mary._ It all depends on one thing… If Jade uses their cooperative attack, she'll beat me. If she has them attack separately, I might just have a chance. It all depends on what she does…_

Jade looked at Mary.

_That facedown card is most likely a Trap, _she said._ But if I take a chance, I could wipe out the rest of her Life Points and win…_

She thought for a minute.

"Sashia," she called out, "attack Flame Swordsman!"

Sashia lifted her sword and charged.

"That was a mistake, Jade!" yelled Mary. "I activate Skull Dice!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and the imp with his red dice appeared.

"Now let's see if luck is on my side!" smiled Mary, as the imp threw the dice.

The Skull Dice skipped and rolled…

And it landed on a six!

The crowd cheered again. Sashia's stats fell to 1,400/900, while Yamoto's fell to 1,600/1,400.

"Flame Swordsman, counter-attack!" ordered Mary.

Flame Swordsman swung his mighty blade, and Sashia's sword flew from her hands. He swung again, and ran the Samurai Squire through! Sashia gasped and fell.

Jade's Life Points dropped to 2,150.

"An incredible turnaround!" exclaimed Mike. "Now Mary may be in control of this duel!"

"Clever," said Jade. "I will switch Yamoto into Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

She turned her card, and Yamoto knelt, leaning on his sword.

"I thought you said Samurai never surrendered," said Mary, with a smile.

"They do not," said Jade. "But they are not too proud to make a strategic retreat, especially when their liege is in danger."

"Strategic retreat," shrugged Mary, drawing. "Yeah, I guess I can live with that."

She looked at the card she had drawn.

Monster Reborn.

_Think I'll save this for later…_ she thought, adding it to her hand.

"Flame Swordsman," she ordered. "Attack Yamoto! Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman's weapon blazed with fire, and he smote Yamoto, blasting the Samurai into blackened armor.

"Go Jade!" yelled Clover from the stands.

"Show her what you're made of!" shouted Duke.

_Come on, Jade… _thought Terone._ Think of something…_

Amber was just as upset.

"No…" she moaned.

Clive noticed this. He went over to her.

"Amber," he comforted. "Try not to feel bad. I promise you, there'll be no gloating if Mary wins."

"I know," sighed Amber. "But I just wanted Jade to win… I feel like I need to support her."

"For someone who used to hate her guts, you sure care for her a lot now," commented Clive.

Amber paused.

_I know Clive, I know, _she thought._ I made an oath that not even Jade knows about, one that I intend to fulfill one day if I get a chance… and until then, all I can do is cheer Jade on like some pathetic pom-pom girl…_

Jade drew and looked at her card.

"I place one card facedown," she said, setting the card.

The card appeared on the ground.

"Now, I summon Avatar of the Pot in Defense Mode."

She placed a card down, and green smoke issued from the floor. The huge green genie who's head resembled the Pot of Greed appeared, sitting in the lotus position. He let out a throaty chuckle. (1,200/1,300)

"Having done that, I discard my Pot of Greed," said Jade, slipping the card into the discard slot, "and I draw three new cards."

She made three draws.

"And I will end my turn."

"A strategic move by Jade," commented Donna. "But now we'll have to see if it pays off…"

Mary drew and considered.

_Avatar of the Pot has a weak Defense, _she thought._ If I destroyed him, I could seriously damage her Life Points…_

She put a Monster Card down.

"I summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode!" she stated.

A new Warrior arose, this one a hulking, armored barbarian holding a battleaxe. (1,700/1,150)

"Well, this might get interesting…" said Mike.

"Axe Raider, attack the Avatar!" ordered Mary.

Axe Raider grunted and raised his axe. He lumbered forward…

"Activate… Waboku!" shouted Jade, as her Trap Card lifted.

The three blue-garbed priestesses rose up, blocking Axe Raider's advance.

"Crud," said Mary. "All right. Your move."

Jade drew.

"Time to meet the newest addition to my deck," exclaimed Jade. "I Tribute Avatar of the Pot to summon Sojobo, King of the Tengu!"

She switched cards on her Disk, and the Avatar vanished. The ground rumbled, and a frightening form leapt out. He looked like a creature made entirely of wood, with a long pointed nose and a long mane of white hair. He wore a simple wool gi and a pair of wooden clogs. He clutched a katana in his gnarly hand. (2,300/1,000)

"Aw nuts!" gasped Mary. "He's stronger than both my Warriors!"

"More than you know," explained Jade. "Sojobo is the king of the mountain spirits, and his skill with the blade is beyond compare. It is rumored that he taught swordsmanship to the legendary hero Minamoto Yoshitsune."

"Minamoto Yoshitsune?" pondered Mary, scratching her head. "Uh, that rings a bell somewhere…"

"I will not bore this crowd with a lesson in Japanese history," said Jade, "but Minamoto Yoshitsune was a warlord of the twelfth century, respected as one of the greatest and noblest Samurai who ever lived. As I said, this Monster was his teacher, and as such, he can defeat almost any Warrior. Whenever Sojobo battles a Warrior or Beast-Warrior, that opponent has his Attack Score reduced by 400 points for the purposes of that battle phase.

"Now Sojobo, attack Axe Raider with sword of the Tengu!"

Sojobo leapt up in the air, and did a flip. He brought his sword down on Axe Raider, obliterating him.

Mary's Life Points fell to 800.

"Wow," stated Donna. "Sojobo is one mean Monster. And it looks like Mary may not last much longer."

Yugi looked at the scores. They stood with Mary at 800, and Jade ahead at 2,150.

And frankly, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to support Mary, but he didn't want what was going to happen tomorrow if she won…

Mary drew.

_Well, _she thought,_ there's no time like right now…_

"I play Monster Reborn!" she said, throwing the card into the slot. "And I'll use it to bring back your Avatar of the Pot!"

The ankh appeared on the floor, and the huge genie appeared on it in a puff of smoke. (1,200/1,300).

"Now I can discard my own Pot of Greed, and draw three more cards," she said.

She discarded the card, and made three draws.

She looked at the cards her eyes opened in shock.

"And now," said Mary, "I Tribute both Flame Swordsman and Avatar of the Pot to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The Warrior and the Avatar melted into globs of green and orange light, and they swirled together, forming a black swirl. A roar sounded over the field, and the huge dragon formed, hovering over Mary's side of the field! (2,400/2,000)

The audience let out an uproar!

"It's the Wheeler family's super-spectacular signature Monster!" shouted Donna. "Mary may well have made yet another turnaround!"

"Red Eyes Black Dragon," yelled Mary, "turn that tengu to kindling! Inferno fire blast!"

Red Eyes blasted forth a breath of scorching flame, engulfing the King of the Tengu! When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of Sojobo but ashes and a burnt sword.

Jade's Life Points slipped to 2,050. She frowned.

"It's your move, Jade," said Mary, with a smile.

Jade drew.

She looked at the card. And then she looked at Mary. She made a long pause.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Mary, I truly am," sighed Jade. "But I will defeat you, no matter what method I must use to do so…"

"I don't like the way she said that…" muttered Clover.

"Me neither," said Duke. "Whatever card that is she drew must be something lethal…"

Jade drew a card from her hand.

"I play Monster Reborn to resurrect Yamoto the Noble Samurai," she said.

She played the card, and Yamoto returned. (2,200/2,000)

"And now," stated Jade, taking the card she just drew. "I will play my Ritual Spell Card… Temple of Heaven!"

She plugged the card into the slot, an the ground started to shake. Around her, a huge Shinto temple arose, nearly taking up Jade's entire side of the field.

"No…" gasped Mary.

Yugi, Peter, and Clive, looked just as scared, while Amber was beside herself with excitement.

"To complete this ceremony," said Jade. "I offer as sacrifice Yamoto, and from my hand, Mataza the Zapper…"

She placed a card down, and a dark ronin in leather armor with a katana appeared.

The two Warriors vanished, as did the Temple itself. Clouds started to appear in the sky above, and lightning struck…

"…summoning the emissary of the gods," continued Jade, a beast that few have seen and lived, **Shen Lung the Celestial Herald**!"

Lightning struck the arena in a fierce storm, and the huge, coiled, oriental dragon appeared, hovering over the field. He was as big as Levia-Dragon Daedalus, and his eyes glowed with fiery light! (3,150/2,500)

"Just when I think I've seen everything, someone proves me wrong," muttered Donna. "I really don't think that Mary has a chance now…"

"Your odds are truly against you, Mary," warned Jade, as her opponent cowered back. "In all my years as a duelist, only Yugi has ever defeated Shen Lung…"

"Not surprising…" stammered Mary.

"Shen Lung, attack Red Eyes Black Dragon with righteous flames of Heaven attack!"

Shen Lung roared, and breathed forth a blast of divine fire, practically vaporizing Red Eyes. Mary's Life Points sank to a mere 50 points.

"Aw no!" gasped Clive. "She only has 50 Life Points left!"

"I hate to say it," moaned Peter. "But this looks bleak. I don't think she has anything in her deck that can defeat Shen Lung…"

"Make your move," said Jade.

Mary looked at the three cards in her hand. It didn't look good.

She had one Spell Card, one Trap Card, and one Monster Card. The Trap could slow Shen Lung down, but for how long?

Her hand shook as she drew.

Her eyes opened in surprise as she looked at the card.

_I forgot all about this! _she thought._ The card that Yugi gave me on the boat ride over here!_

She looked at her cards again.

_This is going to take a lot of luck, and perfect timing, _she thought._ But I just might be able to slay this big bad Dragon!_

"Okay Jade," she said. "First I'm going to summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the black-armored Warrior appeared with his bladed arm. (1,800/1,600)

"And, two cards facedown," she said, putting two of her three remaining cards into slots.

"And now it's your move."

The crowd grew tense.

"Sorry Mary," smiled Jade. "But you will not fool me again…"

She drew.

"I will simply pass for this turn."

Shen Lung growled.

Mary drew.

"I'll Tribute Gearfried," she stated, "to summon Garoozis, in Attack Mode!"

She switched cards, and Gearfried vanished. He was replaced by a fierce lizard man holding a large axe. (1,800/1,500)

"What is Mary up to?" asked Mike. "She Tributed Gearfried to summon a Monster with exactly the same Attack Score!"

"And a _worse_ Defense Score," pondered Donna. "This strategy is the strangest I have ever seen!"

Jade thought as she drew.

_She's definitely up to something, _she thought._ But I don't have anything that can destroy her facedown cards… and even if I drew Dust Tornado, I could only destroy one of them… This may be a mistake, but I can't give her the time to draw something that could let her strike…_

"Shen Lung," she ordered, "attack Garoozis!"

The Celestial Herald drew back his head and prepared to roast the Beast-Warrior…

"Activate… SHADOW SPELL!" shouted Mary, punching a button on her Disk.

The Trap Card lifted. Jade gasped as a swarm of chains erupted from the ground and tied Shen Lung up! Shen Lung roared as he struggled to break free!

His Attack power sank down to 2,450.

The crowd started to cheer again.

"What a move!" exclaimed Donna. "Mary has just wrapped Jade's mightiest creature like Christmas package!"

Jade's eyes narrowed.

"Fine," she said. "So you captured and weakened my Herald. He is still too powerful for you to destroy, and soon I will draw what I need for him to break free of your Trap…"

"That depends entirely on what I draw on my next turn," smiled Mary, with a sly look in her eye. "Is it my move now?"

"Yes…" said Jade.

_Okay…_ thought Mary.

She looked at the one card in her hand, and then at her deck.

_If I draw a non-Monster Card, I can win this… _she thought._ But if I draw a Monster Card, it will give Jade another round, along with the possible chance to free her Dragon… and if Shen Lung gets free, I don't stand a chance! Everything rides on this draw!_

She closed her eyes… she drew…

She looked at the card.

_Yes! _she thought._ Scapegoat!_

"I'll place this card facedown too, Jade," she said, putting it in a slot.

The card appeared in front of her.

She took the last card in her hand and threw it down on her Disk.

"And now…" she exclaimed. "I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight in Attack Mode!"

A black void appeared on the field, and the sound of galloping hooves was heard. A dark knight on a black steed charged out of the void, bearing two sharp lances! (2,300/2,100)

Yugi perked up. He smiled.

"What?" gasped Jade. "How could you summon Gaia with no Tributes? That is impossible!"

"This isn't the original Gaia," explained Mary. "This is his Dark twin, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, a gift from a friend of mine. When he's the only card in my hand, I can summon him with no Tribute required!

"And now I'll use another of my facedown cards…"

The card lifted.

"Horn of the Unicorn!"

A long unicorn's horn affixed to the head of Swift Gaia's steed and energy flowed over the horse and rider. (3,000/2,800)

"Now," said Mary, pointing, "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, _slay her Dragon!_"

The Fierce Knight raised his lances and his mount charged! He jammed the two weapons in Shen Lung's neck, and the huge beast gave out a howl!

Shen Lung crashed to the ground, and then burst in an explosion of pixels. Jade's Life Points were reduced to 1,500.

The whole crowd was stunned into silence. As was Jade.

"Now, Garoozis," yelled Mary, "finish her off with battleaxe crush!"

Garoozis lifted his axe and closed in on Jade…

Jade didn't flinch. She simply stood up straight and closed her eyes…

Garoozis struck her in the chest, splitting her armor and cutting a deep wound with a spray of blood. Jade collapsed, as her Life Points fell to zero.

The crowd let out a deafening cheer!

"Ugh…" said Mokuba. He went up to Mary and lifted her arm. "Mary Wheeler is the winner!"

In the stands, Terone held his head.

"You okay, Terone?" asked Duke.

"I… will be…" muttered Terone.

"She won, she won!" cheered Clive.

"Yes!" yelled Peter. "Uh, sorry Amber…"

Amber was clearly a little upset; she sat down and gave a sulk.

"That was the closest duel I have _ever_ seen!" announced Donna. "I'm glad we recorded that, because I'm going to want to watch it again!"

Persephone made a face.

_Well, the bimbo actually won, _she thought._ How disappointing…_

And then she gave an evil smile.

_On the other hand, this may be even better… Tomorrow I'll get to see Yugi and his own girlfriend try to rip each other apart! Like something out of a really violent soap opera!_

Jade slowly sat up…

"Mary," said Mokuba. "As per the rules, you are allowed to claim one card from Jade's deck."

"Well I…" said Mary.

"Take her Samurai!" yelled someone in the stands.

"Yeah!" shouted someone else.

A lot of other folks in the crowd seemed to agree with that sentiment, and soon it seemed that the whole stadium was urging Mary to do just that.

A look of worry came over Mary's face…

And then it was replaced by a sinister smile…

She went up to Jade.

"Okay, Jade, Yamoto," she grinned. "Fork him over."

Mary's supporters in the V.I.P. booth were aghast!

_Mary!_ thought Yugi.

Jade gave a look of surprise. Her head drooped, and then she removed Yamoto the Noble Samurai from her discard pile. She slowly handed it over.

"Thank you!" grinned Mary.

The crowd cheered.

The Master of Games got up.

"Thank you everybody!" he said. "The quarter-finals draw to a close, and tomorrow the semi-finals will commence at noon sharp! In the first match of the day, Peter Ramset will duel Persephone Amore, followed by Yugi Mouto versus Mary Wheeler!

"And now, to close out the day, I give you our second special guest star, all the way from New York, Johnny Blaze!"

The cameras turned to the Coliseum stage, where a singer stood, dressed as Legendary Flame Lord. Three female backup singers were behind him, dressed as Fire Princess. Music started to play, and the holographic generators started. It seemed like the whole stadium was alive in an inferno of flames!

He started to sing "We Didn't Start the Fire", an old song about turmoil and social strife… it was about history, but it was timeless…

As the last stanza of the song was played, a burst of pyrotechnics erupted, and fireworks were launched into the sky with its fading light…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, the Coliseum had emptied, and the spectators had headed back to their hotels.

In the Green Room beneath the stadium, Jade was relaxing over tea (decaffeinated), while her sister, Clive, Peter, and Yugi were comforting her.

"At least she gave me the type of death that Samurai desire," mumbled Jade. "An honorable one."

"How could Mary have been so cruel?" scowled Clive, who was obviously disgusted.

"I had gone over this with her before," sneered Yugi, who was more than a little angry. "She had no right to ruin your deck…"

"I agreed to the terms and she won," sighed Jade. "Fairly. She had _every_ right."

"I don't care," snapped Peter. "She _morally_ had no right. I'll never look at her the same way again…"

Jade was quiet for a minute.

"That card," she sobbed. "Yamoto, Sashia, and Yoshi were given to me by my sensei when I took up Duel Monsters… they were a team that were unshakeable… A chain…

She looked at her deck.

"Now the chain is broken… it no longer works…"

Tears started to fall down her cheeks…

Then someone tossed something down on the table in front of her.

It was the Yamoto card.

"Uh, how long are you going to be crying?" asked Mary's voice. "Give me a ballpark so I can plan the rest of the night."

Jade turned and saw Mary there, smiling. Jade slowly picked up the card…

"You… you are giving it back?" muttered Jade.

"I intended to, Jade," replied Mary. "Yugi and Peter are right… I _don't _have any right to it. Not that one, or any card in your deck."

"Then why did you take it in the first place?" asked Jade.

"What?" laughed Mary. "You expected me to wimp out in front of a crowd of bloodthirsty fans? They'd have booed me right out of the arena! Sorry I had to act cruel… But Jade, for someone so fond of quotations, you should know one that's popular among the media: 'Always give the audience what they want'!"

Jade looked at Mary for a minute.

Then she got up and raised her arms.

"Uh Jade, please," protested Mary. "If you're going to hug me, do it without the armor!"

"Fine, _I'll_ hug you instead!" laughed Clive, grabbing her.

"Clive, please!" shouted Mary.

"Mary," said Jade, as she put the card back in her deck, "you clearly are honorable… my sensei would admire you… Still, you defeated me, and I want you to have something…"

"Jade please," protested Mary. "I refuse to take a card from your deck!"

"Even my side deck?" said Jade, taking out a small box.

She leafed through a set of cards in the box.

"I never use this card, because it is a very risky card to use," explained Jade. "But with your good fortune, it might serve you well…"

She handed it to Mary and she looked at it. It depicted the image of a Samurai on a mountaintop looking into the sunrise.

"'Emergence of a Champion'?" asked Mary, looking at the description.

"When played at the right time," explained Jade, "this card can make the difference. And besides, if you put it in your deck, you'll know that the Soul of the Samurai will be guiding you."

"Thank you," said Mary. "I'll cherish it."

Persephone was in the darkness of a corner, taking in every word.

_You have no backbone, Mary,_ she thought. _Well, we'll all see how much this friendly bonding gets you when an ultimate winner of all this is decided…_

She took out her side deck and took out the Crescent Moon Queen she had won from Clive.

_I know what you're thinking Peter. You're thinking you're going to kick my behind tomorrow and make me give this back. Pitiful. Even if you won, you could have so much better…_

_Not that I'm going to let you win…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Late that night, Yugi got into bed. His mind was full of worry, about what he was going to be doing tomorrow.

As he shut his eyes, music went through his head…

_**We didn't start the fire;  
It was always burning  
Since the world's been turning.  
We didn't start the fire;  
No we didn't light it  
But we tried to fight it…**_

He sat up in bed.

_Strange,_ he thought.

That song was all about social turmoil. The problems that faced mankind.

Certainly, Saurius and his desire to destroy the Mandate was a BIG problem that faced mankind.

Was there a reason that Johnny Blaze had been instructed to perform that song?

He lay down, and fell asleep.

Around two AM, his dreams turned frightening once again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ANCIENT MASTER YOSHI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **All "Samurai" Monsters you control (and Monsters who are named "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman", "Mataza the Zapper", or "Zanki") gain 500 Attack Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SOJOBO, KING OF THE TENGU**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **When this card battles a Warrior or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster, the opposing Monster loses 400 Attack Points during the Damage Step only.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EMERGENCE OF A CHAMPION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Yamoto the Noble Samurai on a mountaintop, viewing the sunrise.

**Card Description: **Pay half your Life Points. Take any Monster Card from your deck and add it to your hand.


	38. Curse of Fiend

_**Sometimes there are situations in life so ironic that they stop and make you wonder just who's in charge of the whole deal.**_

_**I have no bad or evil intentions. I want to win this tournament so that when Josephine and I get married we can have that wedding at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris that she's dreamed about, something that would be only a romantic fantasy otherwise. Clive told me it's a noble goal.**_

_**My opponent? I don't know what request she would make of Siegfried if she won, but I'd bet any amount of money that it would be something motivated by pure greed, and little more. She's an arrogant, spoiled-rotten egotist who has already caused my best friend a world of hurt.**_

_**Most would agree that my goals are more morally sound, and that I'm the better person. But it seems that fate has set me up to be the villain in this conflict.**_

_**See, my deck is full of Fiends. Hers is full of Fairies. Fiends are supposed to be evil creatures of darkness, whereas Fairies are supposed to be exemplars of light and goodness. **_

_**I'd call Persephone a hypocrite for using them, but maybe that would be going a little too far. I'm not one to make such a severe judgment.**_

_**But like I said, it's ironic. And now, my forces of Evil must try to triumph…**_

…_**in order for a greater good to win out.**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Curse of Fiend**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi tossed and turned violently in his sleep. Sweat dripped on his sheets…

He dreamed he was in a realm full of dark mist, and he was dueling. Burns and cuts covered his body, and he was already exhausted.

His Dark Magician was in front of him, but his opponent had something that was nearly twice as strong – Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

And the strangest thing of all was, his opponent wasn't Siegfried. He couldn't see the duelist clearly, but it was a dark shape that emitted evil like a bonfire.

"Blue-Eyes…" commanded his foe. "Obliterate that pathetic mage with neuron blast!"

The huge Dragon opened its central mouth and prepared to fire.

"NO!" screamed Yugi.

The blast shot forth, annihilating Dark Magician in an explosion that threw Yugi back ten feet!

He tried to get up, but he couldn't find the strength to stand.

"Can't… do it…" he groaned.

And then a pair of arms grabbed him.

"Okay Yugi," said a demanding voice, "ON YOUR FEET!"

The figure pulled him to his feet, and Yugi saw him clearly. At first, Yugi thought it was Siegfried, but it wasn't. He had the same sandy brown hair, the same eyes, but there were subtle differences that set him apart. He wore a fancy white overcoat that looked expensive. And he had a fierce scowl on his face.

Yugi's mind flashed back to old videotapes of Battle City that he had seen…

"Seto?" he gasped. "Seto Kaiba?"

"That's my name, Yugi," sneered Seto. "Don't wear it out or I'll make you buy me a new one!"

"Wait a minute…" stammered Yugi. "You're…"

"What?" said Seto, interrupting. "Dead? You think a little thing like _that_ can keep the world's greatest duelist down?"

"World's greatest…" started Yugi. "Come on Seto, you know as well as I do that…"

Seto slapped him.

"Are you going to start too?" shouted Seto, clearly angry. "You want me to admit that your father is better than me? FINE! I admit it! Happy?"

"Seto, you can't…" started Yugi. "Wait… you admit it?"

"You want me to put it in writing?" yelled Seto. "We don't have time to start the old argument again, Yugi…"

He gestured to the Dragon and the creature controlling it.

"That big jerk over there stole my Dragon, and it's going to eat you alive in a few minutes unless you find some way to beat it!"

"How?" begged Yugi. "It's too powerful!"

Seto dropped him.

"Pathetic," he grunted. "This was the duelist who beat Anastasia? This was the one who saved New York from the God of Darkness? Maybe all of your victories were just cases of dumb luck…"

"Seto, can't you do something?" pleaded Yugi.

Seto turned to him with a glare.

"I'm dead Yugi," muttered Seto, "there's precious little I can do now. But I can tell you something. Your dad and I weren't exactly friends, but we shared a lot. We shared a few secrets about Duel Monsters that practically _nobody_ knew about…"

"Secrets?" asked Yugi.

"Yeah, secrets," replied Seto. "And let me tell you, the solution to this problem is staring you right in the face!"

"Huh?" asked Yugi.

"Look at your hand of cards, Yugi," said Seto, "and figure it out…"

Yugi slowly lifted his hand of cards… there were three Spell Cards there…

His vision blurred…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He woke up, drenched in sweat.

He slowly hit a button on his phone speaker.

"Yes Mr. Mouto?" said a voice.

"I know it's late," yawned Yugi, "but do you perchance have some fresh bed sheets? Don't ask why I need them."

"We'll have them in five minutes," said a voice.

He turned it off and slowly picked up his Millennium Puzzle.

"Yugi," said Yami's voice, "that wasn't just a dream…"

"Tell me about it," groaned Yugi. "If that was truly Seto Kaiba's spirit, dying did nothing to cure his arrogance."

"Perhaps he acted arrogant so you would know it was him," suggested Yami.

"Good point," said Yugi. "You didn't happen to see what those three cards were, did you?"

"I kind of hoped that you had," sighed Yami, somewhat disappointed.

Yugi sighed.

"Any idea what this big secret was that he mentioned?"

"Your father knew a _lot_ of secrets," said Yami. "And Seto was privy to many of them. It could have been a lot of things. Perhaps the secret will be revealed when the time is right.

"But we did learn one thing. Seto said that the creature in that dream stole the Dragon. Siegfried may play into this whole thing in more ways than one."

Yugi paused.

"Maybe we should have a word with him as soon as we can," said Yugi. "I just wish this hadn't happened now… the night before I have to duel Mary…"

"How are you going to prepare for that?"

"Well," stated Yugi. "She said she'd meet me for breakfast in the Green Room early. At least we can… talk about it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At seven AM, before anyone else was up (they presumed), Yugi and Mary were discussing things in the Green Room over waffles and bacon.

"Yugi," sighed Mary, "I want you to know that whatever threat this Saurius guy poses, I'll help the best I can…"

"It could be dangerous…" muttered Yugi.

"I don't care," frowned Mary. "He made it personal…"

"What do you mean?"

"That horrible night after Clive had dueled El Toro Grande," said Mary. "You see…"

"Yes, I know," sighed Yugi. "They sent a memory imp after Jade and it took the form of your dad…"

"They did far more than that…" said Mary, sadly.

She paused.

"Yugi," she said softly. "I know you don't see much of my mom because she's away on business half the time, but you know what her name is, don't you?"

"Yeah…" replied Yugi. "What was it…? Becky…"

"My father calls her 'Becky'," said Mary, somberly. "Think, Yugi. What is that name short for?"

Yugi almost gasped in surprise.

"You have _got_ to be kidding…" he stammered.

"No joke," affirmed Mary. "You want to know how Joey Wheeler and Rebecca Hawkins fell in love? It's quite a story…

"It all started eight years after Battle City… he was twenty-four, she was sixteen, and they met at a Duel Monsters expo at San Diego. Mom was still a bit of a spitfire, and she challenged dad to a duel. Dad cleaned her clock.

"But mom demanded a rematch… and this time she won. They went back and forth, and by the time they were tied four duels to four, they were both too exhausted to stand.

"It wasn't over. The next day at the expo dad demanded a tie-breaker, and the whole thing started all over again…

"This little rivalry went on for months, and stretched on into a year… and soon mom was starting to fall for dad. She tells me from time to time that every time she got blasted by his Red Eyes, it started to feel like a kiss! Dad started to feel the same way whenever she struck him with her Cannon Soldier…

"And before you knew it, three years after that expo in San Diego, they were married. Some people accused dad of robbing the cradle, but he didn't care. Love knew no bounds…

"So you see Yugi, when Saurius used those imps, he struck at me twice, forming wicked clones of both my parents, one of which he used against you. Even if he didn't know it, he hurt me bad. And I'll help any way I can to protect my family's good name…"

This was a lot for Yugi to handle. He simply nodded.

"So," muttered Yugi, finally, "we're going to have to duel each other today in the second match… And neither of us can just let the other win…"

"I know…" sighed Mary. "But like you said, we'll conduct it with honor and dignity, like a true duel should be held…"

"And I don't care what the crowd does," said Yugi. "I'll _never_ take a card from your deck if I win…"

Mary thought for a minute.

"Wait…" she exclaimed. "Yugi… I've got an idea!"

Yugi lifted an eyebrow.

"The winner doesn't have to take a card permanently, but maybe the loser can help the winner… listen…

"Remember in the City of Souls when the two of us dueled Jess and Stalt?"

"Yes," said Yugi, with a shudder. "We dueled on top of the Empire State Building, and the losers would fall to their doom."

"Right," continued Mary. "The two of them loved Fusion Monsters, and used a Field Spell Card called Fusion Gate that let them make as many fusions as they wanted.

"I thought we were finished when Stalt stole my Red Eyes and your Summoned Skull and fused them into Black Skull Dragon. But then you showed me a secret about Duel Monsters that even I didn't know – you used their own Fusion Gate to fuse my Flame Swordsman with your Dark Magician, forming a Monster that simply_ couldn't_ be defeated…"

"And?" asked Yugi.

"Here's what I'm proposing," smiled Mary. "If you win, you take my Flame Swordsman…"

Yugi paused.

"And if you win, you take my Dark Magician!" he exclaimed. "That way, the winner will have an edge in the final round!"

"Right!" smiled Mary. "Whoever wins can give the card back once the finals are over…"

At that point, Persephone came to the door of the Green Room. She slunk back, and watched.

"Okay," grinned Yugi. "It's a deal…"

They got up and shook hands.

"You know Yugi," smiled Mary. "Remember when I asked you if you loved me? In light of recent events… That's kind of how I feel…"

"Really?" said Yugi.

He paused.

"I feel the same way…" he said softly.

Mary gazed into his eyes.

"Then," she muttered, "do you mind if I do something rash?"

She put her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

Yugi took hold of her head and kissed her back, more passionately than ever before.

What they didn't know was that Persephone was recording the whole thing with a DVD recorder…

_Heh, heh,_ she thought. _This ought to raise a few eyebrows…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A short time before noon, the population of Duelatopia crowded into the stadium again.

In a seat above the announcer's booth, a young man looked at a card… Marie the Fallen One.

Maligno sighed.

_Well, I should have listened to Peter, he thought. I should have stayed away from that Echidna creature…_

He remembered the details of the fight like he could view them on a television screen. He'd thought Goblin King was invincible so long as there were other Fiends on the field.

But after he had pumped Goblin King to stats of 4,000/4,000 (the maximum that he could) Echidna had surprised him with a five-card combo. After halting his attacks with Waboku, she had summoned Dark Magician Girl, used Sage's Stone to summon her second Dark Magician, and then used Knight's Title to summon Dark Magician Knight, which obliterated the King. After that, the rest of his Fiends were easy prey – he had been so intent on strengthening Goblin King that he didn't bother Tributing the weaker Fiends for stronger ones.

At least he had kept his dignity. He refused to beg when Echidna closed in on him and even looked directly into her face. The next thing he knew, he passed out, and was lying on the street outside the Serpent Complex Pavilion, with a strange note from the gorgon saying that he was "inappropriate" for her collection, and for him to enjoy the finals. He somewhat suspected that her threats had been bluffs by now…

_Ah well,_ he thought, looking at the card. _What's done is done, and the least I can do is support Peter… I just hope he can defeat that Persephone. She really fights hard for someone who plays a Fairy deck…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the V.I.P. stands, Clive was giving Peter a last-minute pep talk.

"Just watch out for that Heavenly Smite card of hers," he warned. "That thing _hurt._"

"Don't worry, Clive," assured Peter. "I beat Orin's Levia-Dragon, I can certainly beat a bunch of Fairies. In fact, I already planned out a way to take care of Shinato in case she uses that Ritual Card."

"Let's hope so," sighed Clive. "Shinato is one tough Fairy."

"And I promise you, Clive," said Peter. "I'll make her give you back that Crescent Moon Queen…"

Music started to play again in the stadium.

"That's my cue…" smiled Peter.

A huge Pot of Greed appeared in the center of the field. Five cards floated out of it, and then formed into a pattern… beams of light struck, linking the cards and forming a five-pointed star…

The star glowed, and the enormous form of Exodia the Forbidden One emerged, blasting his beam of obliteration at the onlookers!

The image vanished in a burst of pixels, and fireworks spouted all over the place. Everyone cheered as the Master of Games appeared on his balcony.

"Welcome Duelatopia!" he proclaimed. "Before we begin, let me just say that what occurs today will be a pair of violent confrontations full of intensity and bloodshed. If you feel squeamish about such things, you really shouldn't be here!

"Of the eight finalists that arrived here yesterday, four remain, and they're ready and eager to fight until only two are left standing!

"And now, here again are our fearless announcers, Mike Moise and Donna Parisi!"

"Thank you, Master of Games!" shouted Mike. "In case you weren't here yesterday, I have no sympathy for your sorry you-know-whats, because you missed four explosive duels!"

"That's right Mike," continued Donna. "And today, the winners will square off against each other in the semi-finals!"

_Guess I'm up,_ thought Peter, adjusting his sunglasses.

"As all duelists know," explained Donna, there are several Types of Monsters. Spellcasters, Warriors, Dragons, and stuff like that. In most cases, you can find ways for Types to work together…"

"…but very rarely the Types that define the cards in our first two semi-finalists' decks!" said Mike. "One of them uses Fiends, the other uses Fairies. The only time I can think of a Fiend and a Fairy getting along is in the case of Marie the Fallen One and The Forgiving Maiden!"

"And today we're going to see what Type of these polar opposites of the Duel Monsters world is superior," stated Donna, "in a battle to the finish!"

As the occupants in the V.I.P. stands watched the coin toss, Mary went up to Yugi.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

"Well, if her match with Clive is any indication, Persephone is clever," said Yugi. "And I'd hate to compare Clive to Peter. We'll just have to hope Peter has better luck…"

"As you remember," recapped Donna, "Peter will be using a deck that he calls 'Divine Comedy', which is no laughing matter!"

"While Persephone will be using a deck called 'A Midsummer Nightmare'," continued Mike, "which likely gave her last victim nightmares!"

Persephone had won the coin toss, but surprisingly, she gave Peter the right to start. Peter glared at her as he thoroughly shuffled her deck.

"Now, as soon as Peter, um, finishes," said Donna, "this can get started."

"Okay son!" stated Mokuba. "I think that deck is shuffled enough!"

"I'm game if you are, Persephone," he snarled, handing it back. "My Fiends are going to burn you to cinders!"

Persephone chuckled.

"Remember one thing Peter," she warned. "Since the dawn of time, Fairies and Fiends have been mortal enemies! And my Fairies are going to knock those sunglasses right off of you!"

"Okay you two," ordered Mokuba, as the two took their positions. "I want a good clean duel… but I guess this time, I'm just going to have to settle for 'good'.

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

The crowd cheered as the Disks flipped into position, the scores set, and the images of the two duelists appeared on the big screen.

_Come on, Peter,_ thought Maligno. _You can beat this floozy…_

Peter made his draws… he grinned.

"Persephone…" he whispered. "Do you know of the legend of this island?"

"Legend?" asked Persephone, with a quizzical look.

"Three centuries ago," muttered Peter, choosing a card, "long before Duelatopia was even a thought, this tropical island was home to a tribe of savage headhunters! One day, a Spanish conquistador and his men set foot here with hopes to colonize the island, only to be attacked by the cruel natives…"

He set a Monster Card down in Attack Mode, and an eerie fog started to lift around him.

"The conquistador's men escaped… he wasn't so lucky. He was captured and beheaded by the savages…"

A shadowy form started to appear in the fog.

"…and it is said that to this day, the ghost of that conquistador haunts this island, looking for his missing head!"

"And all this means?" asked Persephone, somewhat annoyed.

The shadowy form started to take shape.

"Meet HEADLESS KNIGHT!" shouted Peter.

A haunting laughter erupted over the field, and a man in golden armor with an ornate shield and sword leapt out – with no head! (1,450/1,700)

"YAAAHH!" yelled Persephone.

"And if he can't find his, maybe he'll take yours!" laughed Peter.

"Okay, fine," said Persephone, gasping for breath, "you spooked me…"

"And I'll place one card facedown, ending my turn," smiled Peter, setting the card.

The card appeared behind Headless Knight.

"Well, Peter sure knows how to make an opening move," chuckled Mike. "Even I was a little scared!"

Persephone drew.

_Humph,_ she thought. _That Headless Knight might look scary, but it's weak… If he put it in Attack Mode, he must want me to attack it. Well sorry, Pete, I'm not buying…_

She put a card down.

"Spirit of the Harp in Defense Mode!" she announced.

The golden robed harpist appeared and started playing her tune. (800/2,000)

"And it's your move," she said. "I doubt you can do much with that weak Knight…"

Peter drew.

"He might be weak," agreed Peter, "but now I'll Tribute him for Mefist the Infernal General!"

He switched cards, and Headless Knight evaporated into the mists. A galloping of hoofs was heard, and a different fiendish knight on a demonic horse appeared out of the darkness. (1,800/1,700)

"You know that Airknight Parshath you have?" asked Peter. "This guy is like him… except that when he does damage to you, I don't get to draw a card, you have to discard one!"

"He can't beat my Spirit's Defense!" scowled Persephone with a glare.

"That's what this facedown card is for!" smiled Peter. "Activate Dark Energy!"

The facedown card lifted, and a huge hand with a black crystal ball appeared on it. The hand threw the ball at Mefist, and he blazed with unholy fire. (2,100/1,700)

"Go Mefist," shouted Peter. "Fiendish forward charge!"

Mefist charged forward on his mount, and drove his lance into Spirit of the Harp! She gasped, and fell over on her harp. Persephone's Life Points fell to 7,900.

Then Mefist reached forward with his lance and speared one of Persephone's cards, tossing it into her discard slot!

_Ugh,_ thought Persephone. _So much for using Heavenly Smite in this duel…_

"And I'll end my move by placing another card facedown," said Peter, fitting it into a slot.

It appeared in front of him.

Persephone drew.

_Nuts!_ she said.

"I summon Shining Abyss in Defense Mode," she growled, putting a card down. "And I end my turn."

A large, half-Fairy/half-Machine creature with no legs appeared, radiating light. (1,600/1,800)

"I think Persephone is losing it," said Donna, "and this is only her second move!"

Peter drew.

"You think I'm afraid of your Archfiends you have another thing coming…" scowled Persephone.

"You should be afraid of the Archfiends," smiled Peter. "They're so powerful, that even their head chef is a force to be reckoned with!"

"Their _chef?_" gasped Persephone in surprise. "What the?"

Peter slapped a card down.

"I summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

A cackling laugh echoed over the field, and a tall form arose. It was a blue-skinned demon dressed in an orange chef's outfit and hat, with a hook for a right hand, holding a huge cleaver in his left. (1,800/1,000)

"This guy considers himself a true gourmet," said Peter. "But he's all Fiend when it comes to carving up a meal… which is exactly what _you_ are to him!"

Persephone drew back.

"Mefist!" shouted Peter, "destroy Shining Abyss!"

Mefist charged forward on his steed, and jammed his lance into Shining Abyss, blowing it to pieces! Persephone's Life Points fell further to 7,600.

He speared another card and discarded it.

_Ugh, my Aura of the Archlords card!_ thought Persephone.

"Uh oh," gasped Mike, as The Bistro Butcher raised his cleaver. "This might turn ugly!"

"Bistro Butcher," yelled Peter, "attack her directly with Fiend cleaver!"

The Bistro Butcher raised his cleaver with an evil smile and leapt at Persephone! She shrieked as he slashed across her chest his knife and she tumbled over!

Persephone looked down, and saw the blood run from the deep cut. She was thankful that the wound wasn't real.

Her Life Points plummeted to 5,800.

"You'll pay for that," she snarled. "You think I don't know about The Bistro Butcher? When he damages my Life Points, I get to draw two cards…"

She reached for her deck…

"That's why I placed this Trap," said Peter, hitting a button. "Activate… Null and Void!"

A Trap Card lifted resembling a large hand with a sigil on it.

"I can activate this whenever you draw cards anyway other than the normal way," said Peter, "and then make you discard them!"

Persephone scowled. She looked at the cards and then deposited them to the Graveyard.

"Peter's doing it!" cheered Clive. "He still has all his Life Points, and he's brought Persephone down more than a quarter!"

"Go Peter!" yelled Mary.

"Okay, it's my draw!" snarled Persephone.

She drew.

And then she grinned.

"You may think you were hurting me by making me discard all those cards," she said, slyly, "but actually, you helped me a great deal…"

"Huh?" said Peter.

"One of those cards was a Monster Card," smiled Persephone, "one that requires two Tributes to summon. But since you sent her to the Graveyard, I can summon her now without Tributing squat!"

She threw a Spell Card into her slot.

"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted.

Beautiful music started to play, and a huge form appeared before her. It was a beautiful Fairy dressed in a golden toga with six feathered wings.

"Meet Wingweaver!" shouted Persephone.

(2,750/2,400)

"No!" gasped Peter.

"Wingweaver, take out that Butcher with heavenly light!" yelled Persephone.

A ball of light appeared in Wingweaver's hands, and she hurled it forward. The Bistro Butcher howled, and exploded into pulp. His cleaver and hook fell to the ground, scorched.

"Persephone pulls a powerful creature out of her hat to gain control," exclaimed Donna, "and Wingweaver looks like she means business!"

Peter's Life Points fell to 7,050.

_Oh great,_ thought Maligno.

"Now what?" asked Mary.

"It does not look good," said Jade. "Wingweaver is one the most powerful Fairies in Duel Monsters. Taking her down without Spell or Trap Cards will likely be difficult…"

"Heh, heh," smiled Persephone. "Your move…"

Peter drew.

"I'll shift Mefist into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

Mefist raised his shield in front of him.

Peter flipped open his Field slot.

"And I'll play my Field Card… _Pandemonium!_"

He slipped the card in, and the arena rumbled. The fiendish city's buildings arose, and the air became hazy and smoky. The horrifying gargoyles and statues bore down on them.

Wingweaver looked around, nervously…

"Your Fairy looks a little scared, Persephone," grinned Peter. "Could it be because she's out of her element?"

"Calm down, Wingweaver…" said Persephone. "Even here you're still stronger than that General…"

"It's your move," said Peter.

Persephone drew a card.

"I summon Dunames Dark Witch in Attack Mode!" she said, throwing it down.

A dark aura appeared, and the pretty Fairy in a red dress and metallic wings arose. (1,800/1,050)

"Wingweaver, obliterate the Infernal General!" shouted Persephone.

Wingweaver cast forth her light, and it enveloped Mefist and his mount. They let out a scream and a whiny and they were vaporized.

"Dunames Dark Witch, attack Peter directly with shadow flux!"

"No!" yelled Peter.

Dunames Dark Witch shot forth her spell, covering Peter in an aura of dark magic. He cringed and fell to his knees.

"Give me that old black magic," laughed Mike. "It's good enough for me!"

Peter's Life points fell to 5,250.

"CRUD!" shouted Clive. "That minx just took the lead!"

"Don't worry," said Mary, "Peter's recovered from worse…"

Peter drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed…" said Peter, fitting a card into the slot.

The wicked jar appeared on the field, and two cards popped out of it. Peter made two draws.

_Hmm,_ he thought.

"Now I'll set a card facedown," he said, setting another card.

"And I'll summon Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode!"

A raging flame appeared on the field, and Infernalqueen arose, shielding herself with her wings. (900/1,500)

"And Peter summons the first of his infamous Archfiends!" exclaimed Donna. "Still, I don't know what good she'll do him…"

"Your move, Fairy Queen," dared Peter.

Persephone drew.

"I summon Fairy's Gift in Attack Mode…" she said.

The pretty, green-garbed Fairy with butterfly wings appeared, waving her magic wand, and trailing pixie dust from it.

"Get ready to lose a lot of Life Points!" warned Persephone. "Dunames Dark Witch, Attack Infernalqueen!"

The Dark Witch cast forth her spell…

"I may lose Life Points," yelled Peter, "but you'll lose more. I activate Archfiend's Curse!"

His Trap Card flipped up.

"No!" shouted Persephone. "You used that on Orin!"

"Cor…rect!" smiled Peter. "I may have to pay 1,000 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 4,250.

"… but in exchange, the Attack Scores of all three of your ladies get cut in half!"

Wingweaver's Attack fell to 1,375, Fairy's Gift to 700, and Dunames Dark Witch's to 900.

Dunames Dark Witch's spell bounced off of Infernalqueen, and Persephone's Life Points fell to 5,200.

Persephone snarled.

I'll shift Wingweaver into Defense Mode and end my turn," she said, turning the card.

Wingweaver shielded herself with her wings.

"With a powerful Trap, Peter may have just turned the tide!" exclaimed Mike. "Let's see if he can make the most of it!"

Peter drew. He added the card to his hand.

"I'll shift Infernalqueen into Attack Mode…" he said.

Infernalqueen spread her wings and stood up.

"Then I'll use her special ability, raising her Attack strength to 1,900!"

Infernalqueen blazed with flames, and her Attack power rose.

"Now I'll summon Shadowknight Archfiend!" said Peter, taking a card from his hand.

He set it down, and a black tornado ripped across his side of the field. It subsided, and the fearsome demon knight in armor with wings and a huge sword stepped forth. (2,000/1,600).

"Infernalqueen, destroy Dunames Dark Witch with cross-the-board capture attack!" shouted Peter.

Dunames Dark Witch screamed as Infernalqueen raced towards her in a blur of flame. She swiped at her with a fiery claw, and she was incinerated.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 4,200.

"Shadowknight, attack Fairy's Gift with knight's four's square fury attack!"

Shadowknight flew forward and smote the fragile Fairy with his sword. She gave a cry and burst into a cloud of twinkling dust.

Persephone's Life Points fell again, to 3,550.

The crowd started to cheer.

"Fortunately for you, Shadowknight is so powerful, he doesn't give his full effort," explained Peter, "so he only does half the expected damage.

"So I'll end by laying a card facedown."

"And Peter turns the duel around, with a lethal chessboard maneuver!" commented Mike.

_Curse you,_ thought Persephone, drawing.

"I summon Dancing Elf in Defense Mode," she said, "and that's all I can do."

She put the card down, and the windy, dragonfly-winged elf appeared. (300/200)

Peter drew.

"First I'll use Infernalqueen's power on herself again…" he said.

Again, Infernalqueen blazed with flame, and she cackled. Her Attack rose to 2,900.

"Huh?" asked Mary. "Why didn't he use it on Shadowknight?"

"Now I play a powerful Spell Card," explained Peter. "Card of Sanctity!"

Both of them made multiple draws. Peter looked at his new hand.

"And now," he said, "I'll Tribute my Shadowknight to summon Great Maju Garzett, in Attack Mode!"

Shadowknight vanished in a burst of purple flames, and the huge, hulking, hairy fiend arose, his eyes glowing red! (00/00)

"Oh," said Mary. "That's why…"

_Yes! _thought Maligno._ The Monster I gave him!_

"No!" gasped Persephone. "I know that Fiend…"

"Then you know that his Attack Score is twice the original Attack Score of the Monster I used as a Tribute to summon him!" smiled Peter.

(4,000/00)

Persephone drew back in fear…

"Great Maju Garzett, take out Dancing Elf with hellfire blast attack!" he commanded.

Maju formed a fireball and hurled it at Dancing Elf, who was incinerated.

"Overkill, yes, but who cares?" smiled Peter. "Infernalqueen, destroy Wingweaver!"

Infernalqueen raced forward and raked her claws across Wingweaver. The Fairy gasped and vanished in a burst of fire.

"And as tempting as it is to blast you with Maju next round," said Peter, "I have other plans…"

He hit a button on his Disk and his Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Altar of the Archfiends…"

The demonic altar of skulls appeared, and Great Maju Garzett mounted it.

"Sacrificing him to gain back half of his Attack Points in Life Points!"

Great Maju Garzett howled and turned into fiery energy, and it flowed into Peter, bringing his Life Points up to 6,250.

The crowd cheered again.

"One blasphemous ritual, and Peter takes a great lead!" announced Donna. "He may be unstoppable!"

_Well, _thought Maligno,_ It seems Peter got that combo down pat. We may have a winner soon._

Persephone drew.

She smiled.

"I play the Spell Card… Temporary Truce!" she smiled.

She fit it into the slot. A sparkling cloud descended over the two duelists.

"Huh?" said Mary. "I know that card… Bonz used it against me in New York…"

"Now, neither of us can take any offensive action against each other for two full turns," explained Persephone.

She took a card from her hand.

"And I also summon Hysteric Fairy in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and the bespectacled Fairy with feathered wings in a blue suit appeared. (1,800/500).

"Your two turns start now," said Persephone. "End turn."

"So now Peter can't attack?" asked Clive.

"No," said Yugi. "But he can summon more Monsters and power them up with his Infernalqueen. And if he's smart, that's what he'll do."

Peter drew.

"I'll first use Infernalqueen's effect on herself again…" he started.

Infernalqueen laughed, and her stats rose again (3,900/1,500)

"3,900 Attack Points!" gasped Mike. "She's even stronger than a Blue-Eyes now!"

"And also," continued Peter, "I'll summon Desrook Archfiend to the field, in Attack Mode."

He placed the card down, and a beam of light struck the field in front of him. The fiendish chess rook appeared and bore his sharp tentacles! (1,100/1,800)

"Your move," said Peter.

Persephone drew.

"I'll place this card facedown," she said, placing a card into a slot.

The card appeared behind Hysteric Fairy.

"And then I play… Scapegoat!"

She played the card, and the four colored sheep appeared.

"I suppose you know how this works?" she smiled.

"Hysteric Fairy is going to sacrifice them and heal you of 2,000 Life Points…" grumbled Peter.

"Bingo!" said Persephone.

The Fairy absorbed the sheep into herself and turned to Persephone, casting a spell. Persephone glowed, and her Life Points went up to 5,550.

_Doesn't matter,_ thought Peter. _I can still finish her once her truce wears off…_

"It's your move, Peter…" smiled Persephone.

Peter drew.

"This time I'll use Infernalqueen's effect on Desrook…" he said.

Infernalqueen cast her spell on Desrook, and flames shrouded it. Desrook's attack went up to 2,100.

"And now I'll summon Vilepawn Archfiend in Attack Mode."

The ground rumbled, and the skeletal Archfiend holding a sword burst out from beneath the Pandemonium streets. (1,200/200)

"I end my turn," grinned Peter. "And once your turn ends, your Truce wears off…"

"I know," said Persephone drawing.

She gave a sly smile.

"I believe I'll end my turn there…" she grinned.

"What's Persephone thinking?" gasped Mike. "Those Fiends will tear her apart after Peter is done with her!"

"She must have some sort of plan…" pondered Donna, "but it better be a good one…"

Peter drew.

_That facedown card must be something deadly, _he thought_. But I can win if I attack…_

He took a card from his hand.

_Just in case…_ he thought.

"I'll use Infernalqueen's spell on Vilepawn this time!" he exclaimed.

The Queen cast her spell, enveloping the Pawn in flames, and he laughed. His Attack went up to 2,200.

"And I'll place one card facedown," he said, fitting it into a slot.

The card appeared behind his fiends.

"Now," shouted Peter, "Desrook Archfiend, attack Hysteric Fairy with king's castling attack!"

Desrook reached forward with his tentacles… Hysteric Fairy drew back in fear…

"Activate… Waboku!" shouted Persephone.

Her card lifted, and the three blue-robed priestesses rose to block the attack. Hysteric Fairy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well that was a close one," said Donna.

"You didn't think I wouldn't be prepared for that, did you?" said Persephone with a grin.

"Actually, I didn't," said Peter. "But that won't help you next round. It's your move – just try to destroy my Archfiends!"

"I'll do more than try, Peter," grinned Persephone drawing.

She added the card to her hand and chose another one.

"Because I prepared my deck in advance for this very duel. And you made a big mistake building up your forces and powering them up!"

"What do you mean?" asked Peter, annoyed.

Persephone waved the card in front of her.

"Long ago, when a powerful wizard's wife and children were killed by evil Fiends, he sought vengeance, and searched the ends of the earth for a powerful weapon that could destroy them! I hold in my hands that very weapon! Something I put in my deck for this very duel…"

She threw a card into a slot. A Spell Card revealed itself, showing a grim-faced alchemist in a blue robe surrounded by potion bottles.

"I play… Exile of the Wicked!"

"No!" shouted Peter.

"No! Peter!" shouted Maligno.

The alchemist on the card appeared on the field and cast a mighty spell. Infernalqueen, Desrook, and Vilepawn gasped. They started to sizzle and smoke.

"This Spell Card wipes out all Fiends on the field!" gloated Persephone. "And since this card effects multiple Monsters and your Darkbishop is nowhere in sight, your Archfiends' ability to nullify card effects can't save them!"

Peter's three Fiends exploded into goo, which splashed on him!

"Ugh," gasped Mike. "Mokuba was right. This duel _isn't_ very clean."

Peter's Life Points fell to 4,450.

"Ahh!" moaned Peter. "I lost 1,800 Life Points!"

"And now you're going to lose 1,800 _more_ Life Points!" laughed Persephone. "Hysteric Fairy, attack with hysteric blast!"

"No, Peter!" shouted Clive.

Hysteric Fairy formed a crackling ball of energy in her hands and hurled it at Peter!

Peter hit a button on his Disk and his Trap Card lifted…

There was an explosion, and when the dust cleared, the three blue-garbed priestesses were standing in front of him.

"Thought you had me, huh?" snarled Peter. "Or doesn't Waboku apply to you?"

"Humph," said Persephone. "Your move…"

Peter drew.

_This guy will be good for later,_ he thought.

"I place a Monster facedown and end my turn," he said.

The hidden Monster appeared in front of him.

"That the best you can do?" grinned Persephone drawing.

_Humph, _she thought._ No Monsters that I can use right now – these guys are only good once I get The Sanctuary of the Sky out…_

"Hysteric Fairy, attack the facedown Monster!" she ordered.

Hysteric Fairy powered up her crackling ball of light and hurled it. A withered, yellow mask appeared on the facedown card, and it was blown apart.

"Thanks for destroying my Mask of Darkness, Persephone!" smiled Peter, as his discard pile became accessible. "Now I get to retrieve one Trap Card from my Graveyard!"

He leafed through and got what he needed.

"Fine!" snarled Persephone. "I'm ending my turn. But your chances of getting a good Monster that can defeat Hysteric Fairy are pretty slim…"

Peter looked at his hand…

_I can… _he said._ If I draw the right card right now…_

"Peter can beat this creep, can't he?" asked Clive.

"Before she played that cheap Exile of the Wicked, I would have counted on it," sighed Yugi. "But now, who knows?"

Peter drew.

He grinned.

"Time to fry, Persephone…" he grinned.

He took a card from his hand.

"I summon Warrior of Zera in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the powerful Warrior appeared. (1,600/1,600)

"Okay," questioned Mike. "I don't think that move was the smartest thing Peter has done…"

"Yeah?" quipped Donna. "Take a look at Persephone…"

Indeed, sweat was pouring down Persephone's face…

"And now," smiled Peter, switching cards, "I can Tribute Warrior of Zera…"

Clouds started to cover Pandemonium, and lightning started to strike. A fierce storm started to brew…

"To special summon my mightiest Fiend… [B]Mazera DeVille![/B]"

Black fire surrounded Warrior of Zera, and he screamed. He doubled in size, his hands turned into green claws, his helmet turned into a green, bony plating with red horns, and two huge, fiendish wings sprouted from his back! Mazera DeVille howled in bloodlust! (2,800/2,300)

The crowd went nuts!

"WOW!" shouted Mike. "That is the _meanest_ Monster I have ever seen!"

"And now," ordered Peter, "Mazera, do your stuff!"

Three flaming daggers formed in Mazera's claw, and he hurled them, striking three cards in Persephone's hand!

"Sorry, Persephone, but those cards go to the Graveyard," smiled Peter.

_Rotten, stinking, lousy,_ thought Persephone.

She discarded her Mokey Mokey Smackdown, Cestus of Dagla, and Pixie Dust…

"And now, Mazera," laughed Peter, "annihilate Hysteric Fairy with hellstorm flame!"

Mazera DeVille shot forth a blazing stream of hellfire! Hysteric Fairy let out a bloodcurdling scream, and she was incinerated. The crowd let out a deafening applause!

Persephone's Life Points fell to 4,550.

"Whoa," shuddered Clive. "Who'd have thought that the Monster he got from Echidna would be such an ass-kicker?"

_And just to be on the safe side…_ thought Peter.

"I'm placing a card facedown," he said.

He set the card, and it appeared behind Mazera.

"And it's your move, Persephone," he said with a smile.

"Peter's got this duel cold!" laughed Mary. "Nothing Persephone can summon will be able to beat Mazera!"

"I hope…" said Yugi.

Persephone drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," she said, fitting a card into the slot.

The wicked jar appeared in front of her, and two cards were tossed out.

"Thank you," she smiled, as she drew two more cards.

She grinned.

"Time for a change of venue," she said, opening her Field slot. "I'm replacing your Pandemonium with my own Field Spell Card… The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

She slid a card in, and the results were, again, dramatic. The fiendish city was consumed by a starry void, and the stars rushed past them. Clouds started to form above and below, and ancient palaces appeared in the distance.

"Wow," chuckled Donna. "Persephone has taken us from the depths of Hell to the height of Heaven!"

"Nice try, Persephone," smiled Peter, "but despite the fact that I needed Pandemonium to summon Mazera DeVille, getting rid of the Field Card doesn't make him disappear…"

"I know that!" snapped Persephone. "But it's still my move… and just like you did, I'll summon Warrior of Zera!"

She placed a card down, and a twin of the Warrior Peter had summoned to summon Mazera appeared in front of Persephone, raising his sword. (1,600/1,600)

"What?" mused Peter. "What good will _that_ do you?"

"Yeah?" asked Clive. "What good will that do her?"

Yugi rubbed his chin…

"Silly Peter," laughed Persephone. "Warrior of Zera holds more than one secret inside him. He has _two_ powerful alter-egos. One of them is that hideous, ugly abomination you have in front of you… but the other is a guy who's a great deal handsomer…"

She placed a card down.

"So, I Tribute Warrior of Zera, to summon one of the mightiest of the Fairy lords, the being known as… **Archlord Zerato**!"

An aura of pure light surrounded Warrior of Zera, and angelic music started to play. He began to grow and change, his armor becoming silvery and bright, with a blue wrap and an orange scarf over his mouth and shoulders. He formed magnificent feathered wings, and his sword transformed into a glowing blade. An aura of divine radiance appeared around him. (2,800/2,300)

"Amazing!" shouted Mike, as the crowd cheered. "I knew this was going to be the ultimate clash between Fairies and Fiends, but I didn't know how right I would be!"

"Well that's impressive, Persephone," smiled Peter, "but he has exactly the same Attack Score as Mazera DeVille. An outright attack will achieve nothing."

"True," said Persephone, with a smile. "Archlord Zerato is the polar opposite of Mazera DeVille. But in my opinion, he has a much better effect than your Fiend…"

She took a card from her hand.

"I simply have to send one Light Monster, like Agent of Force – Mars here, to the Graveyard…" she explained.

She slipped the card into her discard pile.

"And in return…"

Archlord Zerato lifted his sword, and the skies above The Sanctuary started to flash with lightning!

"…I can obliterate all opposing Monsters on the Field!"

Lightning struck Mazera DeVille and he howled! He exploded into a burst of flames.

Persephone chuckled as Peter's Life Points fell to 3,750.

"Now Zerato," she yelled, "attack Peter directly with holy sword of Heaven!"

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Peter, hitting a button on his Disk.

His Trap Card sprang up, and the three Waboku blocked the attack again.

"So that's what you got from the Mask of Darkness," frowned Persephone. "I'm not impressed. I end my turn."

Peter drew. He eyed the card.

"Okay Persephone, I'm laying one card facedown…" he said.

He slid it into the slot, and it appeared on the cloud in front of him.

"And now I'll summon Crass Clown in Defense Mode," he said, putting another card down.

A cackling laugh echoed over the field, and the fat, fiendish clown appeared in his colorful costume. (1,350/1,400)

"And I'll end my turn," smiled Peter.

"Well, Peter has made a gutsy move," stated Mike. "Will it work?"

"I never liked clowns myself," sighed Donna. "I was afraid of them when I was a kid…"

_Peter used this move on Shane, _thought Maligno._ Will it work on Persephone?_

Persephone sweat as she drew.

_I know what that Clown can do, _she thought._ If he shifts it into Attack Mode, it will force Archlord Zerato back to my hand, and I'll have no way to summon him back!_

She looked at her hand of cards.

_I have no Monsters at all, so I can't enact Zerato's effect! Damn! I have to take a risk!_

"Archlord Zerato, attack the Clown!"

Zerato flew forward…

"You shouldn't have done that Persephone," smiled Peter. "I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!"

"NO!" screamed Persephone, as the card lifted.

A dark aura appeared in front of Crass Clown, and when Zerato flew into it, he gasped and dropped his sword. He was blown apart.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 3,850. The crowd cheered again!

"Peter gets his rightful revenge!" exclaimed Mike. "This duel is getting more exciting by the minute!"

"Ugh!" she snarled. "That's all I can do!"

Peter chuckled as he drew.

"Then I'll shift Crass Clown into Attack Mode," he said, turning the card. "And Persephone, I know that The Sanctuary in the Sky protects your Fairies from being attacked, but it does squat to protect _you_ when you have no Fairies on the field! Crass Clown, acrobatic daggers attack!"

The Clown chuckled and a large ball with stars on it appeared in front of him. Three daggers appeared in his left hand; he did a handstand on the ball with his right hand, spun around, and hurled the daggers! They buried themselves in Persephone's breast and she fell over!

Her Life Points fell to 2,500.

"One of the primary reasons I never liked clowns," sighed Donna.

"Yeah, go Peter!" shouted Clive.

Persephone drew.

"I play the Spell Card… Magical Stone Excavation," she said, fitting it into the slot.

The card showed itself, showing a picture of Magician of Faith, Celtic Guardian, and Witty Phantom examining merchandise in a store.

"To activate this card, I need to discard two cards…" she said.

She deposited the two cards in her hand to the Graveyard.

"…and in return, I get to retrieve one Spell from my Graveyard."

A card flipped out of the slot.

"And the card I chose… Card of Sanctity, which I play now!"

She fit it into the slot.

"Well, thanks," smiled Peter. "I needed to refresh my hand!"

They both drew until they had a full hand. Persephone made a face.

"From the look on Persephone's face, I don't think she got much that's useful…" said Donna.

"Okay," said Persephone, "I'll finish my turn by summoning Bio-Mage in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and the mysterious Fairy in her purple bodysuit with metallic orange wings appeared in a flash of light.

Peter drew.

He opened his Field slot.

"I'll play my second Pandemonium card!" he smiled, slipping it into the slot.

"Yes!" shouted Clive.

Flames surrounded them, and consumed The Sanctuary! Haze filled the air again, and the infernal city reappeared. Bio-Mage drew back in fear.

_Lord how I hate this place…_ thought Persephone.

"This duel has gone from Hell to Heaven and back to Hell again!" exclaimed Mike. "What will the ultimate outcome be?"

"And now," said Peter, switching cards, "I'll Tribute my Crass Clown to summon The Earl of Demise!"

Crass Clown was consumed in flames, and the ghastly nobleman arose, bearing his long sword. (2,000/700)

"Go, my Earl of Demise!" shouted Peter. "Cut her in half!"

Bio-Mage drew back in terror as The Earl closed in. With one swipe of his sword, he finished her.

_Yes!_ thought Maligno. _He has this duel won!_

"Make your move, Persephone," said Peter, grinning. "I'm going to bury you in this forsaken place!"

Persephone drew.

She grinned wickedly at Peter.

"I'm sure you'll remember this Monster, Peter," she smiled, putting a card down. "I used him against your pal Clive. I summon… Mudora!"

Peter drew back, as a cloud of sand arose in front of Persephone. The powerful Fairy wearing an Egyptian mask, carrying his powerful scimitar appeared. (1,500/1,300)

"What?" gasped Mary. "No! This is even worse than when she used him before!"

"I'm sure you remember how this works, Peter," said Persephone in a sweet voice. "Mudora gains 200 Attack Points for every Fairy in my Graveyard!"

"Um, I lost track," pondered Mike. "How many Fairies does she have in her Graveyard?"

"The announcer asks an excellent question," explained Persephone. "I'll count them out… Spirit of the Harp, Shining Abyss, Wingweaver, Dunames Dark Witch, Dancing Elf, Hysteric Fairy, Agent of Force – Mars, Archlord Zerato, and Bio-Mage…"

She took a breath.

"For a total of nine, giving Mudora here an Attack Score of 3,300!"

"Aw, geeze!" moaned Peter, as the creature's Attack skyrocketed.

"Now Mudora, attack The Earl of Demise with Blade of Vengeance!"

Mudora ran forward and brought his sword down on The Earl of Demise, causing him to burst into a spray of rotten flesh.

Peter's Life Points fell to 2,450.

"Now who's in trouble?" chuckled Persephone. "It's your move."

Peter's hand shook as he drew.

The card was Graceful Charity.

_This might help…_ he thought.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said.

The beautiful angel appeared and flew into his deck. He made three draws.

_Let's see here,_ he thought. _Terrorking Archfiend, Darkbishop Archfiend, and…_

_Fool's Mate?_

He paused.

_If I can fool her, this just might work!_

He added the cards to his hand and discarded two others.

"Okay Persephone, I'm placing one card facedown, and summoning Darkbishop Archfiend in Defense Mode," he said.

He played the cards. First, the facedown card appeared. Then, a foul waterspout shot up, and when it subsided, the fiendish bishop was in its place. (300/1,500)

"And I end my turn," said Peter.

"What's Peter up to?" asked Mary.

"Could that facedown card be what I think it is?" asked Clive.

"Maybe," said Yugi. "Now Persephone just has to fall for his bluff."

Persephone drew.

She gave the card a look.

She placed it into a slot.

"I'll place one card facedown on the field, and end my turn," she said softly.

The card appeared behind Mudora.

_Yes!_ thought Peter, _she fell for it!_

He drew.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"I summon Terrorking Archfiend, in Attack Mode!" he said.

A fiery storm appeared on his side of the field, and the powerful Terrorking arose with a howl.

"And now," said Peter. "I'll use my Archfiend's Favor Spell Card!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the two fiends turned to him. Terrorking raised his hand and Darkbishop raised his staff, and fiery energy flowed into Peter, raising his Life Points to 3,250.

_Now,_ he said. _As soon as she draws, I'll activate Fool's Mate, summoning my Archfiend Soldier and my Skull Archfiend of Lightning, blowing her Mudora and her facedown card away! Then one of the three Fiends can rip through anything else she summons, and another can finish her off!_

"I end my turn," he said, softly.

Persephone gave a blank expression.

"I draw…" she said, drawing.

"And I activate… Fool's Mate!" shouted Peter, as his Trap Card lifted.

"Yes!" shouted Clive.

"Yes!" shouted Maligno.

The crowd went wild.

"Now," cackled Peter, "all I need to do is discard my hand and sacrifice half my Life Points…"

He folded his cards, and his Life Points fell to 1,225.

"And now…" he said.

"Not so fast, Peter!" smiled Persephone, hitting a button on her Disk.

"Huh?" said Peter.

"I activate a Counter Trap!" she laughed as her own facedown card lifted. "A little thing called Identity Theft!"

"A C-C-Counter Trap?" stuttered Peter.

As the card lifted, a large computer screen appeared before Persephone. A message that said "DOWNLOADING" appeared on it, and then the Fool's Mate card appeared on the screen.

"See, I knew you would use that Trap against me," she smiled, "so I put this little card in my deck so you'd fall flat on your face when you tried! Identity Theft activates when my opponent activates a Trap or Spell Card, and lets my use it for my benefit!"

"No…" gasped Clive.

Peter's deck began to glow, and two illusory cards flew out of it and landed on Persephone's Disk.

"That means that any available Monsters with the word 'Archfiend' in their names are summoned to _my_ side!" laughed Persephone.

Dark flames appeared to either side of Mudora. First, the powerful form of Archfiend Soldier arose. (1,900/1,500). Then the huge form of Skull Archfiend of Lightning appeared on the other side! (2,500/1,200)

The crowd gasped, as did everyone in the V.I.P. stands.

"Neat trick, huh?" laughed Persephone. "And since _you_ activated the Trap, you have to pay the negative aspects!"

"Fine," sneered Peter. "So just attack and end it…"

Persephone laughed.

"Puh-lease!" she said. "You don't actually expect me to attack you with these filthy… things, do you?"

Anger appeared on Peter's face.

"These monstrosities aren't even worthy of being used as Tributes," mocked Persephone. "There's only one thing they are good for, and I put one more special card in my deck for this duel to do it with…"

She chose a card from her hand.

"I play a special Spell Card… Ectoplasmer!"

The card appeared, showing a ghostly shape being drawn from a prone figure.

"Confused?" said Persephone, wickedly. "Let me explain. Ectoplasmer can drain the very soul out of a Monster, transforming it into a destructive form of energy called 'ectoplasm.' That energy is then fired right at you, doing you half the Monster's Attack Score in direct damage!"

Yugi got up in shock.

_Persephone stole his two Archfiends… _he thought,_ so she could kill them on purpose?_

"What the?" gasped Donna. "Talk about gruesome!"

"Ectoplasmer," ordered Persephone, "extract ectoplasm from Archfiend Soldier!"

Archfiend Soldier fell down in a heap, and a mass of white energy flowed out of his body. The energy shot forward, striking Peter and knocking him down!

Peter got up with sweat pouring down his face. That hurt!

His Life Points fell to 175.

The reaction of the crowd was dramatic. They started to boo.

Persephone didn't seem to care.

"Well Peter," smiled Persephone, crossing her arms, "the rules of Ectoplasmer state that you can do that to one of your Monsters to strike me now…"

"I'm not that cruel, Persephone!" shouted Peter.

"Eh, suit yourself," shrugged Persephone. "Your turn…"

Peter drew.

"I'll summon Opticlops in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

The hulking one-eyed Fiend appeared and knelt. (1,800/1,700)

"And I'll switch Terrorking Archfiend to Defense Mode, ending my turn."

He turned the card, and Terrorking folded his wings.

Persephone chuckled.

"That isn't going to help Peter," she mocked. "You see, Ectoplasmer is a Continuous Spell Card!"

"What?" gasped Peter. "No!"

"Ectoplasmer," she laughed, "extract ectoplasm from Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

The Archfiend groaned and he fell, and again the energy flowed out of him. It darted across the field, and slammed into Peter, knocking him flat on his back.

"No…" moaned Maligno. "He lost."

"Oh, poor Peter," gasped Clive, almost crying.

The crowd was truly angry. They booed at Persephone mercilessly.

"I suggest you all follow the advice of Peter's Monsters," she yelled, "and go to Hell!"

She turned to Mokuba.

"Well?" she sneered. "His Life Points are gone… announce me the winner already!"

"Ahem," said Mokuba, going up to her. He raised her arm. "Persephone is the winner!"

"Well, that was certainly unpleasant," scowled Mike. "Persephone is more ruthless than anything Peter summoned."

"And we'll just have to see what happens in the final round," sighed Donna.

All this time, Peter was on the ground, groaning.

"Well, loser," she mocked. "I guess you didn't know one important axiom… in battles between Fairies and Fiends, Fairies always win!

"Now I think I'll take that Fool's Mate card of yours…"

"What?" gasped Peter, getting up. "You don't play any Archfiends! That card is worthless to you!"

"Not quite," smiled Persephone. "There are only fifteen of those cards in the world… it will be worth a fortune on auction!"

Peter gritted his teeth. He removed the card and handed it to her.

"Choke on it…" he snarled.

Yugi was just as angry. His Puzzle glowed, and his spirit merged with Yami's.

_Persephone… _he thought._ How could you possibly be so cruel? It's bad enough that you use every dirty trick in the book, but you've dashed the spirits of both my friends to pieces for no reason other than greed!_

_I swear to you, if we meet in the arena, you won't fare so well… for all the moral injustices you've committed in the name of Duel Monsters, you will pay dearly…_

The Master of Games spoke up.

"Well," he said. "That was… interesting.

"There will be a half-hour intermission, after which Yugi Mouto Jr. will duel Mary Wheeler, in a fight to the finish. Be here, because if you aren't…

"We're starting without you…"


	39. Respect Play

_**Somehow, I always feared that it would someday come to this…**_

_**I mean, when I play casual games of Duel Monsters at home, Mary is my favorite sparring partner. It never really matters then.**_

_**But the forces of fate have changed that in a big way. Now, we're dueling using Duel Disks that make the Monsters – and the injuries they cause – look very real. And a "sold out" crowd is watching us. **_

_**I want to win… I want Mary to win… I wish there was a way for both of us to win, but I can't think of a way to do that, especially since whoever wins is going to be facing one of the meanest duelists I ever had the pleasure of hating. **_

_**The duel hasn't even started yet – and I have a feeling that this experience is one I'm going to have bitter memories of for a long time.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

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**Respect Play**

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Ten minutes into the intermission, Clive came up to Peter with a double quarter-pounder, large spicy fries, and a chocolate shake. Peter was holding his head in his hands.

"I, uh, brought your favorite," he said.

"You think junk food will cheer me up?" moaned Peter.

"Then you don't want it?" asked Clive.

"I didn't say that," snapped Peter, taking it.

He tore into the burger.

"So, now it leaves Yugi… and Mary…" sighed Clive.

"Uh huh," stammered Peter. "And now I have my doubts as to whether even one of them can beat Persephone… who knows what trick she has planned for them?"

Yugi looked at Persephone, who was reclining on her seat.

She looked back at him and waved. He looked away.

_So now what? _he thought._ Mary or I will duel her in the final round… but even if one of us defeats her, the winner is only allowed to demand ONE card from her…_

_If I beat her, I can demand Clive's Crescent Moon Queen or Peter's Fool's Mate, but not both…_

He sighed.

_What the hell can I do? I can't favor one of my friends over the other! And if I don't chose either, I'll have let them both down!_

_It's the proverbial Rock and the Hard Place…_

"Yugi?" said Mary's voice.

"Mary?" asked Yugi.

"Well, we're up in fifteen minutes," she sighed. "I guess that for the next hour or so, we're rivals…"

"I wish you luck Mary," said Yugi. "Now don't give me anything but your best…"

"I'll try," affirmed Mary, "but it will be hard. Want some advice?"

"What?" asked Yugi.

"Try to image I'm not Mary up there…" she suggested. "When you look at me… well… try to imagine that I'm Persephone!"

"That will be awfully hard to imagine," replied Yugi, "but I'll try. Maybe you should try the same advice… pretend I'm Remi or something…"

"I'll keep that in mind," chuckled Mary.

Orin came up to them.

"Well folks," he said, "it's out of my hands now... may the best man win…"

"Ahem!" exclaimed Mary.

"Uh, sorry…" replied Orin. "May the best… _finalist_ win?"

"Better," said Mary.

As Mary paced to the other side, Yami appeared beside Yugi.

"This is going to be difficult," said Yami. "Mary isn't exactly an enemy that we can walk all over."

"Tell me about it," answered Yugi. "You think I'm excited about having to try to kill my girlfriend?"

"Well, if you feel that way about it, we could always let her win…" suggested Yami.

"No," said Yugi.

He paused.

"Whoever wins this duel has to duel Persephone. And the better duelist has to do it. We've got to find out once and for all who's the better duelist."

"Then I'll be with you the whole way," said Yami.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his dark throne room, Saurius was watching the proceedings with baited breath.

"How grand," he chuckled. "Two young lovers are now forced to fight each other. This will be most enjoyable."

"What do you think we can expect from this?" asked Bezelbub.

"Ah, who cares?" laughed Saurius. "This time, I just want to enjoy the show… and seeing Yugi and Mary forced to tear each other to pieces will be quite a pleasure.

"There'll be time for business after this is done…"

He folded his arms.

"I might want to have a little talk with Yugi later…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ominous music played on the field, and a card flew into view. It glowed, and grew into an Armed Dragon LV. 3. He shrieked, and started to glow, growing into an Armed Dragon LV 5. He roared, and glowed again, growing into an immense Armed Dragon LV 7! He bellowed, and shot a volley of missiles at the crowd, and then vanished into a stream of pixels.

The crowd cheered, and the Master of Games stood up.

"Welcome back!" he said.

He lifted his arm, and the cheering stopped.

"Years ago," he started, "there were two young duelists named Yugi Mouto and Joey Wheeler. These two youths were the best of friends, always hanging out at arcades, helping each other with their homework… and playing Duel Monsters.

"But one day, their friendship was put to the ultimate test, when in Maximilian Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament they were paired in the final round!

"And now, more than three decades later, fate has decreed that Mouto's son and Wheeler's daughter will meet in this arena, just as it happened so long ago…"

The crowd let out applause as the two of them made their way to the center of the field.

"This is it!" shouted Donna. "The match we've all been waiting for!"

"This should be interesting to say the least!" affirmed Mike. "As you know, Mary is using a deck called 'Sword and Fist', which has an abundance of each!"

"While Yugi has a deck called 'Pride of Yami'," continued Donna. "The meaning behind this strange title is still up in the air, but his deck does pack a punch!"

After the coin toss, Mary won, and gave the first move to Yugi.

And as the two took each other's decks to shuffle, Mike spoke up:

"Before we get this started, something was brought to our attention early this morning. An anonymous package was left in our office, containing a _very_ interesting DVD concerning our two contestants…"

"Why don't we take a look at it…" smiled Donna.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

_Huh?_ thought Siegfried.

The viewing screens flashed, and showed a scene showing Yugi and Mary in the Green Room…

The two of them watched in horror as footage of the two of them kissing was shown!

Persephone kept a straight face, but she was laughing her head off inside. The crowd gasped.

"WOW!" exclaimed Mike. "It seems that Mary has developed somewhat of a crush on her opponent!"

"There names may be Mouto and Wheeler, but they might as well be Montague and Capulet!" laughed Donna. "This is the most unlikely match I have ever seen!"

Both Yugi and Mary were red with humiliation.

"Now what Yugi?" she whispered.

"We have to be more ruthless than ever before," whispered Yugi. "I don't know who started this, but we're going to have to finish it…"

"If I find out who made that DVD," said Clive, in anger, "I'm gonna break his bones!"

"Calm down, Clive," said Jade. "I'm as appalled as you are, but anger is not the answer."

"Okay, lovebirds," started Mokuba, "I want a good clean duel, and by 'clean', I mean 'clean' in every sense of the word! I mean that!"

He put his fist down.

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

The Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck glowed, and the change overtook him.

"Okay Mary," he said. "Let's dance…"

The Disks flipped into position, and they made their draws.

"Now let's see what Yugi does for his first move," announced Mike. "It's sure to be a good one…"

Yugi made his first draw.

"I'll place two cards facedown on the field," he said, setting the cards.

The cards appeared in front of him.

"And then I'll summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode."

He slapped down the card, and the ferocious reptile man leapt up, swinging his scimitar! (1,500/1,200)

"And I end my turn," said Yugi.

_Huh, _thought Mary._ The card I gave him on the boat over here… ironic for his first move…_

She drew.

_Well this guy can beat him._

"I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode!" she yelled, throwing the card down.

A portal opened, and a powerful hero wearing a dark costume with a cape and a skull-like mask flew out of it, striking a dramatic pose. (2,100/500)

"Zombyra, attack Alligator's Sword!" shouted Mary. "Super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra flew into the air, and dove at Alligator's Sword in a blur…

"Hold on, Mary…" yelled Yugi. "I'll activate _both _my facedown cards… Negate Attack, and Enchanted Javelin!"

The cards lifted up, and Zombyra's fist slammed into an invisible shield. Energy flowed from his fist, and then flowed into Yugi.

"Not only did I halt your attack," smiled Yugi, but due to Enchanted Javelin, Zombyra's Attack Score is added to my Life Points!"

His Life Points shot up to 10,100.

"And that's not all," he continued. "I know Zombyra's weakness – every time he makes an attack, successful or not, he loses 200 Attack points."

Zombyra's score went down to 1,900.

"Well," sighed Mike. "Zombyra's attack was certainly faster than a speeding bullet, but it wasn't nearly as powerful as a locomotive!"

"Okay then Yugi," said Mary. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew.

_Darn, _he thought._ Nothing I can use right now…_

"My move will simply consist of switching Alligator's Sword to Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

Alligator's Sword knelt.

Mary drew.

_Well…_ she thought.

"I'll summon my own Alligator's Sword!" she said, throwing a card down.

An exact twin of Yugi's Monster leapt up, flashing his own weapon. (1,500/1,200)

"Since Zombyra can't make direct attacks," stated Mary, "Zombyra, try it again! Attack his Monster!"

Zombyra flew into the air again and dove at Yugi's Alligator's Sword, hitting him with a mighty punch and blowing him away.

Zombyra's Attack score fell to 1,700.

"And now, Alligator's Sword…" started Mary.

She paused for a minute.

"…attack Yugi directly!" she cried.

The Beast-Warrior lifted his blade and charged at Yugi. Mary forged herself to look away as he made a slash across Yugi's chest, knocking him over.

Mary winced. Trying to imagine that Yugi was Remi was much harder than she had previously thought.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 8,600.

"And Mary takes first blood in this conflict!" announced Donna. "This may be the first lover's spat that actually leads to bloodshed!"

"Man, this is terrible," gasped Peter. "They've turned this into some sort of twisted soap opera!"

"Whoever sent them that DVD had better watch out…" mumbled Clive.

Yugi drew.

"I'll summon Brown Recluse in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the huge, venomous spider creeped out of the floor, standing tall on its eight legs. (2,300/0)

"But I'm not going to be attacking with it," continued Yugi. "I end my move."

"Why didn't Yugi attack?" asked Orin.

"Because," said Clive. "After that thing attacks, it has to shift into Defense Mode. If Mary summoned another Monster, he'd have been a sitting duck. Now, it can protect his Life Points."

"Clever," said Jade.

"Okay Yugi," said Mary, "now it's my draw…"

She drew.

"I'll shift both my Monsters to Defense Mode," she said, turning the cards.

Her two Warriors knelt.

"And I'll also summon Battle Warrior in Defense Mode," she said, placing a card down.

The blue-clad pugilist appeared, and knelt in defense as well. (700/1,000)

"And it's your move."

Yugi slowly drew.

"I tribute Brown Recluse," he stated, "To summon my Machine King, in Attack Mode!"

The huge spider crumbled into dust, and the mighty robot rose out of the ground, his eyes flashing and motors humming. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,300/2,000)

"Well, Yugi's really bringing out the heavy artillery," muttered Donna.

"Machine King," shouted Yugi, "attack Alligator's Sword with jet punch!"

Machine King raised his arms, and shot his fists forward like rockets. They slammed into Alligator's Sword, blowing him away, and then retracted.

_Crud, _thought Mary, drawing.

She saw her card.

_Double-crud! Shield and Sword? I could have used this last turn!_

"I pass this turn," she said.

"Okay," said Yugi, drawing.

_Hey, _he thought, looking at the card._ Queen Machine, the Monster I got from Kanasta…_

He looked at his hand.

_And I have Polymerization, too. It's worth a shot…_

"Okay, Mary," he smiled, "get ready, because I'm using Polymerization…"

He fit the card into the slot.

"…to fuse Machine King with Queen Machine!"

He put the Monster Card down, and Queen Machine appeared next to her consort; the two melted into pools of light; the light swirled together into one big orb.

"Forming Mechanicles the Digital Deity!" shouted Yugi.

The orb burst, and the huge, robotic, eight-armed Vishnu appeared, floating in mid-air, his eyes gazing at Mary. (3,500/1,000)

"Well, it looks like Yugi is putting his experience in this tournament to good use," exclaimed Mike. "And Mary may be in trouble!"

"And I'll end my turn there," stated Yugi.

"Poor Mary!" gasped Clive.

"Poor Mary is right!" muttered Orin. "That thing could even take down my Levia-Dragon Daedalus!"

"I do not know," said Jade. "Mary is very resourceful…"

Mary drew.

_Wha? _she thought._ A Polymerization card? Useless!_

"I pass again," she said.

"Very well," said Yugi, drawing. "Mechanicles, attack Zombyra with digital blast!"

Mechanicles waved his multiple arms and shot forth a blast of blue ones and zeroes. Zombyra moaned and was vaporized.

"Boy," exclaimed Mike. "Mechanicles is a mean Machine!"

"And now Mary has one Monster standing between her and the hardest computer crash course ever!" said Donna.

"Your move Mary," said Yugi.

Mary drew.

_That's what I'm talking about,_ she thought.

"Okay, Yugi," she smiled. "I'm going to Tribute my Battle Warrior for my Flame Swordsman… in Attack Mode!"

She switched cards, and the boxer vanished, replaced by her favorite Warrior, brandishing his burning bronze sword! (1,800/1,600)

"What good will that do you?" asked Yugi.

"True, your Machine is nearly twice as strong as he is…" said Mary. "But I have a secret weapon…"

She threw a Spell Card into a slot.

"I activate Shield and Sword!" she proclaimed, as it lifted.

"What?" gasped Yugi.

Flame Swordsman's stats became (1,600/1,800), while Mechanicles's became (1,000/3,500).

"Flame Swordsman," ordered Mary, "attack the Digital Deity with flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman's blade burned with fire. He gave a war cry and leapt, bringing his sword down on Mechanicles, and the giant Machine exploded!

Hot debris scattered everywhere. Yugi's Life Points fell to 8,000. The crowd cheered.

"What did I say?" said Jade. "Resourceful."

"Wow-wee!" cheered Mike. "Through use of a simple Spell Card, Mary slays one of Yugi's biggest giants!"

"And now it looks like they're back where they started," said Donna.

Indeed. The scores were now 8,000 apiece.

"And now it's your move," smiled Mary.

Yugi drew.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician!" he announced, putting the card down.

The Dark mage with the bulky robe and steel staff appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Skilled Dark Magician, attack Flame Swordsman!" he ordered.

Skilled Dark Magician's staff glowed with dark energy, and he shot it forward. Flame Swordsman groaned, and he burst into a shower of sparks.

Mary's Life Points fell to 7,900.

"And Yugi slowly but surely starts to chip away at his opponent's Life Points," commented Donna. "We may be in for a long duel!"

Mary drew. She sighed.

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode," she sighed.

She put the card down, and the small toy soldier appeared in a kneeling position. (500/1,200)

"And that's all I can do," she said.

Yugi drew.

"I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode," he said, putting a card down.

In a flash of light, the two tattooed elf sisters appeared with their arms around each others waists. (1,900/900)

Mary gulped.

"Skilled Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "destroy her Swordsman!"

The Magician shot forth his dark spell, and Swordsman of Landstar was blown apart.

"Now, Gemini Elf…" yelled Yugi.

The two elves raised their free arms and electricity sparked from their hands…

_Sorry Mary…_ thought Yugi.

"…attack directly with dual magic attack!"

Gemini Elf threw forward an aura of electrical energy which covered Mary! She groaned, and fell to her knees.

Smoke rose from her clothing as her Life Points fell to 6,000.

_Man, this is sweet, _thought Persephone, as the crowd cheered._ I can just imagine what Yugi is thinking. I could have warned you Yugi – no friends in this business. No lovers either. _

_I wouldn't be surprised if your little girlfriend dumps you after this is over!_

"Yugi has taken the lead," announced Donna, "and now Mary has two powerful Monsters to deal with! It looks like she's up the proverbial creek!"

Mary got up and drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," she said, fitting the card into a slot.

The sinister jar appeared, and two cards flew out of it.

"You realize you're only helping my Skilled Dark Magician?" asked Yugi, as his Magician's staff glowed copper.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," smiled Mary, as she drew two cards.

She looked at them.

_The card I won from Cleo Roba! _she thought._ I can use this!_

She took the card.

"I summon The Fiend Megacyber in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

A hulking form rose on before her. The huge warrior in gold armor and powerful muscles struck a pose! (2,200/1,200)

"Go!" shouted Mary. "Attack Skilled Dark Magician with mega-punch!"

The Fiend Megacyber lowered his head and trampled forward, socking Skilled Dark Magician with a fierce uppercut! He flew into the air and vanished into pixels when he hit the ground.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,700.

"That's one way to handle a tight situation," stated Mike.

"Now you just worry about my facedown card," said Mary sweetly, as she put a card into a slot, "and I'll end my turn."

The card appeared behind The Fiend Megacyber.

Yugi drew.

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back my Alligator's Sword," he said.

He threw the card in the slot, and Alligator's Sword returned. (1,500/1,200)

"And now," he continued. "I Tribute both him and Gemini Elf…"

The two Monsters vanished as he placed another card down.

"…to summon my powerful Buster Blader!"

A blue nova of energy flashed in front of him, and the huge, armored form or Buster Blader appeared, holding his huge sword! (2,600/2,300)

"Good lord!" gasped Mary.

"That's right!" smiled Yugi. "He'll destroy your Fiend Megacyber with one swipe of his lance! Buster Blader, blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader leapt forward, and hefted his sword…

"Gotcha!" laughed Mary, hitting a button on her Disk.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"What?" said Yugi.

"Activate Shadow Spell!" she shouted.

Chains sprung up from the ground and trussed up Buster Blader! He dropped his sword and struggled to get free! His Attack Score dropped to 1,900.

"Told you to worry about it," scolded Mary.

"Mary outwits Yugi again!" exclaimed Mike. "This is the best battle I've seen all tournament!"

Yugi's eyes narrowed. "I end my turn," he said.

Mary drew.

_Nice,_ she said.

"Fiend Megacyber," said she laughed, "attack with mega-punch!"

The Fiend Megacyber charged again, and struck again with his uppercut, shattering the bound Buster Blader!

"No way!" gasped Clive.

"She beat his Buster Blader!" moaned Peter.

"Indeed," said Jade. "She is better than even I imagined."

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,400.

"So, how do you like THAT, Yugi?" smiled Mary looking at him.

She paused, as he just stared at him.

"Oh the silent treatment, huh?" she chuckled.

"No Mary," he said. "I'm just letting you savor your victory… this duel has just started."

"Well my turn isn't over, Yugi," said Mary. "I'm going to make sure your Blader stays gone!"

"What do you mean?" asked Yugi.

She put a card into a slot.

"I'm using my Spell Card Joint Cremation!"

A Spell Card resembling two funeral pyres appeared.

"What?" asked Yugi.

"Simple," explained Mary. "I now can remove from play two Monsters from your Graveyard, and you can remove two from mine. And I choose Buster Blader and Mechanicles the Digital Deity!"

An illusory flame appeared on Yugi's discard pile as the Monsters were transferred out of play.

"Fine," said Yugi. "I chose Zombyra the Dark and Alligator's Sword."

The same flame appeared in Mary's discard pile.

"Then I'll place a card facedown," she said, fitting the card she had just drawn into a slot, "and end my move."

Yet another card appeared behind The Fiend Megacyber.

Yugi looked at his hand of cards.

_No-one that I can summon without a Tribute… _he thought.

He drew.

_But I do have Mirror Force! This might at least delay her._

"I'm laying a card facedown," said Yugi, "and ending my turn."

The facedown card appeared.

"No Monsters?" pondered Mike. "Yugi is asking for trouble."

Mary drew.

_I'm… sorry Yugi…_ she thought.

"I'm onto you Yugi," she laughed, hitting a button on her Disk. "I activate Dust Tornado!"

The card lifted, and a whirlwind appeared over the field! Yugi's facedown card was blown to pieces!

_No!_ thought Yugi.

"Now, Fiend Megacyber…" said Mary.

She closed her eyes.

"…attack him directly!"

The Megacyber charged again, and punched Yugi in the eye sending him flying backwards! He fell flat on his back.

He got up, with a black eye forming, and his Life Points down to 5,200. The crowd cheered.

"Who'd have ever thought that Mary would be winning at this point?" gasped Clive.

"I dunno," muttered Peter. "Maybe Yugi taught her _too_ well."

"This duel is getting more intense by the moment!" exclaimed Donna. "What is Yugi gonna do?"

"How embarrassing it must be to be beaten up by your girlfriend!" laughed Mike.

Some people in the crowd chuckled.

Under his helmet, the Master of Games sneered.

_Mike, Donna, _he thought,_ after this is over, we are going to have a long talk!_

Yugi got up and drew.

"I play my Graceful Charity," he said, plugging the card into a slot.

The beautiful angel appeared and flew into his deck.

He drew three cards and looked at them.

_Well, I'll just discard these two for now,_ he thought, making two discards.

"And now Mary, I play Brain Control!" he shouted, throwing a Spell Card into a slot.

"Oh no!" gasped Mary, as the evil brain appeared.

Its hands reached out and grabbed The Fiend Megacyber, pulling him over to Yugi's side.

"Don't worry, Mary," assured Yugi, "I'm not so cruel as to force your own Monster to attack you…"

He took another card from his hand.

"…but I will Tribute him… for Beast of Gilfer!"

A bonfire erupted around The Fiend Megacyber, and he was replaced by a huge, draconic Fiend. Flames surrounded his body. (2,200/2,500)

"Eek!" gasped Mary.

"Beast of Gilfer," shouted Yugi, "attack Mary with flame attack!"

Beast of Gilfer flapped his wings and rose into the air. Fire surrounded him like a nimbus, and a blast of flame shot forward, covering Mary! She collapsed, as her Life Points fell to 3,800.

Mary gasped as she got up. Her hair was scorched, and a lot of her clothes had been burned away. (Fortunately, for her, precautions had been made in that feature of the Disks – no matter how much damage the direct attacks did to you, enough of your clothes would remain to preserve your modesty.)

The crowd went nuts.

"Guess my new Monster was too hot for you to handle!" laughed Yugi.

"Unbelievable!" said Mike. "I guess it's true what you say – sometimes you really have to hurt the ones you love!"

Persephone was enjoying every minute of this.

_Yes! _she thought._ Mary just got toasted! _

_Yugi had better win… I want to face him tomorrow, not his bimbo of a girlfriend… I'm going to get that Guardian Angel Joan if it's the last thing I do…_

_And I already know just how I going to do it…_

Mary drew.

"I place one card facedown," she said.

She set the card, and it appeared.

"And I summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode."

She set the card down, and the beautiful Elf appeared chanting her song.

"And I'll turn it over to you," she said.

Yugi drew.

_No other Monsters to summon, _he thought._ But Beast of Gilfer should handle her…_

"Beast of Gilfer, attack!" he shouted.

The Fiend, spread his wings again, and the bonfire erupted around him again…

"Hold up, Yugi!" said Mary, hitting her Disk. "I activate… Skull Dice!"

"Oh no!" gasped Yugi.

"Oh yes!" laughed Mary.

The small imp with its dice appeared, and tossed it. It skipped and rolled…

And landed on a six!

"That Mary sure is good with a dice," said Donna. "When she gets older, she should go to Vegas!"

Beast of Gilfer's stats fell. (1,600/1,900) His flames failed to hurt Mystical Elf.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,800.

Yugi waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

"This is heating up," said Donna, "in more ways than one."

Mary drew.

"I play my own Graceful Charity," she said.

She plugged the card into the slot, and the angel flew into _her_ deck.

She drew three cards.

_The card Jade gave me! _she thought, looking at them._ This might work… _

She made two discards.

"I play my Emergence of a Champion card!" she said, throwing it into a slot.

Jade immediately took notice.

"Now," she said, "I cut my Life Points in half…"

Her Life Points fell to 1,900.

She reached for her deck.

"…and in return, I get to search for any Monster I please!"

She found what she was looking for.

_My old friend Red Eyes Black Dragon, _she thought._ He'll be good for later…_

She plugged her deck back in, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"And I end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

"I Tribute my Beast of Gilfer to summon the mighty Summoned Skull!" he said.

Beast of Gilfer vanished, and lightning struck the field. The bony demon arose, and roared! (2,500/1,200)

"Yugi appears to have turned the tables!" exclaimed Mike. "It's going to take a lot to bring that guy down!"

"Summoned Skull," yelled Yugi, "attack Mystical Elf with lightning strike!"

A storm shot out from around Summoned Skull, and he blasted forth his lightning bolts. Mystical Elf cried out in agony before she was blasted out of existence.

The crowd cheered again. It was hard to see who was on whose side now.

"And it's your move Mary," stated Yugi.

Mary looked at the two cards in her hand.

_This could work perfectly, _she thought,_ if I get the right draw…_

She drew.

_All right!_ she thought.

She placed the card in a slot.

"I play my own Brain Control!" she said.

Her own hypnotic brain appeared, and entranced Summoned Skull. He flew over to her side.

"Scared Yugi?" she giggled. "Well, since you were kind enough not to attack me with your Monster, I'm going to be kind enough not to do that either. Besides, I have plans for this guy…"

She fit another card into a slot, and then put her last card on the Monster Zone.

"I use my Polymerization card," she smiled, "to fuse him with my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

The Red Eyes appeared, and the two Monsters melted into black blurs. The blurs combined into a huge, dark vortex.

A huge creature slowly emerged from the vortex. Combining the worst aspects of Dragon and Fiend, it was covered with bony plating and had two huge wings!

"Presenting," shouted Mary, "Black Skull Dragon!"

(3,200/2,500)

The crowd went crazy.

"The Black Skull Dragon!" exclaimed Donna. "Mary has successfully summoned one of the mightiest Fusion Monsters in the game! And it looks like curtains for Yugi!"

"Next round," smiled Mary, "you've had it! I end my turn."

Yugi's hand shook as he drew.

He looked at the card.

He paused.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn," he said.

He put the card down, and the hidden Monster appeared.

Mary drew.

She made a small sigh.

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She put the card down, and the black-armored Warrior with the bladed arm appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Gearfried," ordered Mary, "attack the facedown Monster!"

Gearfried raised his blade arm, and charged forward. Magician of Faith appeared on the facedown card, and covered herself in fright before she was cut down.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"You flipped my Magician of Faith," said Yugi. "And you know what that means…"

His discard pile opened, and he retrieved a card.

"Fine," sighed Mary. "Black Skull Dragon…"

Steam poured from the Dragon's mouth…

_Forgive me Yugi…_ thought Mary.

"…attack him with molten fireball attack!"

Black Skull Dragon roared and opened its maw! It launched four balls of flaming magma that plowed into Yugi! He screamed as the attack scorched him from head to toe.

His Life Points plummeted to 1,200.

"Boy, that was brutal!" screamed Clive.

"Could Mary actually win?" asked Pete. 

"It isn't over yet," stated Orin. "Yugi may well have a surprise waiting…"

Yugi slowly got up, his clothing in shreds and his skin charred. He looked at the card he had retrieved. Monster Reborn.

If he could have used this to revive Buster Blader or Mechanicles, and either one could destroy Black Skull Dragon. But Mary had cleverly thought ahead, and eliminated the threat of both of them.

He'd have to resort to trickery, rather than brute force.

"Okay Mary," he said, getting up, "it's MY draw!"

He drew, looked, and added the card to his hand.

"I'll play the card I just retrieved," he said, "Monster Reborn!"

His discard slot glowed.

"I'll revive a Monster that I discarded when I played Graceful Charity," he announced. "Heeeere's… Dark Magician Girl!"

A magical pentagram appeared on the floor, and beautiful music started to play. The gorgeous Dark Magician Girl appeared out of the pentagram with a twirl. (2,000/1,700)

The crowd cheered again.

"Yugi has summoned his babalicious bruiser!" announced Mike. "Although I'm not sure how she can help in this situation."

"Dark Magician Girl," ordered Yugi, "attack Gearfried with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt into the air, pointed her wand and fired, blasting Gearfried into scrap metal! Mary's Life points fell to 1,700.

"Are you _trying_ to lose, Yugi?" laughed Mary. "All I have to do is attack her, and your Life Points will be all gone!"

"Maybe," said Yugi, "but I'm also placing this card facedown…"

He fit the card into the slot, and it appeared behind Dark Magician Girl.

"Now see how easy it is," smiled Yugi. "End turn."

Mary drew.

_It has to be a Trap, _she thought._ But what Trap can he have that would help? He's already lost his Mirror Force… I'm going for it…_

"Black Skull Dragon," she ordered, "attack Dark Magician Girl!"

Black Skull Dragon roared. The crowd gasped as he spat out his flame, and it closed in on Dark Magician Girl…

"Activate Magical Hats!" yelled Yugi, activating his Trap Card.

The four magical top hats appeared, spinning in a chaotic pattern in front of Dark Magician Girl! They came to rest, and the blast hit the one on the middle-right, blowing it to pieces!

"Huh?" said Mary.

"Sorry, Mary," smiled Yugi. "But you missed. Now my Dark Magician Girl is hiding in one of the other three, and you're just going to have to find her!"

Mary looked at the card in her hand.

"Well, I'd like to make one other move, before I finish my turn…" she said. "Although I'm not sure if this is the best idea…"

She put a Monster Card down.

"I summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in Attack Mode!" she announced.

In a burst of light, the silver-clad Samurai appeared with his sword drawn. (1,100/1,100)

"Well, Mary has made a… strange move…" muttered Mike. "Very unorthodox."

"Why do THAT?" asked Yugi.

"Oh right, where's my mind?" gasped Mary. "Dark Magician Girl outranks him by 900 Attack Points! Well, too late to take back my move now… I end my turn."

_Oh, I see Mary…_ thought Siegfried.

"If Yugi attacks, Mary's Life Points will drop to 800!" gasped Clive.

"True," said Jade, "but Dark Magician Girl would have to show herself, giving Mary the chance to attack with her Dragon and win. The question is, will her plan work?"

Yugi drew.

"Sorry Mary," smiled Yugi, "but I won't fall for it. And now, to keep you guessing…"

He fit a card into a slot.

"I'm putting something else under one of the Hats."

The facedown card appeared, and then the Magical Hats shuffled, concealing it.

"Why don't you try again?"

_Nuts_ thought Mary, drawing. _I'll have to take them down one at a time…_

"Black Skull Dragon," she ordered, "attack the middle Hat!"

The Dragon drew back its head and exhaled its deadly breath again. The middle Hat exploded and Yugi drew back.

Smoke rose from where the hat had been…

"Sorry, Mary, but you missed again," he smiled. "A 50/50 chance now…"

"Ooh!" grunted Mary. "I end my turn."

Yugi drew. He looked at the Spell Card.

_This will be good for later,_ he thought. _If my plan works._

"I'm going to pass this turn," he said.

"Fine," said Mary drawing. "Black Skull Dragon, attack the Hat on the left!"

For the fourth time, the mighty Dragon shot forth its molten fireball attack, and one of the two remaining Hats exploded….

Yugi smiled.

"Sorry Mary," he chuckled. "But you got the wrong one!"

The smoke cleared, revealing the facedown card. It lifted…

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Yugi.

The shimmering pentagram encircled Black Skull Dragon, and it froze in place! His Attack fell to 2,500.

"No!" gasped Mary. "Uh… I shift Masaki to Defense Mode!"

She turned the card, and Masaki knelt in Defense.

The crowd cheered again.

"What an upset!" gasped Donna. "Yugi has outfoxed Mary's behemoth. Now maybe he has a plan of his own up his sleeve!"

"Now, it's my turn!" said Yugi.

He drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he said, putting it into the slot.

The Duel Monsters symbol of avarice appeared, and two cards flew out of its lid. He made two draws.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"Dark Magician Girl, emerge!" he shouted.

Dark Magician Girl leapt out of the final Magical Hat.

"And now," shouted Yugi. "I use The Sage's Stone!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the glowing gem appeared over Dark Magician Girl's hand. In a flash of dark energy, the powerful Dark Magician appeared next to her! (2,500/2,100)

The audience cheered again.

"I'm just getting started!" said Yugi. "I'll also add this Equip Card to Dark Magician… Magic Formula!"

He fit the card into the slot, and a large, arcane book appeared before Dark Magician. He read it, and his Attack went up to 3,000.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Masaki!" shouted Yugi.

Dark Magician Girl spun her scepter and fired, obliterating the Legendary Swordsman.

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "Attack Black Skull Dragon with dark magic blast!"

Eldritch power flowed from Dark Magician, and he aimed his staff at Black Skull Dragon. He cast a mighty spell, and the huge Dragon burst in a fiery explosion! Mary covered her eyes…

The flames started to die down, and the crowd was speechless. Then they erupted into deafening applause.

"WOW!" shouted Mike. "I haven't seen a combo like that in ages!"

"A minute ago, Yugi was in trouble," exclaimed Donna. "But Yugi has turned it around one-hundred-and-eighty degrees!"

The score stood tied at 1,200 points apiece.

"Well," sighed Clive. "I feel sorry for Mary, but it looks like Yugi has her dead to rights…"

"Yeah," muttered Peter, "but it was fun while it lasted."

"I'm not finished yet, Yugi!" snarled Mary, drawing.

"I play… Scapegoat!"

She fit the card into the slot, and the four fluffy sheep appeared.

"It seems desperate times call for desperate measures," said Mike. "Mary can do little but stall."

"Your move," stuttered Mary, getting nervous.

Yugi drew.

"Go, my Magicians!" he ordered. "Destroy her Scapegoats!"

Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl fired, obliterating two of the sheep.

Mary had two tokens standing between her and a painful end…

"And I end my turn, Mary," smiled Yugi. "So now what?"

_He's right… _thought Mary._ Now what?_

_There's gotta be a card in this deck somewhere that can help…_

She drew.

Her eyes lit up…

"Okay Yugi," she grinned, "I'm going for all or nothing!"

She fit a card into a slot.

"I play… Roulette Spider!"

The Spell Card revealed itself, showing the image of a toy spider with large hands and an arrow on its abdomen..

"What is THAT?" gasped Yugi.

"I'll explain," said Mary. "To activate this card, I've gotta give up half my Life Points…"

Her Life Points fell to 600.

"Now watch!"

The Spider on the card flew forward towards Dark Magician. He gasped as the thing latched to his face!

"This was the same card my dad used to defeat Espa Roba," explained Mary. "When played, the Roulette Spider first blindfolds the strongest Monster on the field, and then forces him to the center of the field…"

Dark Magician staggered to the center point of the battleground.

"And the point?" asked Yugi.

"I'm getting to that," smiled Mary.

When he reached the center, a large table that resembled a red and green spider web appeared under Dark Magician.

"That web-like thing is a big roulette board," smiled Mary. "When I give the order, Dark Magician is going to spin at a rate of about one-hundred RPMs. When YOU tell him to stop, he'll slowly come to a halt, and then attack one of the five available targets on the field."

"_Five_ available targets?" asked Yugi, puzzled.

"Right, five," grinned Mary. "It could be you, or me, or one of my two Scapegoats, or your Dark Magician Girl. And with his Attack Score at 3,000, I think the result might decide this duel!

"Dark Magician, spin!"

The arrow on the Spider's abdomen pointed up, and Dark Magician started to spin like a top!

The whole crowd was silent…

"What a move!" whispered Donna, in a soft voice. "Mary is putting the outcome of this duel all one spin!"

"Can even her legendary luck hold out?" asked Mike.

Dark Magician continued to spin…

"What's the matter Yugi?" said Mary, starting to sweat. "Scared?"

"No," responded Yugi.

He bent down and put his hand of cards on the floor. Then he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

"Dark Magician…" he said, softly.

He paused.

"STOP."

Dark Magician slowed…

Everyone watched…

He came to a slow stop…

And when he stopped, his staff was pointing right at Mary!

_Oh crud,_ she thought.

The Roulette Spider vanished, and Dark Magician cast forth his mighty spell, enveloping Mary in dark magic! Yugi looked on in horror as the blast seemed to tear her apart!

She screamed and fell to ground!

She was out cold.

The crowd rose to their feet and cheered.

"MARY!" screamed Yugi, as the holograms shut down.

He ran over to her and cradled her in his arms. Tears ran down his cheeks.

"Speak to me!" he yelled.

"Heh, heh," she whispered, opening her eyes. "Like a kiss. Just like I told you before…"

"Yugi is the winner!" shouted Mokuba.

"Well," sighed Donna, "this battle between Montague and Capulet sure ended on a better note than the original story did!"

"Ahem," said Mokuba. "As per the rules Yugi, you are allowed to claim one card from Mary's deck."

Yugi paused. He remembered the deal he had made with Mary, but he didn't know how to phrase it now…

He thought for a minute.

"I'll let Mary decide," he said.

"Huh?" asked Donna. "Is that legal?"

"I'm not sure," responded Mike.

Mokuba paused.

"You heard him, Mary," he said.

Mary smiled. She reached into her discard pile, and took out Flame Swordsman.

"Consider this a gift," she smiled, handing it to him.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll take good care of it."

"Why would Mary give him her Flame Swordsman?" asked Peter, in wonder.

"Um, Peter," said Clive.

He whispered something in his ear.

"Oh…" said Peter.

_Clever,_ he thought.

The crowd cheered again.

The Master of Games stood up.

"Thank you all for coming!" he announced. "Be sure to be here tomorrow, when the final round commences, and Yugi Mouto Jr. faces Persephone Amore!"

_And the winner is gonna be me,_ said Persephone, taking a card from her deck.

She looked at her Shinato's Ark card.

_I have a feeling this card is going to come through…_

"But before you leave, put your hands together, for the musical talents of a pop star we invited all the way from Great Britain, here's Jessica Randor!"

Colored lights lit all over the Coliseum, and then they fell on the stage again. A woman appeared, dressed as Performance of Sword. She waved two blades in her hands, and music started, as she began to sing an old favorite, Howard Dietz's "Dancing in the Dark".

When she finished, the fireworks went off again, as she spread her swords out and bowed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius got up off his dark throne.

"Well that was interesting," he noted. "Bezelbub, I'm going to Duelatopia."

"Oh?" asked the General. "What for?"

"Maybe I have a sudden craving for ice cream," chuckled Saurius.

"That is doubtful," said Bezelbub.

"True," replied Saurius. "I think it's time Yugi and I had a long talk."

"As I recall you tried that once," said Bezelbub. "They likely heightened security. My lord, you are powerful, but not indestructible."

"Do not tell me what I can or can't do," ordered Saurius. "I'll be back by 2 AM."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The rest of the day passed quickly. Mary would have loved to get her hands on Siegfried, but he was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the day. Captain Descartes promised he would talk to her in the morning, and she said, "He'd better!"

After dinner, Yugi was exhausted beyond belief. He crawled into bed, putting his Millennium Puzzle on the pillow next to him, and fell asleep nearly as soon as his head hit his other pillow.

He seemed to have pleasant dreams for a change, but after awhile, he heard a soft voice…

"Yugi…" it said. "Wake up Yugi…"

He woke up in a start.

He looked over and saw a figure reclining on the couch across from the foot of his bed. He saw him in the dim light – a dark form, with glowing eyes. He could make out the wings, and the ram-like horns adorning his skull. His legs were crossed and his arms were behind his head.

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"If you want me to stay and chat this time," said the figure, "you won't scream for security."

"I know who you are," sneered Yugi. "You're Saurius… or do you prefer your original name – Lord Zaphikiel?"

Saurius chuckled.

"You know a lot, Yugi," he smiled. "You've been getting information from somewhere."

"I know all about your past, Saurius," frowned Yugi. "How you were kicked out of Heaven because of murder…"

"And what if I did?" growled Saurius. "I was angel born from the radiant beams of the sun itself. The Archlords' plan as they posed was humiliating. I was born out of fire, Yugi, and they expected me to serve those who were born out of dust!"

"And that was an excuse to murder those who were far weaker than you?" asked Yugi. "You're an abomination."

"You can insult me all you like," growled Saurius. "I've endured greater pain. Like when I was cast out of Heaven. While the infernal lords gave me a high position in their armies, for one who knew the glory of the blessed realms, it was cold comfort indeed…"

"Didn't Milton say 'it is better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven'?" asked Yugi.

"I read _Paradise Lost_," nodded Saurius, "and let me tell you something – when Milton wrote it, he was blind."

Yugi paused.

"So, you read _Paradise Lost_?" asked Yugi.

"Not much to do in Hell for amusement _but _read," sighed Saurius. "But demons make lousy authors, and I can't read the celestial scriptures anymore, so I'm limited to the works of mortals – ironic, isn't it? But soon, once I find the Mandate, the mortal world will finally be under my thumb…"

"That seems unlikely…" scowled Yugi.

"I came close thirty-seven years ago," sighed Saurius, "and would have succeeded were it not for that wretched Ishizu Ishtar…"

He clenched his fist.

"I thought I could win if I could destroy her deck… I used a Trap Card called Deck Destruction Virus…"

Yugi paused. He knew that nasty Trap. Seto Kaiba had used it against his father at least once. It forced your opponent to discard ten cards whenever he destroyed a Monster.

"Let me guess," said Yugi. "Ishizu knew you were going to do that, and once you nearly depleted all the cards in her deck, she destroyed the Trap and used her Exchange of Spirits card, which switched both of your decks and Graveyards."

Saurius clenched his fist again.

"Yes," he replied. "It ruined my plan, and I was beaten…"

He paused.

"But you'll never beat me, Yugi. This time it will be different. I'm far and away more powerful than you…"

"If you're so powerful," asked Yugi, "why don't you finish me off here and now?"

"I have my reasons," responded Saurius.

"Oh?" smiled Yugi.

He picked up his Puzzle.

"Maybe it's because you're afraid of this. I know the prophecy, Saurius. You've been beaten by every Millennium Item except this one. And when all seven defeat you, you'll be gone… gone forever.

"And I will stop you."

"That's what you think," growled Saurius. "Maybe I'm more in control of this whole tournament that you think. Maybe I'm pulling more strings than you're aware of…"

He started to fade.

"Beware…" he warned.

He vanished.

He was gone.

And the words he spoke echoed in young Yugi's mind.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JOINT CREMATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Two burning funeral pyres.

**Card Description: **Select two cards in your opponent's Graveyard, and remove them from play. Then, your opponent selects two cards in your Graveyard, and removes them from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ROULETTE SPIDER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A toy spider with large hands and an arrow on its abdomen.

**Card Description: **Pay half your Life Points. Secretly assign a number to all face-up Monsters on the field except the one with the highest ATK and to each player. Your opponent chooses a number from the numbers available. The Monster with the highest ATK then attacks the target assigned to the selected number.

_Note: "Roulette Spider" was first used by Joey in the original anime episode "Espa Roba – The ESP Duelist (Part Two)" All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _


	40. Solemn Judgment

_**Well, it is down to me, and it is down to her. **_

_**Persephone Amore has been a thorn in me and my friends' sides since the boat ride over here. She's like an evil reflection of my mother with her Fairy deck. She's caused us so much pain, that the rivalry has entered a phase where I've started to show signs of hate.**_

_**She gave me the map to an Eliminator's lair, hoping I'd fall. She started a false rumor in order to make other duelists scared of me. She's tried dirty tricks to try to get a rare card in my deck.**_

_**And she not only trounced two of my friends in underhanded ways, she took their most prized cards out of spite. I know she intends to sell them – she doesn't care for them at all.**_

_**She may not be as evil as Remi is or as Anastasia used to be, but I see a dark soul within her, a spirit ravaged by greed. She has no right to use Fairies – doing so is hypocrisy at its worst.**_

_**And I swear by the Heart of the Cards, I will defeat her… if I can't, I'm not worthy of the Mouto family name…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Solemn Judgment**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"**SIEGFRIED!"** yelled Mary, as she barged into the office. "I want a word with you!"

She rushed in. Yugi was behind her, and Captain Descartes was close behind.

"I'm sorry, sir," gasped Descartes, "I tried to talk her out of it…"

"It's okay, Captain," assured the Master of Games.

He slowly removed his helmet.

Mary slammed her hands down on his desk.

"Listen Siegfried…" she demanded. "It was…"

"It was a complete humiliation for you and Yugi when that video was played," agreed Siegfried.

"Um, yes," said Mary. "And…!"

"And it was totally uncalled for and unprofessional," stated Siegfried.

"Yeah…" said Mary, "and…"

"And something has to be done about it," agreed Siegfried.

Mary paused.

"The DVD was played completely without my consent," replied Siegfried. "If I'm lying, I'll give you my three Blue-Eyes cards…"

"He isn't lying," muttered Yugi.

"I spoke to Mike and Donna," continued Siegfried. "First, I told them in no uncertain terms that any similar stunt in the future would result in them looking for a new job…"

"Go on…" said Mary.

"I grilled them, but they insisted that the package was totally anonymous. But that won't stop me from finding the culprit. I'm in the process of confiscating all DVD recorders belonging to every employee who had access to the Coliseum. A DVD can be analyzed and traced back to its recorder. Once we find the peeping tom, he or she will be out on the street, I assure you.

"And I swear I'll do something to make up for this… travesty.

"Now then, you'd both best get some breakfast. The final round starts in four hours."

"Okay, Siegfried," sighed Mary.

She left. Yugi paused.

"Something else troubling you, old friend?" he asked.

"Siegfried," he asked. "Have you ever heard of somebody named Saurius?"

At that point, Siegfried turned white…

But only for a brief second.

"Um, no Yugi, why do you ask?" he asked.

Yugi glared at him.

"Um, no reason," sighed Yugi. "I've got to go…"

As he turned, Yami appeared beside him.

"He was lying," said Yami. "I could tell."

"Why would he lie to us?" asked Yugi.

"I have a feeling that he had a very good reason," said Yami. "As if telling the truth would be worse.

"Yugi," he continued, "maybe Siegfried is in some sort of trouble…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At fifteen minutes to twelve, Duke came up to his group with four plates.

"You've all got to try these," he suggested. "They're great spicy nachos."

"How can you think about nachos at a time like this?" moaned Bo. "Yugi has to duel that awful Persephone woman!"

"Yes," muttered Terone. "Persephone is quite the skilled duelist…"

Clover shook her head.

"You know," she said, "there is an old French saying – 'The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as the greatest virtues'."

"Yeah," sighed Duke, sitting down. "Well, we can only hope that Yugi can beat this creep…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the V.I.P. booth, Persephone was decked out in more royal splendor than ever, with her gold jewelry and rhinestone tiara. She slowly shuffled her deck.

She looked at Yugi, when a fiendish idea came to her…

_Say,_ she thought, _when I beat him, I can make him give up his Guardian Angel Joan… but I'll bet I could really make him cry if I made him hand over his Dark Magician too…_

_An idea is coming to light…_

Yugi was slowly shuffling his own deck.

_Well, it's almost time,_ he thought.

_I've got to beat Persephone, _he thought._ And when I do, I'll have to make a choice… a painful choice that will alienate one of my friends…_

Ominous music started to play on the field, and Mike's voice carried over the speakers.

"Welcome guys and gals," he announced, "to the deciding duel of the Duelatopia finals!"

A huge hologram appeared on one side of the field – it was Archlord Zerato, waving his mighty blade.

Another huge hologram appeared on the other side. It was Dark Magician of Chaos, brandishing his staff.

The two mighty Monsters charged at each other, and at the point of impact, exploded into pixels of darkness and light!

The crowd cheered, as the two competitors made their way onto the field.

"Come on Yugi!" shouted Clive. "Kick her butt hard!"

"We're all behind you Yugi!" shouted Mary.

"Show her what dueling is all about!" yelled Peter.

"No mercy!" shouted Jade.

"As we said, welcome everybody!" continued Donna. "After so many days of conflict, only two warriors remain standing! Yugi Mouto Jr., and Persephone Amore!"

"And now, before the coin toss," said Mike, "our fearless emcee will say a few words…"

The Master of Games got up. He reached down and picked up a large rectangular item.

"Yugi, Persephone," he proclaimed, "I have here a large novelty check for twenty million American dollars, which will soon be replaced by the actual check. Of course, whoever's name goes in the 'Pay to the order of' line depends on who wins this duel!

"So let it be war… to the finish!"

Persephone won the coin toss, and opted to go first. The two of them shuffled each other's decks.

As they took their positions, Persephone called out:

"Hey Yugi!" she shouted. "Why don't we up the ante a little!"

"What?" asked Yugi.

"I'll wager _two_ cards for two of yours!" she said with a grin.

Yugi looked surprised.

Mokuba turned to the Master.

"If that is okay with Yugi," approved the Master, "then it is okay with me."

"Fine," snarled Yugi. "We'll play for two cards. But if you lose, you must give back Clive's Crescent Moon Queen _and_ Peter's Fool's Mate!"

Persephone sighed.

"Oh Yugi," she sighed. "I have far more useful cards than those two…"

She took a pouch off of her belt.

"But, if you insist on trying to win back those two filthy cards, they're in here."

She threw it on the ground.

"Filthy?" shouted Clive, angrily. "Come on, Yugi, you have to win! Don't let her make a fool out of you!"

"Kick her ass, Yugi!" yelled Peter.

He blushed.

"Uh, sorry ladies," he apologized, turning to Jade and Amber.

"Sometimes it is hard to hear with this helmet on," said Jade, with a smile, "so I have no idea what you just said."

"And I didn't hear you either," scowled Amber. "But off the record, I want him to kick it too."

"Okay," said Mokuba, taking off his glove. "I want a good, clean duel. But if that isn't possible, I'll settle for a bloodthirsty brawl the likes of which this island has never seen before. Either way, I'll still get paid."

He threw the glove on the ground.

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

The scores set to 8,000 apiece, and the Disk flipped into position. They made their draws.

"Here we go," sighed Mary. "Good luck Yugi."

"I'll start this show," smiled Persephone, "and I'll start by summoning Shining Angel in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and a shining light appeared in front of her. A glorious male Fairy with large, shining, golden wings, dressed in a toga appeared. (1,400/800)

"Well, Persephone has certainly started it," said Donna, "but it's going to take more than that to finish it."

Yugi drew.

_That Fairy is weak, he thought. What is Persephone thinking?_

He put a card down.

"I summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!" he announced.

Once again, the fierce gator man appeared and screamed a war cry!

"It's the same opening move Yugi used last time!" commented Mike. "Now let's see if it works!"

"Alligator's Sword," ordered Yugi, "attack with your sword slash!"

Alligator's Sword raised his blade and it sparkled in the sunlight. He leapt and brought it down on Shining Angel, and he vanished with a scream.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 7,900.

"Why thank you, Yugi," smiled Persephone. "When Shining Angel is sent to the Graveyard, I can instantly summon any Light Monster from my deck with an Attack Score of 1,500 or less!"

She reached for her deck and skimmed through it.

She got what she needed and plugged the deck back in. It was reshuffled.

"And the Monster I choose, Bio-Mage, in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and the mysterious Fairy with large wings appeared. (1,150/1,000)

"Fine," said Yugi. "I end my turn."

Persephone drew.

"Then I summon Command Angel in Attack Mode!" she smiled.

She set the card down, and another Fairy appeared in a flame. She resembled a Green Beret with blacking under her eyes, with feathered wings and a blonde ponytail, carrying a golden machine gun. (1,200/1,900)

"This gal raises the Attack power of her comrades by 400 points!" exclaimed Persephone.

Bio-Mage glowed, and her Attack rose to 1,550. Command Angel herself rose to 1,600

"Bio-Mage," ordered Persephone, "Attack Alligator's Sword fey blight!"

Bio-Mage formed a ball of energy, and hurled it at Alligator's Sword. He gasped, and was disintegrated. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,950.

"Command Angel, attack directly with holy blast!"

Yugi gulped as Command Angel aimed her machine gun. She fired a round of golden shells into his chest, and he fell over!

"YUGI!" yelled Mary.

"Wow!" gasped Donna. "That was truly brutal – for a Fairy at least."

"Yugi's going to have to watch out with G.I. Jane on Persephone's side," said Mike.

The crowd was murmuring. They weren't very happy that Persephone had scored a good hit. But she didn't care.

"Man, I think I felt that from here!" gasped Clive.

Yugi got up, panting. His Life Points had been reduced to 6,350.

He clutched his bleeding chest as he drew.

"I'm summoning Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card down.

A glowing aura appeared before him, and the peaceful elf appeared in front of him. (800/2,000)

"Just try to get past her," said Yugi. "I end my turn."

Persephone drew.

"I'll do more than try," mocked Persephone, laying a card down. "I'll Tribute both my Monsters…"

Bio-Mage and Command Angel formed into pools of light…

"…to summon someone I'm sure you'll remember… Artemis, Lady of the Hunt!"

The two pools of light formed together, and grew into a tall figure. A lovely woman now stood in front of Persephone, wearing her deerskin bikini top and miniskirt, with cloth boots. She had big green eyes and brown hair tied together in the front of her neck. She held a long bow, and a quiver of arrows was on her back. (2,500/2,000)

"Attack, Artemis!" shouted Persephone. "Bow of the Huntress!"

Artemis fitted an arrow into her bow and fired, hitting Mystical Elf. She gasped and fell with the arrow in her breast.

"Cupid that Fairy isn't!" exclaimed Mike.

"You're next, Yugi!" laughed Persephone.

"Not if I can help it," snarled Yugi. "Is that your turn?"

"Yes," she said.

"Then I draw," he said.

He drew and looked at the card.

"I place one card facedown," he said, "and summon a Monster facedown in Defense."

He set the cards, and they appeared before him, perpendicular to each other.

"And I end my turn," said Yugi.

"Ha!" laughed Persephone. "You're bluffing. The only flip-effect Monster you have is your Magician of Faith, and why would you protect her with a Trap? You don't even have a Magic Card to recover from your Graveyard."

Yugi sighed. "I guess you got me," he sighed. "End turn."

Persephone drew.

"Artemis," she commanded. "Attack the facedown Monster!"

Artemis drew an arrow and fitted it into her bow…

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Yugi, hitting a button on his Disk.

"What? No!" shouted Persephone as the Trap lifted, and the shimmering pentagram surrounded Artemis.

Her Attack fell to 1,800.

"Persephone just screwed up!" said Donna.

"It looks like Yugi is going to have another chance," commented Mike.

"You're so confident of yourself," smiled Yugi, "you can't see the truth even when it's right in front of your face."

Persephone snarled. "I end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

"I'll place three cards facedown," he said.

He fit the three cards into slots.

"And Persephone, if you were watching my duel with Kanasta closer, you would have noticed I also had THIS flip-effect Monster… I flip-summon my Morphing Jar!"

He hit the button on his Disk, and the cackling Jar appeared! (700/600)

"NO!" shouted Persephone. "My cards!"

"Yes," said Yugi. "Now, I only have to discard two cards… but you have to discard _six_ of yours!"

Persephone cursed under her breath as she discarded the cards. Her Archlord Zerato and her Mudora were in that hand!

They both drew five new cards.

"Now," smiled Yugi, taking one of his new cards, "I Tribute my Morphing Jar to summon Queen Machine in Attack Mode!"

The Jar cackled again and vanished, and another aura of light formed. The beautiful female android arose. (2,200/2,000)

"Now, attack Artemis with silicon sorcery attack!" shouted Yugi.

Queen Machine formed a ball of energy in her hands and hurled it at Artemis. The Lady of the Hunt screamed as she was blown away. Queen Machine giggled.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 7,500.

"It's your move, Persephone," said Yugi.

Persephone growled and drew.

Yes, she thought.

"I summon Aeris, in Attack Mode," she announced.

She put a card down, and a tall figure appeared, hovering in the air. He was a powerful fighter dressed in Grecian armor, holding a spear and shield and emitting a bright, starry glow. (1,800/1,400)

"Well that's a new trick," stated Mike. "But what can HE do?"

"And now," smiled Persephone, "I'll Equip Aeris with Blade of Damacles!"

She fit the card into the slot. Aeris's spear vanished, and was replaced by a glowing sword.

"Blade of Damacles raises the Attack of any Fairy by 1,000 points at a cost of the same amount in Defense," explained Persephone, "but I don't intend on defending with him!"

(2,800/400)

"Aeris," yelled Persephone, "destroy Queen Machine with Damacles strike!"

Aeris leapt forward… Queen Machine shielded in herself in fear as the Fairy warrior brought his sword down and blew her to pieces.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,750.

"Make your move," dared Persephone.

Yugi drew.

"I'll place another card facedown," he said.

He fit the card into the slot, and it appeared beside the three he already had.

"And I'll summon Skilled White Magician in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card facedown.

"And that's all for me."

"Pathetic," laughed Persephone, drawing.

"I summon Water Omotics in Attack Mode," she smiled.

She put the card down, and the lovely Water Fairy appeared, her purple hair weaving around her, holding her jar above her head.

"Prepare to drown," smiled Persephone. "Aeris, attack Skilled White Magician!"

Aeris flew forward.

"Oh really?" said Yugi. "Activate Dust Tornado!"

The facedown card he had just placed lifted, and a whirlwind swept across the field. Aeris's Blade of Damacles shattered, and his normal spear returned.

His stats returned to (1,800/1,400).

"Now your Fairy is too weak to do the job," grinned Yugi.

Aeris hit Skilled White Magician, and he was thrown back.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 7,400.

"Fine," she growled. "Your move."

"Yugi uses a clever Trap to foil Persephone's plans," commented Mike. "And now he might just turn the tide."

Yugi drew.

"I switch Skilled White Magician into Attack Mode," he said.

Skilled White Magician arose, and raised his staff.

"And now I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode," he said, putting the card down.

The two stern-faced elf sisters arose with their arms around each others' waists.

"Skilled White Magician," ordered Yugi, "attack Water Omotics with white magic attack!"

Skilled White Magician aimed his staff and fired a rainbow-colored beam of light. Water Omotics screamed as she was blown away.

"Gemini Elf, attack Aeris with duel magic attack!"

Electricity flashed from the two elves free hands. They shot twin lightning bolts at Aeris, and he groaned before exploding into pixels.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 6,900.

"Slowly but surely," said Mike, "Yugi is chipping away at Persephone's Life Points. We may be in for a long duel!"

Persephone drew.

She put a card into a slot.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said.

The facedown card appeared.

_Just to make sure,_ she thought.

"Now," she smiled, "I'll summon Lady Titania in Defense Mode."

She put a Monster Card down, and the spooky, raven-haired Fairy queen in her dark robe appeared. (600/2,000)

"I remember this move!" gasped Clive. "She used it against me!"

Persephone reached for her deck, and leafed through until she found a card. She got it, and plugged it back in, and it was reshuffled.

"Now I'll spend 800 Life Points to special summon her husband, Lord Oberon, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and her Life Points fell to 6,100. The dark Fairy king in his billowing black robe appeared and glared at Yugi. (2,000/1,000)

"Oberon," said Persephone, "Attack Skilled White Magician with dark fairy enchantment!"

Oberon raised his arms, and prepared to fire a blast of black magic…

"Not so fast, Persephone!" said Yugi, hitting his Disk. "Activate Negate Attack!"

One of his three Trap Cards lifted up, and as Oberon fired his blast, it was absorbed by a vortex.

"You had that the whole time?" sneered Persephone. "Why not use it before?"

"I was saving it for a special occasion," smiled Yugi. "I think you have to end your turn now."

"Mmm!" said Persephone.

Yugi drew.

"Well isn't this a coincidence?" he said. "I Tribute both my Skilled White Magician and my Gemini Elf…"

The two Monsters formed into pools of light, and shot up towards the heavens.

"…to summon Guardian Angel Joan!" he shouted.

Beautiful music sounded, and the lovely angel descended from the heavens, spreading her glorious wings, her silver outfit sparkling in the light. (2,800/2,000)

"Wow," gasped Mike, "that is the most gorgeous Duel Monster I have _ever_ seen!"

The crowd seemed to agree. They cheered louder than they had ever done before.

"You're in trouble now, Persephone," said Yugi. "Once my Guardian Angel attacks, not only will you lose 800 Life Points, but I'll gain 2,000!"

"Oh, dear!" she shrugged.

"Let me show you how Fairies truly work," said Yugi. "Guardian Angel Joan, attack Lord Oberon with searing light of Heaven attack!"

Guardian Angel Joan formed a ball of pure light in her hands… she hurled it at Oberon…

"Activate Waboku!" shouted Persephone.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the three Waboku sprang up to deflect the blast.

"Aw, darn it!" shouted Mary. "I thought he had her!"

"Don't worry," assured Peter. "How's she going to beat Joan?"

"Your move," said Yugi.

Persephone paused for a minute.

_Maybe I should think about bringing out my secret weapon now… _she thought.

She paused again. She looked at her cards.

_No, not yet… I'll let him think he has me first…_

She drew.

She picked another card from her hand.

"I too will Tribute both my Monsters…" she said.

Titania and Oberon turned into black blurs and vanished.

"… to summon… Wingweaver!"

A beam of light struck the field, and the powerful Fairy clad in an orange toga with six colorful wings alighted on the field. (2,750/2,400)

"And now," said Persephone, taking another card, "I'll make her stronger, by Equipping her with my Silver Bow and Arrow!"

_I can't waste my Trap Card now… _thought Yugi._ I have to save it for what I know she's going to do…_

A large, silvery bow appeared in Wingweaver's hands. (3,050/2,400)

"Now Wingweaver," ordered Persephone, "attack Guardian Angel Joan!"

The crowd gasped, as Wingweaver drew back the bow, and a shining arrow appeared in it. She fired, striking Joan in the chest! Guardian Angel Joan gasped and fell dead.

The results were dramatic. The crowd booed.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,500.

"I promise, Yugi," smiled Persephone, "I'll treat Joan with more respect once she's mine…"

"Well, Persephone certainly isn't making many friends today," sighed Donna.

"And now Yugi has a very powerful Fairy to take care of," muttered Mike. "The situation looks bleak…"

"So now what?" gasped Peter. "What on earth can he summon that can stand up to Wingweaver?"

"Yugi will think of something," said Mary.

_I hope,_ she thought.

Yugi drew.

"I play the Magic Card Brain Control!" he shouted.

"No!" gasped Persephone, as the huge brain appeared.

"Yes!" exclaimed Yugi. "Come to me, Wingweaver!"

Wingweaver's eyes went blank, and she flew over to Yugi's side.

Yugi gave a sinister smile.

"And since you don't have a single Monster or facedown card to protect you," smiled Yugi, "Wingweaver, attack your master!"

Like a zombie, Wingweaver lifted her bow, and aimed at Persephone. She fired!

"AARRGH!" screamed Persephone, as the arrow struck her in the chest and she toppled over.

The crowd cheered, as Persephone's Life Points fell to 3,050.

"Yugi just turned this around!" announced Mike. "I guess to beat someone who's underhanded, you have to be a little underhanded yourself!"

"That's for sure!" agreed Donna.

"If you think that hurt," sneered Yugi, "you haven't seen anything yet!"

He growled.

"You'll pay for what you did to Clive and Peter…"

"Oh, Yugi, Yugi, Yugi…" smiled Persephone, getting up, "you're so loyal to them, you can't see the truth even when it's right in front of your face!"

"What do you mean?" asked Yugi.

"Think about it," sneered Persephone. "If you had simply accepted my offer to trade my cards for Joan all those days ago, all the suffering of your friends would have been avoided… But that card was so… _precious_ to you with the phony bond it had to some friend, that you wouldn't give it up, so I had to resort to other means…"

The crowd gasped. Yugi gazed at her.

"Persephone, you… are… sick…" he said. "You've been doing this all out of retribution over one lousy card? That's just sad…"

They glared at each other.

"And my move isn't finished," said Yugi, placing a card down, "I'll Tribute your Wingweaver to summon Beast of Gilfer, in Attack Mode!"

Wingweaver let out a cry and burst into flames. From the flames, the huge, dragon-like Fiend emerged. (2,200/2,500)

"And that ends my turn," said Yugi.

"Tributing my Fairy for a Fiend…" growled Persephone. "You'll pay for that…"

She drew.

"I'll summon Zolga, in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She put the card down, and a mysterious looking, faceless creature wearing a silver helmet and a long, dark cloak that hid his arms appeared, silently floating over the field. (1,700/1,200)

"Very impressive," said Yugi, "but he can't beat Beast of Gilfer."

"Give me a minute!" frowned Persephone, taking another card from her hand. "Zolga is still a Fairy, so I can still use him to activate this Magic Card… Pixie Dust!"

She fit the card into the slot, and a stream of sparkling dust shot forth from Zolga. Beast of Gilfer's Attack Score was lowered to 1,400.

"Zolga," ordered Persephone, "attack with Cloak of Destruction!"

Zolga flew forward and threw his cloak over Beast of Gilfer, squeezing the life out of him! He burst.

Yugi's Life Points fell again, to 5,600

"Man, that was spooky!" gasped Donna.

"There are so many things about Fairies I don't know about," muttered Mike.

Yugi drew.

"I'll summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the hulking barbarian with his huge shield appeared, crouching down.

"Yugi can't defend forever," sighed Mary.

"Come on, Yugi!" shouted Peter. "Rip the cloak right off that creepy thing!"

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

Persephone drew.

"I play my favorite Magic Card!" she announced, fitting it into a slot. "Card of Sanctity!"

They both drew until they had a full hand.

"And now that I've refreshed my hand, I'm going to refresh my Life Points…" she said. "With Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

As she took the card from her hand, Yugi edged his hand to his Disk.

_Now? _he thought?

_No, better wait._

Persephone plugged the Magic Card into the slot, and the god of healing appeared behind her. Her Life Points rose to 4,050.

"Now," smiled Persephone, taking another card, "I'll Tribute Zolga to summon Dark Witch!"

She put the card down, and Zolga vanished in a burst of dust. The dust strangely flowed over Persephone, and she glowed.

Another Fairy appeared, a woman with feathered wings and horns, wearing a yellow toga and carrying a spear. (1,800/1,700)

"AND," continued Persephone. "When Zolga is used as a Tribute, I gain 2,000 more Life Points!"

The glow around her grew brighter, and her Life Points went up to 6,050.

"Damn," said Yugi.

"And my turn isn't through yet, Yugi…" she smiled.

She fit a Magic Card into a slot.

"I play the Magic Card… Heavenly Smite!"

The card revealed itself.

"You used this on Clive!" gasped Yugi.

The crowd grew silent.

"That's right, Yugi," laughed Persephone, as storm clouds started to appear, and Dark Witch started to fly over the field. "So you know how it works. One of us is going to be smote, and who it is depends on whether or not you can guess what kind of card you'll draw when you draw NOW."

"Unbelievable," gasped Donna. "Will Yugi have any more luck than Clive did?"

"Be careful, Yugi…" stuttered Clive. "You do NOT want to get it wrong…"

Yugi looked at his deck.

"Scared, Yugi?" she purred. "I should tell you, my success rate for using this card is about ninety percent. The Fairy lords seem to favor me…"

"I'm not scared of your Heavenly Smite," frowned Yugi. "And my guess is Monster Card…"

He quickly drew a card.

He looked at it.

"And my card is Dark Magician Girl!" he shouted, thrusting it out. "So you lose!"

Persephone gasped, as thunder started to clap. Dark Witch absorbed energy and pointed her spear at Persephone!

"No!" screamed Persephone.

Lightning flashed from the sky!

"AAIIEE!" shouted Persephone, as she was struck by lightning.

She fell down on the floor, and the crowd cheered. Persephone's Life Points fell to 5,050.

"All right Yug'!" shouted Clive.

"Is it my move yet?" asked Yugi, as Dark Witch landed.

"Yeah," snarled Persephone.

Yugi drew and added the card to his hand.

"So long as I have Dark Magician Girl," he said, "I might as well summon her, Tributing Big Shield Gardna to do so…"

The shield-bearing barbarian vanished, and once again, the lovely apprentice of Dark Magician spun out of a magic circle on the floor. She winked. (2,000/1,700)

Yugi paused.

"Dark Witch," he sighed. "As much as I appreciate your help a minute ago, I still must destroy you… I'm truly sorry."

Dark Witch smiled and nodded. She bowed her head.

"How do you like that?" grinned Donna. "Yugi even has his opponent's Monsters on his side!"

"Dark Magician Girl," ordered Yugi, "dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl spun and fired her scepter, blowing Dark Witch away.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 4,850.

"Humph," frowned Persephone. "Good riddance! If there's one thing my deck _doesn't_ need, it's a traitor!"

"You forced her to turn traitor with your Heavenly Smite card," scolded Yugi. "It's your own fault. And I end my move."

_Maybe I should use my secret weapon now, _though Persephone_. Then he'll be sorry._

She checked her Life Points.

_No, still plenty of time…_

She drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," she said.

"That card fits you," scowled Yugi, as she placed it into the slot.

Persephone ignored the wisecrack. The sinister jar appeared and spat out two cards. Persephone drew twice.

She smiled a slight smile.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, fitting a card into a slot.

The card appeared in front of her.

"And now I'll summon Hysteric Fairy, in Defense Mode!"

She put the card down widthwise, and the aristocratic Fairy appeared (1,800/500)

Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"And now," smiled Persephone, "I play… Scapegoat!"

She plugged another card into the slot, and the four sheep-tokens began to form…

"Oh will you?" yelled Yugi, hitting his Disk. "I activate Magic Jammer!"

One of his two Trap Cards lifted up, and he discarded one card. The Scapegoats faded away.

"What?" gasped Persephone. "You had Magic Jammer on field the ever since you flipped your Morphing Jar?"

"Yes!" affirmed Yugi. "I was expecting you to use your Hysteric Fairy/Scapegoat combo. And now your Fairy has no tokens to sacrifice, so you can't raise your Life Points!"

The crowd cheered.

"Long term planning pays out in the end for Yugi!" exclaimed Donna.

Persephone sneered.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Yugi's not doing half bad!" smiled Clover.

"Yeah, let's hope he can keep it up," stated Duke.

"I don't know," muttered Terone. "I have a feeling in my gut that Persephone is saving something big for him…"

"Yeah," sighed Bo. "She hasn't tried to summon Shinato of Zerato yet…"

"I know," agreed Terone. "And it may be due to bad draws on her part… or it may be something else…"

Yugi drew.

_Buster Blader will be good for later,_ he thought, adding it to his hand.

"Dark Magician Girl," he ordered. "Attack Hysteric Fairy!"

Dark Magician Girl flew towards Hysteric Fairy…

"You aren't the only one with clever Traps, Yugi!" shouted Persephone. "I activate Divine Judgment!"

The Trap Card lifted, and Dark Magician Girl stood dumbfounded…

Hysteric Fairy produced a mass of what seemed to be golden cords, and then she grabbed Dark Magician Girl! The Fairy started to tie up the Spellcaster!

"What's happening?" shouted Yugi.

"Let Hysteric Fairy finish, and I'll explain," smiled Persephone.

By now, Hysteric Fairy had hogtied Dark Magician Girl! Then she wrapped a gag around her mouth, and finally attached a chain around her neck. Hysteric Fairy took the other end of the chain and resumed her position.

"What's the point?" demanded Yugi.

"Dark Magician Girl is a sinner Yugi," said Persephone. "She practices black magic. And now she's finally been caught…"

"Just give me the details…" sneered Yugi, angrily.

"Divine Judgment is a very rare Trap Card," explained Persephone, "mostly because production of it was stopped soon after release, due to controversy… but using it is still legal.

"The way she is, Dark Magician Girl can't attack, and you can't Tribute her…

"And after three of my turns, she'll be cast into Hell… destroyed and removed from play, unless you can destroy the Trap or get rid of Hysteric Fairy!

"Neat, isn't it?"

Dark Magician Girl struggled to get free, but she was helpless.

"This is _insane _Persephone!" shouted Yugi.

The crowd seemed to agree. They booed, and a few fans even started to throw things. Fortunately for Persephone, she was well out of reach of the projectiles.

"We're all a little insane, are we, Yugi?" she laughed. "Now finish your turn."

"Ho boy," stuttered Mike. "Yugi is going to have to think of something fast…"

"That's an understatement," agreed Donna.

"I can't do anything else," snarled Yugi. "I end my turn."

"Then I draw," said Persephone. "And your three turns start now."

She drew.

"I'll play Pot of Charity," she said. "To activate this card, I have to remove one Light Monster from play, and since Dark Witch betrayed me, I'll remove her!"

The Pot appeared, and an image of Dark Witch was sucked into it.

Persephone drew three more cards.

"And I'll switch Hysteric Fairy into Attack Mode!"

Hysteric Fairy leapt up and assumed fighting stance.

"And I end my turn," she said.

"Come on Yugi!" shouted Mary. "Draw something good!"

Yugi drew.

_Flame Swordmistress?_ he thought. _She's not strong enough to take down Hysteric Fairy, and if I put her on the field, she'll just be destroyed!_

"I have to pass this turn," he said.

Persephone laughed and drew.

"I summon Dunames Dark Witch in Attack Mode!" she said.

She set the card down, and another Fairy appeared in a flash of light. She unfolded her metallic wings to reveal her pretty red dress. (1,800/1,050)

"And I end my turn," she laughed. "Just a warning Yugi: if you can't free your Dark Magician Girl on your turn, she's damned!"

Yugi looked at Dark Magician Girl. She had stopped struggling and tears were flowing down her cheeks.

This was inhuman. He couldn't let one of his best Monsters down. He had to draw something good NOW.

He drew. He looked at the card.

He threw the card into a slot.

"I play The Sage's Stone!" he yelled.

A sparkling gem hovered in front of Dark Magician Girl's face. Her eyes lit up.

"What? No!" yelled Persephone.

Yugi reached for his deck.

"I trust you know what this card does," said Yugi, taking a card. "When Dark Magician Girl is on the field, I can use it to summon Dark Magician!"

He threw the card down, and the powerful Dark Magician appeared! (2,500/2,100)

He looked at his bound apprentice, and then looked at Persephone and her two Fairies with hate… The two Fairies cringed in fear.

"Dark Magician, destroy Hysteric Fairy!" shouted Yugi. "Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician twirled his staff, and fired, blowing Hysteric Fairy to pieces, along with the Trap Card!

Dark Magician Girl burst free from her bonds and got up.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Dunames Dark Witch!" ordered Yugi.

Dark Magician Girl grinned, and wound up… she fired, blasting the other Fairy out of existence!

The crowd cheered. Dark Magician Girl leapt up and hugged Dark Magician.

Persephone's Life Points fell to 3,950.

Persephone growled with hate.

"Yes!" shouted Mary. "Way to go, Yugi!"

Persephone drew.

She grinned at Yugi.

"Uh, I don't like the look in her eye…" stuttered Mike.

"That makes two of us," agreed Donna.

Persephone put a card down.

"I summon Jowgen the Spiritualist, in Defense Mode," she smiled.

A tall Spellcaster dressed in gold clothing, wearing a headdress and carrying a slender staff appeared. (200/1,300)

"Huh?" said Yugi. "He doesn't look like a Fairy…"

"That's because he isn't," explained Persephone. "But Yugi, when I use Monsters as powerful as Shinato and Zerato, there's always the chance that someone is going to use them against me. So I put Jowgen in my deck for insurance. By discarding one card, I can have him destroy all special summoned Monsters on the field…"

She picked a card from her hand.

"And seeing as you summoned your Dark Magician using a Magic Card…"

She discarded the card.

"Goodbye Dark Magician!"

Jowgen twirled his staff, and fired a beam of light. It struck Dark Magician, and he was vaporized.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,575.

"Your move, Yugi," she said.

_And next turn, _she thought,_ I'll finally unleash my secret weapon! So go ahead Yugi… blast me with a direct attack! See if I care!_

Yugi drew. He added the card to his hand.

"In case you didn't notice," said Yugi, "you just raised my Dark Magician Girl's Attack power to 2,300."

"I know," frowned Persephone.

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the young disciple of Flame Swordsman arose. (1,600/1,500)

"Flame Swordmistress, attack Jowgen the Spiritualist!" he shouted. "Blazing saber of battle!"

Flame Swordmistress's sword burned, and she charged forward, slashing across the Spiritualist. He gasped, and exploded in a blast of light.

"Dark Magician Girl," said Yugi. "Attack her Life Points directly!"

Dark Magician Girl angrily waved her scepter, and fired a blast of dark energy at Persephone, ripping her clothes to tatters and forcing her to her knees.

Her Life Points fell to 1,650.

"Yes!" yelled Mary. "Yugi's going to do it!"

"Go Yugi!" shouted Peter.

"My move yet?" said Persephone, rising to her feet.

"Go ahead," said Yugi.

_Then it's time, _thought Persephone._ That stupid referee will never notice this…_

As she went to her deck to draw, she extended the ring finger and pinkie of her left hand. As her right hand went over her left to draw a card, the two fingers reached under her large bracelet…

She quickly drew, whipping a card out from under the bracelet and moving it to her hand of cards in the same instant. She had been practicing this move during the whole Duelatopia tournament, confident that it would come in handy eventually.

But she was wrong in one aspect. Mokuba was far from stupid, and he knew every dirty trick in the book. He clearly saw what Persephone had done.

He tapped a button on his ring and whispered into his microphone.

"Siegfried?" he whispered. "I believe Persephone just made an illegal move there…"

"I know dad," replied Siegfried. "I saw it too."

"Do you want me to stop the duel?"

Siegfried paused.

"No," he responded. "Let it continue. Let's see how Yugi handles for now…"

"Okay, you're the boss…" replied Mokuba.

"Well, Yugi," smiled Persephone, "you've dueled well, but you know what they say… all good things must come to an end…"

She slid the card into a slot.

"I play the Ritual Card known as Shinato's Ark!"

"No!" gasped Clive. "Not that card!"

Radiant beams fell from the sky, and a huge ship with Japanese letters on the sails appeared, glowing in blinding light.

"Now," laughed Persephone, placing down two Monster Cards, "I sacrifice Doma the Angel of Silence and Spirit of the Harp…"

The two Fairies appeared, and were drawn into the Ark. The huge boat vanished in a burst of light.

"…and I summon SHINATO, KING OF A HIGHER PLANE!"

The burst of light grew larger, and the huge king of the Fairies descended, his clothes shimmering, and his wings glowing!

His glowing eyes opened and stared Yugi down…

(3,300/3,000)

Yugi drew back in fright!

"Yugi's in trouble!" gasped Donna. "I don't know what he can do that can defeat Shinato!"

"Shinato!" shouted Persephone, "attack Flame Swordmistress with Divine Ring!"

Shinato raised his arms and his six glowing orbs appeared and shot forward! Flame Swordmistress gasped and was vaporized.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,975.

"Your move, Yugi," smiled Persephone. "And lest I forget, with Shinato, shifting into Defense isn't going to work."

Yugi drew.

"No, but this will," he exclaimed. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the shining swords flew forward, forming a cage around Persephone and Shinato.

"Oh, I see," chuckled Persephone. "You're trying to stall. A lot of good that will do you."

"Maybe," said Yugi. "I end my turn."

Persephone drew.

"Then I'll just pass this turn," she said. "Make your move."

Yugi drew.

"I summon Tengu Warrior in Attack Mode," he said, placing the card down.

A squawk sounded, and the kimono-clad, katana-wielding, raven-headed Winged Beast appeared. (1,800/600)

"Quoth the Raven, Nevermore," quoted Mike.

"What does that have to do with it?" said Donna.

"Oh, I just like that poem," smiled Mike.

"Your move, Persephone," said Yugi.

"Then I draw," said Persephone.

She drew and looked at the card.

"…and I pass again."

Yugi drew.

"Now, I'll Tribute my Tengu Warrior…" he said.

The Tengu vanished.

"…and my Dark Magician Girl…" he continued.

She disappeared.

"…to summon my Buster Blader, in Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the mighty armored Warrior appeared, hording his huge sword! (2,600/2,300)

"Too bad," frowned Persephone. "I so much wanted to kill your Dark Magician Girl. Well, if wishes were fishes, as they say…"

"Make your move," sneered Yugi.

Persephone drew.

"I'll place one card facedown on the field," she said, "and end my turn."

The Swords vanished.

"Next round, I'll be free to attack, so watch out."

Yugi drew.

_This guy might be good if she tries what I think she's going to try…_ he thought.

"I'm going to pass for this turn," he said.

"Good," smiled Persephone. "Shinato, attack Buster Blader!"

The crowd gasped as Shinato prepared to fire his mighty Ring...

"You forgot," yelled Yugi. "I still had one Trap left! Go, Kunai With Chain!"

The Trap Card lifted, and the Kunai appeared in Buster Blader's hand. He hurled it, pinning Shinato's arms to his sides!

Buster Blader's Attack Score went up to 3,100.

"Big deal!" mocked Persephone. "You stopped him from attacking, but you still can't defeat him!"

"That may soon change," warned Yugi.

"Then make your move," dared Persephone.

Yugi drew.

"I activate my own Trap!" shouted Persephone.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Dust Tornado!" she shouted, as the card lifted.

The Tornado enveloped Buster Blader, and the Kunai With Chain was destroyed. Shinato broke free, and Buster Blader's Attack returned to 2,600.

"You're pathetic Yugi," she mocked. "I _hadn't_ forgotten about that Trap!"

"Fine," said Yugi. "I summon a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn."

The hidden Monster appeared.

"What's Yugi doing?" pondered Donna. "He knows Defending doesn't help…"

"This is too easy!" laughed Persephone, drawing. "You can't do a thing to stop me! Shinato, destroy Buster Blader!"

Shinato shot forth his beams of light, and Buster Blader moaned. He shattered.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,075.

"Man, what's Yugi gonna do?" gasped Peter.

"I don't know," groaned Mary.

_Unless somehow he manages to…_

Yugi drew.

His eyes opened wide at the Monster Card. He looked at a Magic Card in his hand.

_Only one more card that I need, _he thought,_ And I might just win this…_

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

Persephone reached for her deck.

_Time to humiliate him even more!_ she thought.

Again, she extended the two fingers, and as she drew, she whisked another card from under her bracelet.

"I Equip Shinato with Cestus of Dagla!" she exclaimed, fitting the card into a slot.

Two razor sharp blades shaped like crescent moons appeared in Shinato's hands.

(3,800/3,000)

"Now Yugi, whatever Life Point damage Shinato inflicts on you," she said, "_I'll_ gain! Shinato, attack the facedown Monster with Dagla slash!"

Shinato flew forward…

A female Spellcaster in colorful clothes holding a staff appeared on the facedown card. She cringed before she was cut apart.

"Magician of Faith?" gasped Persephone.

Her Life Points went up to 1,950, and Yugi's went down to 1,750.

"That's right," smiled Yugi. "Forgot I had her, did you?"

His discard pile opened, and he retrieved a card.

"Make your move," frowned Persephone.

"Fine," said Yugi. "Then I'll use the card I retrieved… Swords of Revealing Light!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the cage of swords formed around Persephone again!

"Holy, smokes!" exclaimed Mike. "I don't think I've _ever _seen a duelist use the Swords twice in one duel!"

"Okay!" shouted Persephone, "I'm starting to get annoyed!"

"And my turn isn't over, Persephone," said Yugi. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the red-robed Spellcaster bearing his magical shield and sword appeared in a burst of dark energy. (1,600/1,000)

Persephone drew back.

"You remember this guy, don't you?" smiled Yugi. "I won him from you, after you made me wager Joan in that bar. Well he's mine now, and I'm going to use his special effect to break your Cestus of Dagla!"

Breaker powered up his sword and shot a burst of energy forward, striking the Cestus in Shinato's hands and shattering them.

Shinato's Attack returned to his original level.

"Humph," scoffed Persephone. "Doesn't matter!"

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

Persephone drew.

"Well, I have to pass again, thanks to your swords," she muttered, "but soon this will be over!"

"Yugi must have some sort of plan cooking," pondered Donna. "But what could it be?"

Yugi drew.

_Not the card I need…_ he thought.

"I Tribute Breaker," he said, switching cards, "to summon Flame Swordsman!"

Breaker vanished, and was replaced by Mary's favorite Warrior. (1,800/1,600)

"Wait…" started Clive. "Now I know what Yugi plans to do."

"Yes!" shouted Peter. "Go Yugi!"

"What is Yugi planning?" asked Amber.

"It would take too long to explain," said Jade. "Just watch, and hope that he is successful."

"The Monster you got from Mary?" laughed Persephone. "What good will he do?"

She drew.

"Two turns to go…"

Yugi drew.

"Okay, I'll pass as well," he said.

The crowd was at the edge of their seats.

Persephone drew.

She laughed out loud.

"Try this on for size, Yugi!" she cackled. "I'm playing Monster Reborn!"

She fit the card in the slot.

"To bring back Wingweaver!"

A flash of light appeared on the ankh, and Wingweaver returned. (2,750/2,400)

"I'll forgive her for attacking me once she finishes you off!" gloated Persephone. "And now I end my turn, and your Swords are gone!"

The Swords vanished.

Yugi closed his eyes, and deftly drew.

He looked at the card.

"I play my own Monster Reborn," he said, "to bring back my Dark Magician!"

He fit the card into the slot, and Dark Magician arose. (2,500/2,100)

"Fat lot of good he'll do you!" laughed Persephone.

"And now," he continued, "I play Polymerization!"

He fit the card into the slot, and Flame Swordsman and Dark Magician melted into orange and violet swirls. They came together, and formed into one swirl, which burst…

And standing there was a Warrior in black armor, a cape and helmet with red accents, holding a crimson sword and a large black shield with a red design.

"Presenting," said Yugi, "**DARK FLARE KNIGHT**!"

(2,200/800)

Murmurs started to break out among the crowd.

"Well, uh," stuttered Donna. "Yugi has certainly made a strange move…"

"Yes," answered Mike. "Very… strange."

"And with that," said Yugi, "I end my turn."

"Are you nuts, Yugi?" laughed Persephone. "That guy isn't even as strong as Dark Magician."

"I wouldn't take Dark Flare Knight lightly, Persephone," smiled Yugi. "Make your move."

Persephone thought for a minute as she drew.

_Yugi is no idiot, _she thought._ He wouldn't lose on purpose… What if this Dark Flare Knight has some sort of special effect that could block my attack or something? Or turn my attack against me?_

She looked at her own hand, which had grown pretty large.

_Nothing but weak Monsters and Magic Cards that I can't use right now… she thought._

"No attack this round, Yugi," she said. "I'll turn it over to you."

"Good," said Yugi, drawing. "And since _you_ aren't going to attack Dark Flare Knight, _he's_ going to attack! Dark Flare Knight, attack Shinato!"

Dark Flare Knight raised his sword and charged.

"What?" shouted Persephone. "Are you crazy?"

The crowd gasped, as Dark Flare Knight leapt forward. The King of a Higher Plane shot forth his Divine Ring and vaporized the Warrior!"

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Persephone. "FOOL! Now he's gone, and I'm free too… huh?"

She noticed the scores.

"What?" she gasped. "Your Life Points are untouched?"

"Yes!" grinned Yugi. "You should read the manual more carefully! That's one of the effects of Dark Flare Knight – when he's slain in battle, the controller takes no damage from his destruction. And as for his second effect, when he's destroyed, his spirit evolves to a higher state…"

Glowing radiance came down from above, and a form descended. It was a mighty Warrior in gold armor, holding a great scythe.

"Meet the mighty **MIRAGE KNIGHT**!" said Yugi.

(2,800/2,000)

"And with that, I end my turn."

"Humph!" gloated Persephone, drawing a card. "Mirage Knight, Shmerage Knight! Shinato is still stronger! Shinato, attack Mirage Knight!"

Shinato prepared to fire his attack…

And then Mirage Knight's Attack Score started to go up.

"WHAT?" screamed Persephone.

"Oh, did I mention the effect Mirage Knight has?" smiled Yugi. "When he battles another Monster, his opponent's Attack Score is added to his!"

(6,100/2,000)

"Simply put," grinned Yugi, "Mirage Knight _can't_ be defeated in battle, and since it's too late to call off your attack…"

Shinato fired his Ring…

"Mirage Knight," shouted Yugi, "counter attack with scythe of burning light attack!"

Mirage Knight leapt over Shinato's attack, and charged forward, leaving a trail of bright images behind him. He smote the Fairy King in the chest! Shinato groaned, fell to his knees, and exploded in a flaming light!

Persephone watched in horror as her Life Points fell to zero.

The crowd's applause was off the scale! They stood up and gave a standing ovation!

"Yugi is the winner!" announced Mokuba.

"He did it!" shouted Mary.

"Yes!" cheered Clive, hi-fiving Peter.

"How… how could I lose?" whined Persephone, falling to her knees.

They didn't notice the Master of Games walking down to the arena.

"Congratulations, Yugi," he said. "You dueled admirably and won…"

He turned to Persephone.

"Despite the fact that your opponent was a big cheater…"

Persephone got up.

"What?" she shouted. "You stinking liar! I'll…"

The Master chuckled.

"My dear Persephone," he said. "You cannot begin to comprehend the technological wonders that this armor of mine possesses. The helmet I wear has built in binoculars that let me record action. Why don't I just show something I saw onto the main screen…"

Static blanked out the main screen, and then a scene came up… showing Persephone's hand slipping the card out from under her bracelet. The crowd gasped.

"As you can see," explained the Master, "Persephone kept her Shinato's Ark card under her bracelet, allowing her to summon Shinato whenever she wanted. She did the same thing with her Cestus of Dagla card."

"Gee Persephone, that is low…" muttered Yugi.

Persephone was strangely silent.

The crowd booed again.

"It's a pity, really, Persephone," sighed the Master. "Shinato, King of a Higher Plane is an exemplar of Light and Goodness. I doubt he'd have approved of the underhanded way you summoned him…"

Persephone snarled.

"I'm sorry, Persephone," said the Master, "but you know that we don't tolerate cheaters here… Centurions? Arrest this scoundrel."

"What?" gasped Persephone, shocked.

Two Centurions appeared next to her and one of them quickly cuffed her hands behind her back! Persephone cursed at Yugi.

"I won't forget this Yugi!" she cursed as she was dragged away. "I will get even!"

Once she was gone, the Master picked up the case of spare cards that Persephone had tossed on the floor.

"Well," he said, leafing through the cards. "In accordance to the deal you two made… I believe these are the cards you wanted…"

He handed Yugi the Crescent Moon Queen and Fool's Mate cards.

"And of course, I am pleased to present to Yugi the grand prize!"

Another Centurion came up, bearing the huge novelty check.

"The good news is Yugi, you won twenty million dollars," he chuckled. "The bad news is, your parents are going to have to pay taxes on it!"

The crowd laughed.

"But I digress, taxes might not be an issue if you accept the further challenge," said the Master. "As I said, the winner is allowed to duel yours truly, and if you are victorious, you are allowed anything you desire…

"Certainly Yugi, that must be a tempting offer…"

Yugi looked at him.

"You're on!" he exclaimed.

"In that case," said the Master of Games, "All of you be here tomorrow at noon, when Yugi Mouto Jr. faces the Master of Games, in a duel to end all duels!"

The crowd cheered again.

"And to end out today's event, let's all put your hands together for a special guest from Rio de Janeiro, here's Jose Águila!

The light show started again, and the lights centered on the stage. A singer dressed like Harpie's Brother appeared, flanked by three backup singers dressed like the Harpie Lady Sisters.

The music started. The popular "Livin' La Vida Loca" sounded through the stadium, and the crowd cheered it on.

Fireworks exploded, as the last words of the song faded.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That evening, the Team and their friends were in the Green Room, celebrating Yugi's victory. Captain Descartes had supplied them with pizza and chips.

"Before I forget," said Yugi to Clive and Peter, "these are yours…"

He handed back the cards he had gotten.

"Thanks Yug'," smiled Peter.

"It may not be the ultimate prize," sighed Clive, "but at least my deck is intact again."

_I don't know, Clive, _thought Yugi._ If I defeat the Master, the ultimate prize might not be out of your reach – for both of you…_

"That duel was fiercer than the storm I faced on the Cape of Good Hope two years ago!" exclaimed Orin.

"Did you see the look on Persephone's face?" giggled Amber.

"Usually I take no joy in another's misfortune," said Jade. "Usually. When will she learn that cheaters only cheat themselves?"

At that point, Kanasta walked in.

"Hey geeks!" he laughed.

"What do you want, Kanasta?" said Mary with a scowl.

"Last I checked, I was still allowed in here…" he stated.

He turned to Yugi.

"…and besides, unlike Persephone, I wasn't a cheater."

"True," frowned Yugi. "You dueled fairly…"

"I wanted to tell you Yugi," chuckled Kanasta, "you're gonna be wiped off the face of the planet tomorrow!"

"What makes you say that?" asked Yugi.

"Well," started Kanasta, sitting down. "You see… Hey! Anchovies!"

"Help yourself," said Mary, offhand.

"Thanks," said Kanasta, taking a slice of pizza. "As I was saying, I spoke to a lot of duelists who faced the Eliminators. Some won, most lost, but they all agreed on one thing – the Eliminators all had lots of rare and powerful cards in their decks…"

"So?" asked Yugi.

"Think about it, Yugi," smiled Kanasta. "The Master of Games is their boss. And he runs this resort. His pack must be _packed_ with rare and powerful cards! You're gonna be in over your head."

"I'll keep that in mind, Kanasta," sighed Yugi. "But I'm not backing down."

"Well, suit yourself," shrugged Kanasta, taking another slice. "Ooh, Cheet-Os!"

At that moment, two Centurions entered the room.

"Mary Wheeler?" said one of them.

"Uh yes?" she said, nervously.

"The Master of Games requests your presence," he said. "Privately."

"Well, okay," she said.

She picked up a slice of pizza.

"One for the road."

Yugi raised an eyebrow as the two guards led her away, but he didn't believe Siegfried meant Mary any harm.

Strangely though, he didn't see any of Mary for the rest of the night. And when the pizza was finished, he retired to his room.

As he lay in bed, his mind was racing. He had won $20 million, and didn't really know what to do with it yet…

_I doubt I'll do much sleeping tonight…_ he thought.

And as soon as he thought that, he fell into a deep slumber…

And he felt himself leave his body for another realm…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLADE OF DAMACLES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An ancient, bronze sword, etched with runes.

**Card Description: **Equip only to a Fairy-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 1,000, and decrease its DEF by 1,000.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DIVINE JUDGMENT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A chained prisoner in front of a council of Fairies.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack against a Fairy-Type Monster you control. This card is treated as an Equip Spell that Equips to the attacking Monster. The Equipped Monster cannot attack or be Tributed. At the your opponent's third End Phase after this card is activated, destroy the Equipped Monster and remove it from play. Destroy this card if the Monster that was attacked to activate it is removed from the field.


	41. Gather Your Mind

_**My father had a lot of enemies in his day – but he also had a lot of allies.**_

_**There were Mary's parents of course, and her aunt Serenity, their friend Tristan, Jade's mother (although the situation with her became sort of weird at one point); Seto Kaiba's brother Mokuba was someone they could count on, and, well, trust me, there were a lot of them. **_

_**Heck, even a few people whom were once enemies became allies eventually. Maximilian Pegasus and Marik Ishtar both reformed in the end…**_

_**Why am I getting at this? Because one old ally of my father is now face-to-face with me in a duel for tremendous stakes…**_

_**And I'd like to state right now…**_

_**This was NOT my idea…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Gather Your Mind**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi's eyes opened.

He knew he was asleep, but he felt like he was wide awake.

He was standing on what looked like a sandy desert cliff or plateau, miles from anywhere. Mist filled the area in front of him.

"Man," he said. "These weird dreams and visions are starting to bug me…"

"I'm not too pleased with them either," said Yami's voice.

"Yami?" said Yugi. "You're here?"

"Yes," said the Spirit. "I think we have to take this one together."

Yugi looked down. His Dueling Disk was attached to his arm.

"That's… strange…" he said.

Suddenly the clouds ahead of him parted, and an imposing structure arose. Yugi gasped.

A tremendous building was in front of him. It resembled a huge Egyptian temple, with statues of the gods in front of a giant door. A tall stairway led up to the steps. Imhotep's temple had nothing on the décor of this place.

"Man," groaned Yugi. "I knew I shouldn't have eaten all that pizza before going to bed..."

"Yugi," said Yami. "I'm sensing something…"

"Another one of your 'evil presence' things?" asked Yugi.

"No, not evil," sighed Yami. "Something _good_. A source of great holy power… But we should be careful; this place could still be dangerous…"

Then the temple doors swung open.

"Enter," beckoned a gentle voice.

Yugi looked around him.

"Well," he sighed. "Since going back the way we came is out of the question…"

He slowly climbed the steps into the ancient temple.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep inside Saurius's lair, the demon was sharpening his claws with a long metal file.

"My lord?" said a voice.

"Enter," he growled.

General Bezelbub walked in.

"Everything is in place," said the General. "Asmodan, Mordent, myself, and our two recruits have completed their tasks. Our troops await the order to move in when you give the command."

"Excellent," commented Saurius. "Then we strike the day after tomorrow at the awards ceremony…"

"And everything may not yet be in place yet," he added. "I have word that our competitor seeks to strike then as well…"

"Indeed?" asked Bezelbub.

Saurius stood up.

"His plan seems foolproof on the surface; he planned ahead, spared no expense, went over contingency plans, checked every aspect a hundred times. But his plan has a fatal flaw in it that he is unaware of, which will lead to his failure.

"Still it won't be a total loss for him. Once he falls, I'll make him an offer that he'd be insane to refuse, and gain a powerful servant that will make sure MY plan _doesn't_ fail…"

He chuckled…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi delved into the huge temple. It was a wide open space, lit by flickering torches, held up by columns, and with fancy hieroglyphics on the walls and ceiling.

"Yugi," cautioned Yami. "I have a feeling that this is more than just a dream…"

A voice came to them – a female voice.

"Welcome, Pharaoh," she said.

They looked ahead, and a young woman appeared out of the shadows. She was wearing a white dress that seemed Egyptian style, complete with a shawl (or something) and veil. A collection of exotic gold jewelry adorned her, including a headband of some sort. She also wore a Duel Disk on her arm.

"Um, Yugi," said Yami, with a pause, "maybe you'd better let me speak to her…"

"Okay," said Yugi.

The Puzzle glowed, and Yami took over.

"You look familiar…" he remarked.

She lowered her veil, revealing a lovely face underneath.

"It has been a long time, my Pharaoh," she sighed. "I regret that we cannot meet under more pleasant circumstances."

"Wait?" he gasped. "Ishizu? Ishizu Ishtar?"

She nodded.

"But… you don't look like you've aged a day…"

"This is my spiritual form," explained Ishizu. "I appear as you remember me. I left my body behind in the real world, as your young host has…"

"Yugi," said Yami, aside. "I changed my mind. We'd best both be in on this."

The Puzzle glowed again, and they merged as they always did.

He looked at her neck.

"I see you don't have your Millennium Necklace anymore," he commented. My father told me he gave it back for safekeeping…"

"No, my daughter has it now," answered Ishizu. "But even she doesn't know I'm here. Anyway, I don't need it any longer. And it would give me an unfair advantage here."

Yugi didn't like the way she said that.

"So what is this place?" asked Yugi. "Why did you bring us here?"

"I did NOT bring us here," sighed Ishizu. "We are both here against our wills, because powers greater than us demand it."

"Who brought us here?" Yugi ventured to ask.

"Suffice to say, powers far greater than both of us," explained Ishizu. "Greater than even the Millennium Items."

Yugi shivered.

"So much for who," he mused. "WHY are we here?"

Ishizu lifted her Disk.

"You want to Duel me?" asked Yugi in surprise.

"No, I _don't_ want to," muttered Ishizu. "Opposing the Pharaoh goes against everything I stand for. But like I said, neither of us has a choice…"

"I'm going to need more of an explanation than that…" said Yugi.

"I'll explain," started Ishizu. "You no doubt know the dire threat that Saurius poses. You also know that he was defeated by holders of all the Items… except your Puzzle. Only the one who holds the Puzzle can defeat him and end his threat forever, and the time when the conflict will come is drawing near…"

She paused.

"Thirty-seven years ago, I stood against him. I defeated the demon in a Shadow Game. But over those thirty-seven years, Saurius has gotten better, stronger. With each defeat, he learns, and his skill grows stronger. If I were to duel him again, I am nearly certain that I would lose…

"Pharaoh, whoever faces Saurius in the final conflict must be a better duelist than I ever was, so I am the only one who can do this test."

"A test?" gasped Yugi. "You're serious?"

"Deadly serious," she said. "And you must try your hardest to win, for the stakes of this duel here are great…"

"Stakes?" stammered Yugi, sweating. "What happens if I lose?"

"Then you will be imprisoned here," said Ishizu, sadly, "and the Puzzle will be delivered to someone else with great skill. Someone else is already being considered…"

_Someone else? _thought Yugi._ Who?_

"Ishizu, you can't possibly…" started Yugi.

"Believe me, Pharaoh," interrupted Ishizu, bowing her head, "if I win this conflict, I will hate myself the whole time, and forever after. But I already told you, we have no choice. And the end result of this duel is not one-sided. If you should win, you will have the power to do the same to me…"

"This is crazy…" gasped Yugi. "You would take that risk?"

"How many times must I tell you?" said Ishizu. "We don't have a choice. We can't avoid it. If either of us refuses, we're both doomed."

Yugi paused to take this in.

"One question," asked Yugi. "Did the guy who fought Saurius before you test YOU before you dueled him?"

"Yes," replied Ishizu. "His spirit came to me just as I am coming to you now."

"Fine," said Yugi, "I feel better."

He flicked his Disk into position.

"It's time to duel…" he muttered, slowly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Wind picked up in the strange desert outside the ancient temple. As Yugi shuffled his deck, a lot went through his mind.

_I have to be careful, _he thought. _Ishizu was one of the best duelists in the world! She nearly beat Seto Kaiba… when he had Obelisk the Tormentor no less! She may not have that Necklace, but it takes more than a Millennium Item to make difference…_

_I remember she had a nasty card called Exchange of Spirits… a Trap that let you switch the cards in both players' decks and Graveyards. That shouldn't be a problem… I don't use deck-destruction strategy like Kaiba did…_

His eyes opened wide.

_But what if she has a way to destroy her own deck?_

They plugged their decks into their Disks.

_So it begins, _thought Ishizu._ Good luck, my Pharaoh…_

"I'll make the first move," she said.

She made her draws.

"And I summon… The Unhappy Girl, in Attack Mode."

She placed a card down, and a sound like weeping echoed over the hall…

A small form materialized in front of Ishizu, sitting cross-legged. It was a young girl with long hair, barefoot and in tattered clothing. A small basket of roses sat by her side. Tears streamed down her cheeks. (400/300)

"That will conclude my move," she said.

_What on Earth? _thought Yugi, drawing._ Why the heck did she put someone that weak in Attack Mode?_

He looked at The Unhappy Girl, who's name seemed to describe her perfectly. He looked at his hand.

_That Monster must be hiding some dangerous secret, _thought Yugi,_ but I don't have many options…_

He put a card down.

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

The sword wielding elf appeared, wielding his longsword. He waved it dramatically. (1,400/1,200)

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," shouted Yugi, "attack the Girl!"

The Guardian raised his sword and leapt forward. The Unhappy Girl wailed as he struck…

Ishizu's Life Points fell to 7,000.

_Man, I feel like such a bully, _thought Yugi._ Huh? _

He looked.

The Unhappy Girl was still there, and she was crying more than ever.

"But…" started Yugi. "How…"

"So long as I keep The Unhappy Girl in Attack Mode," explained Ishizu, "she cannot be destroyed via battle. And that's not all…"

As she wept, the Girl's eyes glowed, and she glared at Celtic Guardian! He gasped, and suddenly a stone-like crystal formed around his body, trapping him!

"What?" gasped Yugi. "Frozen?"

"What did he expect from striking someone who was far weaker than him?" said Ishizu. "A curse strikes anyone who dares harm The Unhappy Girl – so long as she is in Attack Mode, anyone who does so cannot attack again, or change battle position."

_Okay, this may be hard,_ thought Yugi.

"I end my turn," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"Now I summon… Kelbek, in Attack Mode," she said.

She placed the card down, and a strange Monster appeared. Colored like silvery metal, it had a face shaped like an inverted "A", and a body with two "fans" on its side with golden spokes. It had a glaring blue eye on the front, and two metallic claws underneath. It let out a spooky moan as it glared at Yugi. (1,500/1,800)

"Kelbek," she ordered. "Attack with piercing gaze!"

Kelbek's single eye glowed, and hit the frozen Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. He groaned, and his frozen form shattered.

Ishizu pointed to The Unhappy Girl.

"You attack too," she commanded.

The Unhappy Girl let out a pitiful cry, and her eyes glowed. She locked her gaze with Yugi, and he felt his muscles start to stiffen…

He gasped. His Life Points fell down to 7,500.

_Okay, _thought Yugi,_ now I have another mysterious Monster to deal with…_

He drew.

_All right,_ he thought.

"I play the Magic Card, Brain Control!" he exclaimed, throwing a card into a slot.

The huge brain with arms appeared.

"And I'll use it to control The Unhappy Girl!" he continued.

The Unhappy Girl let out a sob as she was grabbed.

"Now," he stated. "I'll Tribute your Unhappy Girl to summon someone who's much happier…"

He put a card down.

"Flame Swordsman!"

The Unhappy Girl melted into a puddle of tears, and from the puddle, the large, orange and blue-clad Warrior arose, swinging his great bronze sword! (1,800/1,600)

"Impressive," stated Ishizu.

"This card is on loan from my girlfriend," said Yugi. "Even though she isn't here to support me in person, she can still support me in spirit through this Monster!

"Now, Flame Swordsman, attack Kelbek with flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman lifted his blade and it burned with fire! He brought it down on the strange creature, melting it in half with one swipe! The two halves burst into pixels.

Ishizu's Life Points fell to 6,700.

"Now then…" continued Yugi. "Huh?"

Flame Swordsman's image flickered, and then he vanished!

"You may have destroyed Kelbek," said Ishizu, "but any Monster that battles it is returned to your hand."

Yugi retrieved the card and sighed.

_Well, that's another mystery solved,_ he thought.

"Your move, I guess," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"I play a Magic Card," she said, placing it into a slot. "Dragged Down Into the Grave!"

"What?" said Yugi, as the card appeared. "What does that do?"

He liked neither the name of the card nor the frightening image on it.

"Simple," explained Ishizu, "we merely show each other our hands, and chose one card to discard from them…"

She revealed her hand.

Yugi was startled when he saw one particular Trap Card.

_That card! _he thought._ She WAS going to use Exchange of Spirits!_

"I, uh…" stuttered Yugi. "I choose your Exchange of Spirits!"

"Very well," she said softly, discarding the two cards.

She looked at him.

"Oh, right," he said. He showed her his hand.

"I choose The Sage's Stone," she said.

As Yugi discarded that card, Ishizu shook her head.

_As I expected, he was frightened at the sight of my infamous Trap Card, even though I never intended to use it, _she thought._ A moment of fear like that in a battle with Saurius could cause him to make a crucial error…_

"Now," she said, "we both draw one card..."

They each made a draw.

Ishizu put a card down.

"I summon Zolga in Attack Mode," she pronounced.

Darkness shrouded her side of the field, and a familiar form seeped from out of the darkness. It was a creature clad in a long black cloak with a sharp metal collar and a wide helmet. It stared at Yugi with glowing eyes. (1,700/1,200)

This Monster Yugi _did_ remember, because Persephone had used it, but that didn't change the fact that he was now defenseless against its attack!

"Zolga," said Ishizu, "attack him directly with Cape of Destruction!"

"Aw cripes," moaned Yugi, as Zolga floated towards him.

He gasped as the Fairy covered him with its cloak! Complete darkness enveloped him, and painful winds buffeted him, forcing him to his knees.

It was the kind of experience that would have given him a nightmare, if he wasn't already having one.

His Life Points fell to 5,800.

As Zolga backed off, Yugi panted. He slowly got to his feet…

"It is your move," said Ishizu.

_I have to do something… _thought Yugi.

He drew.

_Nothing in my hand that can defeat Zolga, _he thought._ Have to defend…_

"I summon Beaver Warrior in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The armored, sword-wielding Beast Warrior appeared with a squeak. He crouched down, and held his shield up in front of him. (1,200/1,500).

"Make your move," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"I'll Tribute Zolga…" she said.

Zolga disappeared into sparkling dust…

"And you gain 2,000 Life Points!" said Yugi, getting frustrated.

"Yes," said Ishizu.

The sparkling dust settled on her, and she glowed. Her Life Points went up to 8,700.

"And I summon the powerful Timeater," she continued.

A loud chime appeared on the field, and a strange object appeared. It resembled a clock – in general outline. Colored purple and shaped like a perfect circle, it had strange runes instead of numbers, knife-like objects in place of hands, and odd prongs jutting out of the sides at the one, five, seven, and eleven o'clock positions. A slow ticking noise came from the mysterious clock. (1,900/1,700)

"What on earth…?" said Yugi, dumbfounded.

"Timeater," exclaimed Ishizu, "Attack Beaver Warrior with temporal blast!"

Timeater glowed. Its two "hands" started to turn, and a wave of dark energy shot forth from its face. Beaver Warrior's shield shattered – he squeaked and was reduced to dust.

"Now I'm ending my turn," said Ishizu, "and Timeater's effect comes into play. Its power can warp the time-space continuum on your side of the field when it destroys one of your Monsters. When that happens, you must skip the first Main Phase of your next turn."

Yugi grimaced.

_And since I have no Monsters on the field, that also means I have to skip my Battle Phase!_ he thought.

He drew. He looked at the card strangely.

"Okay then," he started. "I'm skipping straight to my second Main Phase then…"

He fit the card into a slot.

"I set a card facedown…"

The facedown card appeared.

"And I summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode."

He placed another card, and the hulking barbarian with his nearly impenetrable shield rose into view. He grunted, and crouched down, covering himself with his protection. (100/2,600)

"And it's your move," finished Yugi.

Ishizu drew. She sighed.

_Using his Big Shield won't be enough for protection once I use this, _she thought.

She placed a card down.

"I summon Matavo in Attack Mode," she said.

Another strange creature appeared in front of her. It looked like a large, golden pyramid with a single eye in front, and clawed legs on each angle. (1,200/1,500)

"What is THAT?" gasped Yugi, in fear.

"This is Matavo," said Ishizu. "And it is actually a very helpful creature."

"Helpful?" asked Yugi.

"Yes," she responded. "When it is summoned to the field, another Monster of my choice gains eight-hundred Attack points – and I'm using that effect on my Timeater."

Matavo glowed with a bright aura, and then Timeater glowed with the same aura. The dark clock's stats increased. (2,700/1,700)

"Timeater," said Ishizu, "attack Big Shield Gardna with temporal blast!"

Again, Timeater glowed, and its hands moved. It fired its energy.

"Not this time, Ishizu!" shouted Yugi, tapping his Disk.

"What?" gasped Ishizu. "A Trap?"

"Activate, Magic Cylinder!" shouted Yugi as the card lifted.

The two Cylinders appeared in mid-air, and one of them caught the blast.

"My Trap will shoot your temporal blast right back at you!" yelled Yugi.

The second Cylinder shot the energy back out, and it slammed into Ishizu! She gasped and fell over.

Her Life Points fell to 6,000.

She slowly got up.

"You are crafty, my Pharaoh," she smiled. "But beware, this duel is just getting started…"

She chose a card.

"I end by placing one card facedown," she stated.

She placed it into a slot and it appeared before her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the real world, it was close to midnight, but Clive and Peter couldn't sleep.

Both were in Peter's room, playing Duel Monsters on his coffee table.

Peter made a move.

"I'll Tribute my Vilepawn to summon Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" he exclaimed, switching cards. "Say bye-bye to Meanae!"

"Not so fast, Peter," said Clive, activating his Negate Attack Trap.

Peter sighed.

"Okay, your move," he sighed.

Clive made a draw.

"Look who I've got…" he chuckled, showing him the Crescent Moon Queen.

"Crud," moaned Peter.

Clive removed Don Zaloog and Meanae the Thorn from his side to place the card down.

"And since Command Knight increases her Attack to 3,000, and she can attack twice, I think I just wiped out your Life Points," said Clive.

"Well, that ties the score," said Peter, marking a check in his notepad.

He paused.

"Clive," muttered Peter. "You think Yugi is having these same jitters? I mean, I would be too if I was going up against Siegfried tomorrow."

"I wouldn't worry about Yugi," answered Clive. "He has nerves of steel – stainless steel."

"Those three Blue-Eyes White Dragons aren't anything to scoff at," stuttered Peter, shivering.

"Maybe Siegfried won't use the Dragons," responded Clive. "You know, if he does, his identity will be exposed…"

"Well…" said Peter. "I guess you have a point…"

Clive paused for a moment.

He noticed something.

"Say Peter, you still have this, don't you?" he asked.

He reached down under his shirt and lifted up his half of the Griggle card, the one he had cut in half and shared with Peter so they'd always remember each other.

"Huh?" asked Peter. "Oh, sure."

He took his own half out from under his shirt.

"Wouldn't think of getting rid of it, pal," he answered. "Why?"

"Oh, just making sure," said Clive.

Peter sighed.

"We'd best at least try to get some shut-eye," he remarked. "We won't be able to support Yugi much if we're exhausted…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

If Clive and Peter knew the danger Yugi was in right now, they might not have been so eager to sleep.

More likely, they'd have gone to Yugi's room to try to wake him up, even though that was likely impossible.

But without his friends knowing of the danger that faced him, Yugi continued…

And it was his draw.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he stated, fitting the card into the slot.

The sinister jar appeared, and two cards popped out of it. He made two draws.

He looked at the two cards.

"Now I'll Tribute my Big Shield Gardna…" he proclaimed.

The barbarian stood up, and vanished into pixels…

"And summon my Dark Magician Girl!" he exclaimed.

He threw the card down, and beautiful music started to play. Dark Magician Girl flew into view, and struck a dramatic pose. (2,000/1,700)

_Once I destroy her Matavo, _thought Yugi,_ Her Timeater will quickly follow… so long as that facedown card can't stop me…_

"Dark Magician Girl," said Yugi, "attack Matavo!"

The Spellcaster flew forward, aiming her staff…

"Activate, Eye of Wdjat!" exclaimed Ishizu.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing an image of the Eye of Horus surrounded by hieroglyphics.

"Eye of what?" gasped Yugi.

The Trap Card glowed. Dark Magician Girl gasped, and the Eye appeared on her forehead. She stopped and looked confused…

"When Eye of Wdjat is activated," said Ishizu, "I can halt a Monster's attack and redirect it towards your side!"

Dark Magician Girl struggled, but she couldn't help herself. She turned her staff towards Yugi and fired her dark magic at him! He was thrown backwards.

"Ow…" groaned Yugi.

As he got up, he saw Dark Magician Girl. The Eye was gone, and she was crying…

"It wasn't your fault…" said Yugi, in a comforting voice.

Some would think it would be silly trying to console one of your Monsters, but if she truly cared for him, he had to care for her.

His Life Points were now at 3,800.

Yugi looked at his hand. The situation had changed.

"I'll end by placing two cards facedown," he said.

He fit the cards into slots, and they appeared behind Dark Magician Girl.

"Now it's your move again," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"I summon Keldo, in Attack Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and yet another strange Monster appeared. It was vaguely feminine, but it had no limbs. Its top half was metallic, looked vaguely like a woman, and was colored silver and green in a decorative pattern. The top part rose out of a metal jar (for lack of a better term) that resembled a silver face with flared edges around the golden eyes. The creature's lower eyes sparkled as it looked at Yugi. (1,200/1,600)

_Okay, _thought Yugi,_ what's this guy's story?_

"Timeater," commanded Ishizu, "attack Dark Magician Girl."

The fiendish clock glowed again, and once more, its hands turned. It shot forth its temporal blast.

"I don't think so, Ishizu!" yelled Yugi. "Go facedown cards!"

His two facedown Traps lifted.

"First up, Negate Attack, stopping your clock!" he exclaimed. "Then, Enchanted Javelin, transferring your Timeater's Attack Points into my Life Points!"

Timeater's blast hit an invisible shield, and the energy flowed into Yugi, causing him to glow. His Life Points went up to 6,500.

"It seems now I'm in the lead," smiled Yugi.

"For now," said Ishizu. "I shift Matavo into Defense Mode, and end my turn."

The creature knelt on his four legs.

Yugi drew, as his Traps vanished.

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode," he said, placing the card down.

A burst of flame erupted on the field, and Flame Swordsman's young squire leapt up, swinging her burning saber. (1,600/1,500)

She and Dark Magician Girl smiled to each other.

"Now let's try this again," said Yugi. "Flame Swordmistress, attack Matavo!"

Flame Swordmistress swung her blade, and it burned! She did a flip, and brought it down on Matavo! The creature was melted in half before bursting into pixels.

Timeater's stats returned to normal. (1,900/1,700)

"Dark Magician Girl," shouted Yugi, "destroy Timeater! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician Girl gave her staff a twirl, and fired a blast, striking the clock! Cracks appeared all over it, and it fell to pieces, falling into a heap on the floor.

Ishizu's Life Points fell to 5,900.

"Time is running out," stated Yugi. "Make your move."

Ishizu drew. She looked at the Trap Card.

_I can use this later,_ she thought.

"I shift Keldo into Defense Mode…" she said, turning her card.

Keldo withdrew.

"And, I summon a second Keldo, also in Defense Mode," she continued.

She put a card down, and a twin of the first Keldo appeared beside it. (1,200/1,600)

"That will end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew. He added the card to his hand.

_I don't trust those two Keldo, _he thought._ I have no idea what they can do. But I can't just do nothing…_

"I'll Tribute my Flame Swordmistress to summon her liege," said Yugi, switching cards.

Flame Swordmistress sheathed her sword and folded her arms. She vanished into a bonfire…

"Flame Swordsman," stated Yugi, "welcome back!"

Flame Swordsman appeared out of the bonfire, once again swinging his bronze sword! (1,800/1,600)

"Flame Swordsman, attack the first Keldo!" he shouted.

Flame Swordsman's sword, blazed, and he leapt forward. Keldo cried out in a metallic voice as it was melted.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack the other one!"

Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff, and blasted the other Keldo, reducing it to a smoking pile of molten metal.

"Again, impressive," said Ishizu, "but you activated their effect…"

"Uh oh," muttered Yugi.

"When Keldo is destroyed, I get to chose two cards from your Graveyard and return them to your deck," explained Ishizu.

"Huh?" said Yugi, surprised. That was an odd effect…

"So I choose to return all four of the Monsters in your Graveyard," she continued.

"Well, okay…" said Yugi.

He opened his discard slot, and retrieved Flame Swordmistress, Big Shield Gardna, Beaver Warrior, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. He put them back in his deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"…but why would you help me like that?" he asked.

"I have my reasons," stated Ishizu. "Is that your turn?"

"Yeah," responded Yugi.

"Then I draw," she said.

She did so.

"I summon Agido in Attack Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and the weirdest creature of all appeared. It looked like an orange sphere, with one big eye on the front. Golden horns jutted out from the top, an axe-like blade protruded from the lower right, and a golden claw from the lower left. It was completely silent. (1,500/1,800)

"And I end my turn," she said.

_What is she up to? _thought Yugi._ She knows that I have two Monsters on the field that are stronger!_

He drew.

_This may be a risk, but I could take huge chunk out of her Life Points if I pull this off…_

"I summon Alligator's Sword, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting the card down.

The ferocious, lizard-like Beast-Warrior appeared in a flash. He made three dramatic sweeps with his sword! (1,500/1,200)

"Flame Swordsman," shouted Yugi, "attack Agido!"

Flame Swordsman's blade burned again, and he struck, melting through the spheroid! It burst into fragments.

Ishizu's Life Points fell to 5,600.

"Now, Dark Ma… huh?" started Yugi.

A strange object appeared in mid-air – a golden dice.

"What's that?" asked Yugi.

"A fairy dice," answered Ishizu. "When Agido is destroyed, it rolls. It will stop on a number, and then I can special summon a Fairy of the same level from my Graveyard."

The dice skipped and bounced…

And it came up a four.

Ishizu reached for her discard pile. She retrieved a card.

"I choose to summon Kelbek," she said, placing it down.

The strange, one-eyed Fairy reappeared, and let out the same spooky moan. (1,500/1,800)

"I'm not attacking that," said Yugi. "I remember what it can do. I'm ending my turn."

"Very well," said Ishizu.

She drew.

"Now I summon Mudora, in Attack Mode!" she announced.

She put a card down, and the muscular Fairy warrior with the Egyptian mask and sword appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,800)

_Oh no! _thought Yugi._ This guy I know about! Persephone used him!_

"There are five Fairies in my Graveyard," said Ishizu, "so Mudora's Attack goes up by 1,000 points."

(2,500/1,800)

"But I'm not ready to attack yet," she said. "I'll simply place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

She fit the two cards into slots, and they appeared behind Mudora.

_This is really tricky, _thought Yugi._ Ishizu could have destroyed any of my three Monsters, but she decided to wait. She's certainly skilled. I have to be more careful – she's planning something nasty…_

"Now, I draw," said Yugi.

"And I activate a Trap," announced Ishizu. "A powerful one called Revenge of the Martyrs!"

The Trap lifted, showing a frightening image of a woman being burned at the stake, while apparently praying.

"Huh?" said Yugi.

"Revenge of the Martyrs can only be activated when I have more Monsters in my Graveyard than you do," explained Ishizu, "and it inflicts 500 points of damage on you times the difference!"

"That's why you put them back in my deck!" gasped Yugi, in fear.

"Yes," said Ishizu. "Now I have seven in my Graveyard, and your have none…"

Seven balls of flame with scary looking eyes floated out of the Trap Card and towards Yugi. He cringed back in fear as they approached him…

And then they all shot streams of fire at him! He screamed and fell to his knees!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her Coliseum quarters, Jade tossed and turned in her sleep.

She woke up in a start. Sweat poured down her face.

_Strange, _she thought catching her breath. _It seemed like I heard somebody I know crying out in pain…._

She got up and went to the window.

_Ever since that terrible night when those men forced me to duel the demon in Joey Wheeler's form, I knew that something evil lurked in this city… Something ancient and primeval… Something with powerful magic…_

She looked towards the corner, where her armor and sword were neatly arranged.

_I have a feeling that soon there may be more to this conflict than simple Duel Monsters. My sensei always said that fighting is the last resort for the true Samurai. If a Samurai is to draw her sword, she must be prepared to take a life, and the consequences of doing so. But if I must fight, then fight I will._

_And whatever evil lies hidden in Duelatopia, it will be rooted out…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi crouched on the floor, with smoke rising from his now burned clothing. His Life Points had plummeted to 3,000 points, while Ishizu's stood ahead at 5,600.

_Another blow like that, _he thought,_ and I'm finished! I can't lose! I can't forget what she'll do to me if I lose!_

He looked at the card he just drew.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he exclaimed.

He drew three cards.

_This should do,_ he thought.

He made two discards.

"I Tribute my Alligator's Sword for Summoned Skull!" he shouted, switching cards.

Electricity coursed around Alligator's Sword, and he was consumed. The lightning storm erupted, and the huge, winged Fiend appeared and roared! (2,500/1,200)

_This next attack will be a draw,_ he thought, _but I have to get rid of that Mudora!_

"Summoned Skull," ordered Yugi, "destroy Mudora with lightning strike!"

Lightning flashed around Summoned Skull, and he shot forth a blast of thunder!

"Activate… Sakuretsu Armor!" exclaimed Ishizu, as her Trap Card lifted.

"NO!" shouted Yugi.

A shimmering shield appeared before Mudora, and the attack was deflected back! Summoned Skull became awash in his own electricity, and he bellowed! He exploded into fragments!

Smoke poured from the spot where Summoned Skull had been, and Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,325.

_Better take card of Kelbek, he thought. This will be risky, but…_

"Flame Swordsman, attack Kelbek!" he said.

Flame Swordsman's weapon burned like a beacon, and he brought it down on the creature, melting it into a pile of slag. Ishizu's Life Point's fell to 5,300.

Flame Swordsman flickered and vanished again, as his card was returned to Yugi's hand.

He looked at his hand that consisted of four cards.

"I'm placing a card facedown, Ishizu," he said, "and ending my turn."

The card appeared behind Dark Magician Girl.

_A Trap most likely, _thought Ishizu._ But of what kind?_

She drew.

"I'm using a Magic Card," she said. "Soul Release."

"Oh no," moaned Yugi.

She fit it into the slot.

"And I'll use it on your Graveyard," she said, "removing Summoned Skull, Flame Swordmistress, Sage's Stone, Alligator's Sword, and Brain Control."

Yugi's Disk whirred, transferring the cards to the removal pile.

"Now Mudora," she said, "attack Dark Magician Girl!"

Mudora waved his mighty scimitar and leapt forward. Dark Magician Girl cowered.

"I activate Magical Hats!" said Yugi.

His Trap Card lifted. The four top hats with question marks printed on them appeared, and spun around in a chaotic pattern, before coming to a stop.

Mudora brought his sword down on the middle-right Hat, and sliced it in half… but nothing was inside it! He gave a strange look, as if to say, "Huh?"

"Tell me Ishizu," asked Yugi, "did you and that brother of yours ever play hide and seek when you were kids?"

Ishizu bowed her head.

"Yes," she muttered. "Before the dark times, when life was happier…"

"Well," explained Yugi. "My Dark Magician Girl is hiding, and you have to seek. Simple, isn't it?"

"Then I end my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"I'm laying this card facedown," he said.

The facedown card appeared.

"And now I'm hiding it under one of the Hats," he continued.

The Magical Hats spun around again, concealing the card.

"And I end my move."

Ishizu drew.

_I know of this trick, _she thought._ Dark Magician Girl is under one Hat, and he's obviously placed a Trap under another one. The only question is, will my luck be better than his._

"Mudora, attack the Hat on the left!" she said.

Mudora uttered a war cry and leapt again! He cleaved through the hat on the left and it fell apart…

But again, empty.

_Okay, she thought. Fifty-fifty chance next time…_

"I'm ending my turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

_Monster Reborn, _he thought._ A lot of good that does me. The only Monsters in my Graveyard now are the two I sent there with Graceful Charity – Tengu Warrior and Kuriboh. None are much good against Mudora…_

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"Mudora," she ordered, "Attack the Hat on the right!"

Yugi's eye's narrowed.

"You made a lucky guess, Ishizu…" he sneered.

As Mudora charged, an outline of Dark Magician Girl appeared in the Hat he was aiming at.

He swung, the Hat burst…

And Mudora was thrown back! Dark Magician Girl was safe, and the shimmering Spellbinding Circle was around Mudora!

"What?" gasped Ishizu. "How?"

Yugi chuckled.

"I fooled you, Ishizu," he smiled. "You assumed I put my Trap under a _different_ Hat than the one Dark Magician Girl was under. Actually, I put it under the _same_ Hat, a variation of my usual trick. Truthfully, you shouldn't have attacked at all."

Mudora's Attack Score fell to 1,800.

Ishizu looked at her hand.

_No! _she thought_. I don't have anything that I can summon!_

"I… end my turn…" she said.

Yugi drew.

_Nice,_ he thought.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he said. "Bringing back my Kuriboh!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the small furry Fiend appeared on the ankh. It let out a squeak. (300/200)

Ishizu lifted an eyebrow.

"And now," said Yugi, "I Tribute Kuriboh to summon my Queen Machine!"

Kuriboh vanished as a beam of light stuck it. The beam grew more intense, and the beautiful female android appeared in a sparkle of light, her metal body shimmering. She smiled, and spread her arms out as if dancing. (2,200/2,000)

"She kind of looks like you, Ishizu," complimented Yugi, "only you aren't as mechanical. I won this gal from a street punk named Kanasta who isn't nearly as beautiful as she is… and I was certain that she'd be happier in my deck!"

"Probably," agreed Ishizu, nervously.

"Dark Magician Girl," ordered Yugi, "destroy Mudora with dark magic blast!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt up in the air, and fired. Mudora was surrounded by dark energy; he fell to his knees, and exploded into a burst of sand.

"Queen Machine," shouted Yugi, "attack her directly with silicon sorcery!"

Queen Machine gestured, and brought her hands together. A ball of crackling dark energy appeared in her hands, and she threw it forward. It dipped and dived, and struck Ishizu, engulfing her in a field of electricity and dark matter. She fell backwards.

She got up. Her Life Points had fallen to 2,900.

"Your move," smiled Yugi.

Ishizu drew.

_Jowls of Dark Demise,_ she thought.

She added it to her hand and picked another card.

"I will first use Dian Keto the Cure Master," she said, putting a card into a slot.

The deity of healing appeared behind her, and cast his spell. She glowed, and her Life Points went up to 3,900.

She took the card she had just drawn.

"And now I will place a Monster facedown in Defense," she said.

The hidden Monster appeared.

Yugi looked at the facedown Monster.

_Choose wisely, my Pharaoh, _thought Ishizu._ The Monster I have hidden is a powerful one called Jowls of Dark Demise…_

_When it is flipped, I can control one of your Monsters for the rest of the current turn. Should you attack and flip it, you will not be harmed… but if I flip it myself on my next turn, its power allows me to make a direct attack with the stolen Monster._

_And if I gain control of your Queen Machine in that way, your Life Points will be reduced to a mere 125 points…_

Yugi was considering his options.

_All of Ishizu's Monsters are out of the ordinary, _he thought._ That facedown Monster probably has some strange flip-effect… but what does it do?_

He drew.

Warrior Dai Grepher.

He put the card down.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode," he said.

The tall, muscular Warrior in leather armor holding his greatsword arose, and made a great swipe! (1,700/1,600)

_Now, _thought Yugi._ Should I attack, or shouldn't I… I have to play conservatively…_

_Aw… I can't chicken out!_

"Warrior Dai Grepher, attack the facedown Monster!" he yelled.

Warrior Dai Grepher raised his sword and charged, hollering a war cry.

_Smart,_ thought Ishizu.

A hideous form appeared over the card. It looked like a purple cloud with huge, toothy mouth with a huge tongue, and a pair of beady eyes inside it. It let out an evil cackle.

"What the…" said Yugi, as Grepher slashed his sword through it.

"Jowls of Dark Demise," ordered Ishizu, "take possession of Queen Machine!"

The remains of the creature flew into Queen Machine, and she gasped. She leapt over to Ishizu's side.

"What did you do?" said Yugi, angrily.

"It is only temporary," explained Ishizu. "You will get her back once you end your turn."

"Fine," growled Yugi.

_Can't attack with Dark Magician Girl now,_ he thought.

"Then I end it," he said.

The spirit of Jowls of Dark Demise left Queen Machine, and she leapt back to Yugi's side.

Ishizu looked at her cards.

_I have no Monsters at all now, _he thought._ And even if I summon something, with my next draw, he'll likely destroy it and finish me…_

She drew.

She gave the card a look. She looked back at her cards.

_This will be a gamble, she thought, But I must either do it, or make a shameful surrender – and that is not an option…_

She took a card from her hand.

"I play… Chosen One!" she pronounced.

The Magic Card appeared on the field.

"Huh?" asked Yugi. "What does that do?"

"Watch," said Ishizu.

She placed three cards into slots; but instead of appearing as they usually did, they were arranged in a triangular pattern.

"Two of those cards are non-Monster cards," she explained, "the third is a powerful Monster…"

A large wooden toy top with a laughing face appeared in the center of the cards.

"And _that,_" she continued, "is called the 'Chooser'. The Chooser will spin round and round, and choose one of the cards. If it doesn't choose the Monster Card, all three cards go to the Graveyard…"

"And if it chooses the Monster?" asked Yugi.

"Then I lose the other two cards," she said, "but I get to summon the Monster with no Tribute. Spin, Chooser!"

The Chooser started to spin rapidly…

_Ishizu's taking a big risk here… _thought Yugi._ The odds are against her…_

The Chooser started to slow…

It stopped, and the face pointed to a card. Its eyes glowed, and beams shot from them, striking the card.

"Seems it's choosing the Monster," exclaimed Ishizu.

The three cards and the Chooser vanished, and thunder started to echo around the building. Then lightning started to strike the spot in front of where Ishizu stood…

_What has she summoned?_ thought Yugi, getting afraid.

The lightning started to take shape, turning into a more solid form, and then a humanoid form. A huge, man-shaped creature arose. He was dressed in fancy armor that was pure white, with green flared outcroppings over his arms and shoulders and puffy yellow trousers. His face was slate grey, his eyes glowing red, and he wore a simple crown with a red gem set into it.

He reached towards the ceiling and lightning struck his fist. Then he put his hands together and spread them apart, causing electricity to crackle between them!

"Meet Zaborg, the Thunder Monarch!" shouted Ishizu.

(2,400/1,000)

Yugi gulped.

"I can… handle him…" he stammered.

"That will be difficult," said Ishizu. "When Zaborg is summoned, one Monster on the field is automatically destroyed…"

Ishizu pointed, and Zaborg lifted his arms, collecting a ball of lightning in them. He hurled it at Queen Machine! Sparks flew from her metal body! She fell, and exploded!

Yugi shielded his eyes against the explosion. His Life Points fell to 1,775.

"Now Zaborg," ordered Ishizu, "attack Dark Magician Girl with thunderous blast!"

Zaborg powered up his blast again, and shot it at Dark Magician Girl! She screamed as she was electrocuted and fell to the ground.

She lifted her arm up weakly before collapsing and vanishing.

Yugi's Life Points fell again, to 1,375.

"And I end my turn," said Ishizu.

_So now what? thought Yugi. The only card I have left in my hand is Flame Swordsman, and he isn't strong enough to handle Zaborg…_

He drew.

_Maybe…_ he thought.

"I'll shift Warrior Dai Grepher to Defense Mode," he said, turning his card.

Grepher knelt and shielded himself with his sword.

"And now," continued Yugi, "another Monster facedown in Defense Mode, ending my turn."

He put the card down, and the card appeared in front of him.

Ishizu drew.

"Zaborg," she exclaimed, "attack Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Zaborg shot forth his thunderous blast again, and Grepher screamed. He collapsed, and vanished.

"It is your move," she said.

Yugi drew.

_Double Spell… _he thought._ I know I can use this against her somehow… but how?_

"I'll place this card facedown on the field," he said, fitting it into a slot.

_Now let's see if luck is on my side,_ he thought.

"And now," he said. "I'll flip-summon this Monster… meet my Morphing Jar!"

The card flipped up, and the laughing, one-eyed jar appeared, and let out a wicked laugh. (700/600)

"You know the rules, Ishizu," he said.

"As you wish," she said.

Yugi discarded his two cards, while Ishizu discarded more than that. Yugi looked at his cards.

"Now I'll play Swords of Revealing Light!" he said, throwing a card into a slot.

The card appeared, and shot forth its glowing swords at Ishizu, trapping her and her Monster.

"Very well," she sighed.

Yugi looked at the rest of his hand. It wasn't much of an improvement.

The only Monsters he had were Beast of Gilfer and Buster Blader. Buster Blader was powerful enough to destroy Zaborg, but he needed two Monsters to Tribute, and he only had one on the field…

"I end my turn," he said.

Ishizu drew.

"I will pass for this turn," she said.

"Fine," said Yugi. "Now I draw…"

He drew.

_What? _he thought._ A Polymerization card? Talk about worthless! Unless I can draw Dark Magician…_

"I'll shift my Morphing Jar into Defense Mode and end my turn," he stated, turning the card.

The creature inside the Jar retreated back into it.

Ishizu drew.

"I'll place a card facedown…" she said, setting the card.

The card appeared behind Zaborg.

"…and I end my turn."

"Fine," said Yugi.

He drew.

_Yes! _he thought._ Beaver Warrior! Now I can…_

"I activate Drop Off!" shouted Ishizu.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing a hand forcefully dropping a sword.

"It sends the card you drew directly to the Graveyard," she explained.

Yugi sneered and discarded the card.

"Fine," he said. "I pass this turn."

Ishizu drew.

"I will pass as well," she said.

The Swords disappeared.

"But on my next round, I will be free to attack, so make your next move count…"

Yugi drew. It was his Reverse of Reverse Trap. Again, it couldn't help him.

_There's no way out, _he thought._ If she summons anything that can beat Morphing Jar's Defense on her next turn, I'm finished…_

"Yugi," said Yami, "There is one possibility, but it involves a risky chance… we can use the card we have facedown on the field to take the same gamble she took…"

Yugi paused.

"Oh, I see," he responded. "But what if it doesn't work?"

"It will work," said Yami. "Ishizu has a strong Heart, but I know ours is stronger still… we must at least try…"

"Okay," he said. "Whatever you say…"

He hit a button on his Disk.

"I reveal my facedown card," he said. "Double Spell!"

Ishizu's eyes opened.

"I'll discard this…" he said.

He discarded his Polymerization.

"…and use it to duplicate your Chosen One!"

_What? _thought Ishizu in surprise._ He would take such a risk?_

Yugi slid his Reverse of Reverse, Kunai With Chain, and Buster Blader into slots. The cards arranged themselves facedown in a triangular pattern.

And once again, the Chooser appeared in the middle.

"Since this card was originally yours, I don't have to tell you how it works," stated Yugi. "But the Monster I've put down is even stronger than your Thunder Monarch! Spin, Chooser!"

The wooden top started to spin… and spin, and spin, and spin! Sweat poured down Yugi's face…

It started to slow… it came to rest on card and its eyes glowed…

"Yes!" shouted Yugi. "It chose the Monster!"

The beams from the Chooser's eyes struck the card, and it glowed. The three cards and the Chooser vanished, and a tall form arose. The imposing form of Buster Blader, holding his mighty sword, cast a shadow over the field. He gripped his sword with both hands and thrust it out menacingly! (2,600/2,300).

"And that's not all!" said Yugi, taking the last card from his hand. "Since that was a special summon, I can Tribute my Morphing Jar, to summon the mighty Beast of Gilfer!"

The Morphing Jar caught on fire, and the fire turned into a huge blaze! The mighty Fiend flew out of the fire and spread his huge wings! He let out a loud howl and flame erupted around him! (2,200/2,500)

"Buster Blader," shouted Yugi, "Attack Zaborg the Thunder Monarch with blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader made two swings with his sword, and then charged forward. He smote the Thunder Monarch, and electricity flew everywhere! In a burst of light, the Monarch was vanquished.

"Beast of Gilfer," shouted Yugi. "Attack her directly with flame attack!"

An inferno surrounded the fiery fiend, and he shot his flames forward. Ishizu screamed and fell to the ground.

Her Life Points plummeted to 1,500.

"That just about evens up the score," stated Yugi. "Make your move."

Ishizu got up and brushed herself off. She drew.

_Blast Held By A Tribute,_ she thought.

She bowed her head.

"I place one card facedown," she said.

The facedown card appeared.

"And I summon another Zolga in Defense Mode."

She placed the card down, and another of the dark robed Fairies appeared. (1,700/1,200)

_Now it ends, _thought Ishizu.

_Yugi knows what Zolga can do if I use it as a Tribute, so in order to win, he'll think he must attack now. But in order to win, he must attack with both his Monsters._

_And he summoned his Beast of Gilfer via Tribute. Thus, when it attacks, my Blast Held By A Tribute Trap Card will activate, destroying both his Monsters and taking the rest of his Life Points with them…_

_Forgive me, my Pharaoh…_

"I end my turn," she said.

Meanwhile, Yugi was considering.

_Zolga has a weak Defense, _he thought._ If I take it out with Beast of Gilfer, I'll win the duel… but that Trap Card…_

He drew.

His eyes opened.

_Well, that's interesting…_ he thought.

"I place one card facedown," he said.

He fit the card into a slot, and it appeared.

"And that's my turn," he said.

Ishizu looked puzzled. She drew.

"I will pass this turn," she said.

Yugi drew.

"Now, Beast of Gilfer," he shouted, "attack Zolga!"

Beast of Gilfer's fire flamed up around him again…

Ishizu closed her eyes.

"I activate Blast Held By A Tribute!" she exclaimed.

Her Trap Card started to lift…

"I suspected as much," sighed Yugi. "So I activate my own Trap…"

His own card lifted.

"Go, Trap Jammer!"

"What?" gasped Ishizu.

The Trap Jammer revealed itself, and smoke poured from a magic circle on the floor. The Blast Held By A Tribute card burst into fragments.

"Your Blast card blasted," exclaimed Yugi, "and Zolga is history!"

Beast of Gilfer's flame attack shot forward, and Zolga war reduced to ashes.

"Now, Buster Blader," shouted Yugi, "attack her directly!"

Ishizu closed her eyes.

_So, he is victorious, _she thought._ Perhaps it is for the best…_

Buster Blader raised his mighty lance and drove it into Ishizu's heart. She gasped and fell to the floor, her Life Points reduced to zero.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As his two Monsters vanished, Yugi approached Ishizu. At first he thought the blow had killed her (he wasn't sure what to believe in this strange trial that the "greater powers" had set up), but slowly she sat up.

But she didn't rise to her feet.

"I lost," sighed Ishizu. "You have passed the test, Pharaoh…"

She closed her eyes.

"…so do what you must…"

Suddenly, visions came to Yugi's mind. He could see it clearly – he could see Ishizu chained to the wall of the temple. She hadn't been kidding. He only had to say the word, and she'd be imprisoned here…

He paused.

She opened her eyes.

"Why do you hesitate?" she asked.

"No," he said.

She looked at him quizzically.

"No," he repeated. "I won't leave you here. You're free to go."

"But…" said Ishizu.

"You said I would have the power to do so, Ishizu," he said. "You didn't say I would be forced to. And doing so out of spite for this twisted duel would be inhuman. You were as much a victim of this as I was. You don't deserve to suffer."

"But if you lost…" protested Ishizu, "I could _not_ have spared you."

"Then I must be a bigger man than these so-called 'greater powers'," mused Yugi. "Who knows – we don't even know if these beings are good guys. But I'm waiving the right I was given. You're free to go."

Ishizu smiled, and got up.

"Thank you, my Pharaoh," she said, bowing.

"And I'd say you passed the test with flying colors," she continued. "When you saw my Exchange of Spirits Trap, I thought for a moment that you might show fear in a crucial situation – but you showed great bravery by taking a chance with Chosen One."

She turned to leave.

"But when you truly do face Saurius, he will likely be much more powerful than I ever was. You must duel like you never have…"

She turned to leave.

"Go back the way you came," she said. "We likely will not meet again…

"But you may meet my kin soon…"

"What?" asked Yugi. "What do you…"

Ishizu vanished.

_Her kin? _thought Yugi._ Who the heck? Does she mean Marik?_

The doors to the temple opened.

_Well, there's the exit. Time to pinch myself and wake up…_

He walked towards the exit…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi got up in his bed, with the sun streaming in through his window. He let out a long yawn.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "My head's never felt clearer!"

He took the Puzzle and held it for a minute.

"Well, that was an experience," said Yami.

"So then," said Yugi, "who do you think these 'greater powers' were?"

"Who knows?" said Yami. "Quite possibly it was beings with a close connection to the Mandate… the Chosen Ones who protect it, maybe… perhaps even the current Archlords."

"Why would the Archlords want me to do something so terrible to Ishizu then?" asked Yugi.

"Maybe they didn't want you too," replied Yami. "Maybe Ishizu didn't even know it, but that was part of the test as well…"

"I don't follow…" said Yugi.

"The champion who faces Saurius should have morality Yugi… wouldn't leaving Ishizu there to suffer have been immoral? If you had done so, perhaps that would have been considered a failure…"

Yugi shivered.

"Well, we may never know," he said. "But she said something about her kin…"

"That I can't explain," said Yami.

"Well," said Yugi, looking out the window to the morning sun, "it's the big day. Me versus Siegfried… and we both have to try our hardest to beat him…

"I have a feeling that this duel is going to be one of the hardest…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EYE OF WDJAT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **The Eye of Wdjat surrounded by hieroglyphics.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack. The target of the attack becomes a Monster your opponent controls, or a direct attack on your opponent if he controls no other Monsters.

_Note: "Eye of Wdjat" was first used by Odion in the original anime episode "Awakening of Evil (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MATAVO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **One face-up Monster except "Matavo" gains 800 Attack Points until this card is removed from the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REVENGE OF THE MARTYRS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A woman in a gown being burned at the stake, with her hands in a praying position.

**Card Description: **Activate when you have more Monsters in your Graveyard than your opponent does. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to 500 times the difference between Monster Cards in the Graveyards.


	42. Dramatic Rescue

_**My name is Siegfried Kaiba…**_

_**People know me as the billionaire head of KaibaCorp, the heir of the one of the greatest gaming companies in the world. The inventors of the Duel Disk systems… and of late, the sole investors of the Duelatopia resort. I've also secretly taken on the title of the Master of Games, the enigmatic ruler of this realm…**_

_**Not even my board of directors knows the hidden truth behind this dueling paradise I've created…**_

_**And today, my role in this project is almost over. Yugi Mouto Jr., the only person to ever defeat me in anything, has accepted my challenge. He's gotten better since then, but then again, so have I. **_

_**If only he knew. I expected him to win the tournament the whole time. I expected him to eventually face me. And I'm glad he has.**_

_**How else could I make certain he has what it takes to finally allow me to be at peace?**_

_**If he can defeat me and my super-powerful deck, he can likely defeat anyone…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dramatic Rescue**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

After showering and getting dressed, Yugi sat watching the sun for a long time.

It was strange; that duel with Ishizu should have taken a lot out of him. But he felt like he had gotten the best night of sleep he had gotten in years.

Eventually, he took out both his deck and his side deck.

_I'm going to have to make a change or two, if I'm going to stand a chance against Siegfried…_ he thought.

He took The Shield of St. George out of his side deck.

_If he plays those three Dragons of his, his identity is as good as blown, _he thought._ But maybe he doesn't care… I should put this in there anyway…_

He put it into his deck.

He took four cards out of his deck and looked at them.

_Trying to use these cards would be a risk, _he thought,_ but I might as well…_

He added them to his deck as well.

_Of course, if I'm putting five cards in my deck, I should take some out…_

He looked though.

_I can do without Reverse of Reverse and Diffusion Wave Motion… and Kunai With Chain isn't needed too much…_

He sorted though some more.

_Maybe I'll leave out Beast of Gilfer, too, _he thought._ I have enough Tribute Monsters already… speaking of which…_

He took out Flame Swordsman as well.

_I'll give this back to Mary first thing when I see her. I don't like keeping it away from her for too long._

_Besides, who needs Dark Flare Knight against that Dragon when you have Buster Blader and Dark Paladin? _

He shuffled his deck and slipped it into the holder on his belt.

"Watch out, Siegfried," he smiled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nine AM.

Yugi had to admit that breakfast was better without Persephone there. But there was something missing…

"Hey guys," he asked. "Have you seen Mary?"

"Frankly, no," answered Clive. "We even knocked at her door this morning… there was no answer."

Amber sat down at the table.

"Um, maybe she went out to buy you a victory present," she suggested.

"That's a little premature…" muttered Yugi.

"So, what are you going to ask for if you win?" asked Peter.

Yugi smiled.

"That's a big surprise," smiled Yugi.

_And you two will be surprised most of all,_ he thought.

But he was truly starting to get worried.

Where could Mary have gone?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

For at least two hours before showtime, the Coliseum began to fill. No one in Duelatopia wanted to miss what promised to be the greatest duel of the whole tournament. Fortunately, entertainment was at hand. All four of the musicians from the previous days were back, performing one after another, and between acts, the holographic generators put on lavish displays of Duel Monsters fighting, performing, and doing various stunts.

Terone, Bo, Duke, and Clover were early to arrive, and had gotten good seats. Twenty minutes to showtime, Duke came to their spot with armloads of food.

"I think I've got enough," he strained, sitting down.

"You carried that all here yourself?" cooed Bo, kissing him. "Such muscles!"

"Guys, find a room!" sighed Terone.

"So," pondered Clover, "who do you guys think the Master is?"

"Dunno," said Duke. "He could be just about anybody. He hasn't given many clues as to who he is – or to who the Mole is…"

"What sort of Deck do you suppose he uses?" asked Bo.

"Just a theory," suggested Terone, "but likely Beatdown strategy, with the most powerful Monsters and deadliest Traps around. He owns this resort after all – he might be able to put any card he wants in his deck…"

"Yugi certainly would have his work cut out for him," shuddered Bo.

"Yeah," sighed Duke, "if he doesn't want to get blasted off the face of the Earth!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was ten minutes to noon, and Yugi's worry was getting greater by the second.

_Where could Mary be?_ he asked himself. _I refuse to believe she would miss this on purpose! I swear, if foul play is involved…_

"Yugi," said Jade.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"A word of encouragement," she said. "You are likely facing a formidable foe, so be careful. Trust both your intuitions and your instincts… and always have faith. Faith in yourself most of all. If you believe you can win, you have a greater chance. You yourself told me what the Heart of the Cards was – you must trust in it more than ever."

"Thanks Jade," he responded.

The fireworks started. It was time.

_Well, here goes, _he thought._ Whatever happened to Mary, I'll just have to look into it later. I can't call this off now…_

His Puzzle shone, and Yami's spirit combined with his. The change overtook him, and he walked into the center of the field.

From the opposite side of the field, a door opened, and the Master of Games emerged, flanked by two Centurions. He was wearing a golden Duel Disk on his arm.

He held out his hand, and the Centurion to his right handed him a deck.

More fireworks went off, and cheers filled the stadium, as the two walked to the center.

"GOOOOD afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!" announced Donna's voice. "And welcome to what promises to be the exciting conclusion to this grand tournament!"

"That's right," answered Mike. "Our champion versus the Master himself, in a fight to the finish! This will be a war like none other, which will prove to be the perfect grand finale to Duelatopia's grand opening tournament!"

"As you have heard before," continued Donna, "Yugi's deck carries the title "Pride of Yami'."

"And the Master of Games has named his deck with a very grandiose title," announced Mike. "He calls it 'Divine Trinity'! What that means is anybody's guess!"

'_Divine Trinity'? _thought Yugi._ That settles it – he DEFINITELY has his three Blue-Eyes in there!_

Yugi stood face-to-face with the Master. Even though he knew it was Siegfried, he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the way the Master looked at him.

"So, my old enemy," said the Master in a harsh voice. "We finally meet in the arena again…"

Yugi tried to look surprised.

"Uh, 'old enemy'?" he asked. "What have I ever done to you?"

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you Yugi?" chuckled the Master. "All through this tournament, I was hoping we would meet in the final round…"

The crowd grew silent, as the Master turned to them.

"Everyone, fate could not have turned out better," he announced. "You see, Yugi is none other than… the Mole!"

Everyone gasped.

"Yugi, the Mole?" said Bo, in shock. "And to think I almost beat him!"

"Yes, the one person who has defeated me," snarled the Master. "And today, I reap my revenge…"

"What are you going to do?" asked Yugi, snidely. "Drag us to the Shadow Realm?"

"Better than that," smiled the Master.

He motioned to Mokuba.

"Yugi Mouto," said Mokuba. "As you know, if you are the winner of this duel, you may make any request of Kaiba Corp. Anything that may be purchased, any favor that may be obtained, anything that their almost near infinite finances can provide… In other words, practically anything you desire…"

"It's true Yugi," said the Master. "The rewards of winning this duel are great… but you'll find that there will be a dire downside to losing…"

He reached into a holster and pulled out a remote.

"Everyone turn your attention to the north wall!" he shouted.

Everyone turned to a spot above the stands, above where one of the screens were. There was a large platform there. The master hit a button on the remote, and a loud whir was heard. Something rose to the surface of the platform…

Yugi couldn't believe his eyes. It was Mary! And she wasn't in good condition. She was chained to a metal stake, and gagged!

She looked down at Yugi with a look of fear, but she couldn't speak.

"As you can see, our second-place finisher is secured to the top of the stadium with no means of escape," smiled the Master. "And that's just part of the surprise…"

He hit another button, and a huge form arose behind Mary. It was a giant Dragon, colored black and gold, with a neck like a giraffe. It let out a huge roar, and Mary cringed in fright.

The crowd shuddered.

"I take it you recognize that creature…" chuckled the Master.

Yugi gasped.

"That's Chaos Emperor Dragon!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," stated the Master, "and I'm afraid that it's no hologram… it's a robot.

"Here's the deal Yugi. If you win, I'll have Mary released. But if you lose, that robot will devour her! And my revenge will be complete…"

Yugi looked up at Mary aghast!

Jade got up.

"This has taken a dangerous turn," she said.

_Has Siegfried flipped his wig?_ thought Clive.

Then the Master of Games motioned for Yugi to come forward. He pointed to his temple, as if motioning to the microphone he was wearing.

Yugi paused. He turned his microphone off and went up to his opponent.

"All right Siegfried," he frowned. "what's the big idea? Don't tell me this is your sick idea of a publicity stunt!"

Siegfried chuckled.

"Of course it is, Yugi," he smiled. "I'm paying Mary a great deal of money to play the role of the victim in this stage of the festivities. It was the least I could do for her after that God-awful DVD showed up. Her acting skills surprise even me…"

"Yeah?" asked Yugi. "What happens if I lose?"

"Then the robot swallows her," answered Siegfried. "But I assure you, she won't be harmed even then. It all went perfect in rehearsal. I didn't skimp in the least when I built that thing.

"Now do as they do in pro wrestling… and make this look realistic!"

Yugi backed up, he looked at Mary again.

He turned on his microphone.

"What kind of madman are you?" he said, angrily. "You think you can set such dangerous stakes just because you rule this island?"

"Actually, that's exactly what I think," said the Master, evilly.

"Fine!" snarled Yugi. "Then prepare to lose!"

"Go ahead!" dared Siegfried. "I can take anything you can throw at me!"

At that point, a soda bottle flew from behind and hit him on the helmet.

"Hey, who threw that?" he said.

Yugi looked at Mary again.

_I want to believe him, _he thought,_ and mostly I do… But after what Saurius said the other night… About what he was controlling in this whole thing… Could this be Saurius's doing? Could Siegfried be being controlled and not even know it? What if this if more lethal than even he knows?_

_I can't take chances… losing isn't an option!_

"Okay, you two," said Mokuba. "This is still an official duel, and we're going to do this my way or the highway!"

He took the coin out of his pocket.

"Now who's going to call it?"

"Yugi can do that," said the Master.

Mokuba flipped the coin.

"Heads!" called Yugi.

The coin landed.

It was tails.

"I think I'll go first," said the Master.

"Fine," said Mokuba, as the two Centurions, appeared with their trays, "now each of you shuffle your opponent's decks."

As they did, the four supporters in the crowd watched with fear.

"You think Yugi has a chance?" asked Duke.

"He'd better," shuddered Clover, "or Mary's dragon-chow!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his dark chamber, Saurius chuckled.

"Look at Siegfried play with that audience," he smiled. "Keeping them scared and unnerved… I always knew that even he had a dark side…"

"He's actually going to feed Mary to that thing if Yugi loses?" asked Mordent.

Saurius looked at him.

He slapped him in the face.

"Of course he isn't, fool," replied the demon. "He's far too moral – and cowardly – to actually make good on such a threat. But he does know how to make a good show – that was the point of his whole system with the Eliminators. Sometimes a little fear keeps the public more interested…"

"Yeah," said Mordent. "About the Eliminators… isn't General Bezelbub is going to…"

"Leave THAT to him," said Saurius. "For now, just watch, and enjoy the show…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"All right, Master of Games," frowned Yugi, as he got his cards back, "know this – my rage is centered in this deck, and it will not fail me now!"

"We'll see about that, old foe," snarled the Master.

"Now, then," said Mokuba. "The scores will be set…"

The scores set to 8,000.

"The holo-imagers will play…"

The colored lights flashed around them.

"Yugi Mouto Jr… Master of Games…"

He removed his glove… he dropped it…

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

The two Disks flicked into position.

"So it starts," announced Mike, "as the two drew their hands. "I can hardly wait to see how this goes..."

"Well, we know a little about what to expect from Yugi," said Donna, "but from the Master – well, we know nothing."

Siegfried looked at his cards.

_Yugi may not know it, but my whole goal in this conflict is to see just how powerful he really is, _he thought._ I've taken pains to make my deck one of the most powerful in existence, and if Yugi can defeat it, he should have no problem defeating the greater dangers that are to come…_

_So, let's see how he handles one of the deadliest Traps in the Duel Monsters world!_

He took two cards from his hand.

"To start," he said, "I'll place one card facedown on the field…"

He fit the card into a slot, and it appeared before him.

"And then," he continued, "I'll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode!"

A giggling noise sounded over the field, as a dark shadow emerged from his Disk. The shadow grew into a foppish clown, with a colorful outfit and a wide-brimmed cavalier hat with a long plume. He wore face paint that was black on both sides and white down the middle. He tipped his hat and knelt in Defense. (500/1,200)

"Don't let his smiling face and low scores fool you," warned the Master. "He holds a dark secret inside him…

"And I conclude my turn…"

"Well, you have to admire a guy who uses such a neat harlequin as that," smiled Clover.

Her three companions looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

_What's he thinking? _thought Yugi._ I can take that Clown out without half-trying!_

_He drew._

_And Tengu Warrior should do…_

"Now I summon…" he started.

He paused.

_Wait…_ he thought.

He looked at that facedown card, and remembered who he was dueling.

_In order to activate his Crush Card Trap, _he thought,_ Siegfried has to let a Dark Monster with less than 1,000 Attack points be destroyed in battle. Peten certainly fits the profile. And if that Trap goes off, I'm sure to lose!_

He placed a card down.

"I'll also summon a Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "Tengu Warrior!"

The kimono-clad raven-headed Winged Beast appeared and knelt, covering himself with his wings. (1,800/600)

"And I'll end my turn," he said.

_Well played, Yugi, _thought Siegfried, as he drew,_ I figured you weren't that dumb…_

He looked at his card.

"I play the Spell Card… Prohibition!" he announced, fitting it into a slot.

A large sign rose up on his side of the field.

"Prohibition?" asked Yugi.

"It's quite simple," explained the Master. "I get to declare the name of one card, and for as long as this Continuous Spell Card is in place, neither of us can play it!

"And the card I'm declaring – Buster Blader!"

A picture of Buster Blader's card appeared on the sign. Then a red circle with a slash through it appeared over it.

_Ugh, _said Yugi_. Without being able to summon Buster Blader, his Dragons will be harder to beat!_

"What's so special about Buster Blader?" asked Clover.

"Well, he's powerful…" suggested Terone.

"Maybe…" said Duke. "Maybe the Master is playing a Dragon-themed deck…"

"And now it's your move," said the Master.

Yugi drew.

_Yes!_ he said.

"I place one card facedown," he said, fitting it into the slot. "And then I summon Alligator's Sword in Defense Mode."

The facedown card appeared, and then Alligator's Sword materialized, kneeling on his blade. (1,500/1,200)

"People," announced Mike. "We promised you an exciting match, but this is, quite frankly, the most boring one yet!"

"I'm sure it will heat up soon," assured Donna.

"Now, it's my draw!" said the Master, drawing..

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Yugi. "Go Dust Tornado!"

The Dust Tornado blew across the field, hitting the Master's facedown card! It exploded, sending globs of purple goo everywhere.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Yugi. "That was your Crush Card!"

The crowd cheered.

"Smart," growled the Master. "I'm guessing you do remember me now. I had hoped to finish you quickly. Well, I guess then we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way… I hope your girlfriend is comfortable up there…

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

"Good," said Yugi, making a draw. "Because now I can do some serious hurting on your Life Points!"

He threw a card down.

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Attack Mode!"

A cascade of fiery embers shot up, and the armored, helmeted wearing Warrior woman with her bronze saber leapt up, swinging her blade. (1,600/1,500)

"Now," continued Yugi, "I'll switch both my other Monsters into Attack Mode as well!"

Alligator's Sword and Tengu Warrior leapt up and brandished their blades!

The three of them looked at each other, nodded, and then looked towards their foe.

"Alligator's Sword," shouted Yugi. "Attack Peten the Dark Clown!"

Alligator's Sword raised his scimitar, and leapt forward, slicing Peten to pieces! An echoing laugh sounded, as the pieces disintegrated.

"Nice try, Yugi," smiled the Master, reaching for his deck, "but when Peten the Dark Clown is destroyed, I can remove his card from play to summon _another _Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode!"

He threw a card down, and the laughter sounded again. Another clown that seemed to be the identical twin of the first appeared. (500/1,200)

Yugi sneered.

"Flame Swordmistress," he ordered. "Attack the second one!"

Flame Swordmistress raised her blade, and it burned with fire. She did a flip, and brought it down on the Dark Clown, burning him up.

"Good show," smiled the Master, reaching for his deck again. "But not good enough. I had three Petens in my deck!"

He threw yet another card down, and Peten the Third appeared. He made a goofy face at Yugi and his three Monsters.

"An interesting way to raise a defensive wall, wouldn't you say?" asked the Master.

"Maybe so," agreed Yugi. "But you can't have _four_ of them! Tengu Warrior, finish the last one with dive-bombing slash!"

Tengu Warrior flew into the air, and dove sword first at the third Peten, cutting him in half! The Clown burst into pixels.

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

"Well, that finishes Peten," sighed Donna. "Let's see what the Master has up next…"

The Master drew.

"I summon Luster Dragon, in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and a huge, spherical sapphire appeared in the air. It cracked, and hatched into a huge dragon that seemed to have been carved entirely from a blue gemstone. It was both beautiful and fierce at the same time. (1,900/1,600)

"What did I tell you," noted Duke. "Dragon."

"Crud!" gasped Clive. "Yugi's Monsters are sitting ducks!"

"Now I'll activate my facedown card," announced the Master, "Gift of the Mystical Elf!"

The Trap Card lifted, and Mystical Elf appeared behind the Master.

Alligator's Sword, Flame Swordmistress, Tengu Warrior, and Luster Dragon all glowed, and energy from them flowed into the form of Mystical Elf, she chanted a spell, and cast the energy into the Master.

"This Trap Card increases my Life Points by 300 for every Monster on the field," said the Master, "for a total of 1,200 points!"

His Life Points increased to 9,200.

"Now, Luster Dragon, attack Alligator's Sword with gem flash blast!"

Luster Dragon opened his mouth and shot forth a beam of brilliant blue energy, vaporizing Alligator's Sword!

Yugi covered his eyes. His Life Points dropped to 7,600.

"And the Master of Games gets first blood!" announced Donna.

"That Dragon sure is deadly," agreed Mike. "But it certainly is beautiful…"

Yugi drew.

"I'll take down your Dragon," he scoffed. "I Tribute my Flame Swordmistress…"

He switched cards, and Flame Swordmistress vanished in a burst of fire.

"…and I'll summon my Queen Machine!"

An aura of light shone on the field, and Queen Machine materialized in a dramatic show of energy sparkles. She held her sharp hands out, and bright energy flowed between them. (2,200/2,000)

"Yugi is making good use of his winnings so far," stated Donna. "And his opponent may be in trouble!"

"Queen Machine," yelled Yugi. "attack Luster Dragon with silicon sorcery!"

Queen Machine motioned with her hands, and her crackling magical energy appeared in them. She tossed it forward, and it surrounded Luster Dragon. The Dragon was covered with cracks, and it burst into a shower of gemstones.

"Too bad," sighed Yugi. "That thing looked expensive. Tengu Warrior, attack directly with dive-bombing slash!"

Tengu Warrior took to the air again, and dove at the Master! He slashed with his sword, and sparks flew from his armor!

"Ugh," groaned the Master of Games, stumbling back. His Life Points fell to 7,100.

"And with a clever Tribute, Yugi takes an early lead!" smiled Donna.

"All right Yugi!" shouted Peter. "Keep it up!"

"I hope you enjoyed that, old 'friend'," growled the Master, "because getting another shot at me is going to be harder…"

"Your going to have a hard time summoning a Monster that can beat Queen Machine now," warned Yugi.

"We'll see," said the Master, drawing.

"Hmm," he said, looking at the card.

"Looks like he's considering his options," suggested Donna.

"Well, neither of them can make mistakes in a duel like this," stated Mike. "Yugi has his girlfriend's life on the line, while the Master has his reputation at stake."

"Are you going to move or not?" asked Yugi.

"Good moves take time," said the Master. "But I'll move anyway…"

He chose a card.

"I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back my third Peten the Dark Clown," he said.

He played the Spell Card. Peten appeared again, bowing and tipping his hat. (500/1,200)

"And now," continued the Master, "I'll Tribute Peten to summon the mighty Judge Man, in Attack Mode!"

Peten vanished with a cackling laugh, and a hulking form arose. It was a muscular man in gold, decorative armor, wearing a long red cape and a golden crown. His eyes glowed white. He lifted a large hammer in his right hand and pointed accusingly at Yugi's Monsters. (2,200/1,500)

"Court is now in session," grinned the Master. "Judge Man, attack Tengu Warrior with Ultimate Judgment!"

Judge Man lumbered forward, and with one blow, knocked the sword out of Tengu Warrior's hand. He brought his hammer down on the bird-man's skull, and the tengu fell down with blood flowing from it. He vanished.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,300.

"Looks like this is a hanging judge," commented Mike.

Yugi looked hard at the Master.

"You may have gotten rid of Tengu Warrior," he said, "but now we have a standoff. Judge Man's Attack Score is equal to that of Queen Machine."

"That will soon be rectified," stated the Master. "Make your move."

Yugi drew.

_Terrific, _he thought._ Buster Blader. But I couldn't use him even if I had the means to summon him._

He put another card down.

"I'll summon Beaver Warrior, in Defense Mode," he said, "ending my turn."

"Come on Yugi," urged Terone. "You have to do better than THAT."

The armored rodent appeared on the field, crouching behind his shield. (1,200/1,500)

The Master drew.

"I'll play Card of Sanctity!" he exclaimed. "To refresh our hands…"

He fit the card into the slot; Yugi made two draws, while the Master made three.

The Master looked at his new hand.

"And I use the Spell Card… Shrink!" he exclaimed, throwing it into the slot. "This cuts the attack power of your Queen Machine in half!"

Queen Machine shrieked, as she shrunk to half her size! Her Attack went down to 1,100.

"Now, I'll summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode!" he announced, throwing another card down.

A hulking warrior with a horned helmet and a bestial face, carrying a huge halberd appeared, swinging his weapon threateningly! (1,900/1,200)

"Now, Judge Man," commanded the Master, "destroy Queen Machine!"

Queen Machine screamed as Judge Man clubbed her with his gavel. She fell down with sparks flying from her head, and then exploded.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,600.

"Your Queen's software seems to have been rendered obsolete," mocked the Master. "Now Vorse Raider, attack Beaver Warrior!"

Vorse Raider uttered a cry of pure bloodlust! He ran forward an made a chopping motion, slicing Beaver Warrior in half.

"You have no more Monsters on the field, Yugi," chuckled the Master. "Things aren't looking too good…"

"Strange…" said Jade.

"Huh?" asked Clive. "What's strange?"

"I cannot put my finger on it," she said, "but these Monsters and other cards that the Master is using seem oddly familiar… as if I've seen them used by someone famous before…"

Clive and Peter let out nervous chuckles.

_She's right, _thought Peter._ Siegfried's deck is a lot like his uncle's but I'd wager he has a few extra things in it that we wouldn't expect…_

Yugi drew.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed," he said, putting a card into the slot.

The sinister jar appeared, and two cards popped out.

He made two draws.

_Good,_ he thought.

"I'll play my Cost Down Spell Card!" he said, placing a card into a slot. "And I'll just get rid of this…"

He discarded his Buster Blader.

_I can't use him anyway,_ he thought, _and if I get rid of his Prohibition, maybe I can use Monster Reborn…_

"And now I'll summon the powerful Summoned Skull!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and a lightning storm erupted on his side! The huge form of Summoned Skull arose! (2,500/1,200)

"All right!" cheered Bo. "Fry those freaks, Yugi!"

"Summoned Skull," shouted Yugi. "attack Vorse Raider with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skulls eyes glowed deep red. He threw his hands upward and lightning shot down and covered him! He threw his arms forward, and Vorse raider was reduced to ashes!

The Master snarled. His Life Points fell to 6,500.

"That about evens the score," commented Donna. "I'd certainly say that these two are pretty evenly matched!"

"I end my turn," said Yugi. "But your Judge Man is next!"

The Master drew.

"Oh I beg to differ Yugi," he said.

He fit a card, into a slot.

"I play Soul Exchange!" he exclaimed.

"What?" gasped Yugi. "You're going to Tribute my Summoned Skull?"

"Your Summoned Skull, _and_ my Judge Man!" affirmed the Master.

The two Monsters vanished.

_No… _thought Yugi._ Here it comes… he's summoning his first Blue-Eyes!_

"And I'll summon…" stated the Master. "Ryu-Ran, in Attack Mode!"

A huge egg with red polka-dots on it appeared over his side of the field. Two reptilian legs burst out of the bottom, and it landed. Then the top part hatched, revealing a large red Dragon that bellowed in rage! (2,200/2,600)

"I don't think that was egg-actly what you were expecting, was it?" laughed the Master.

"You Tributed your Judge Man for a Monster with the exact same Attack Score?" asked Yugi. "Why did you do that?"

"I got rid of your Skull, didn't I?" smiled the Master. "Besides, maybe I have a strategy that I need Ryu-Ran for – something special for later down the line… but don't think I'll tell you what it is…"

Steam poured from Ryu-Ran's jaws.

"I'd love to burn you to a cinder with his mighty breath right now, Yugi," smiled the Master, "but since I used Soul Exchange to summon him, I can't attack this turn. In the meantime…"

He chose a card from his hand.

"You might think that I'm some sort of wicked despot, Yugi," he sighed, "what with making you duel for Mary's life and all…"

"Pretty much…" growled Yugi.

"Well, I do have a softer side," he stated. "I love to share, you know…"

"Share?" asked Yugi.

The Master chuckled and threw a Spell Card into a slot.

"I play… Exchange!" he announced.

The card lifted.

"Aw crud!" said Clive. "That could really screw up Yugi's strategy!"

"Oh, fine!" scowled Yugi. "Come here…"

Ryu-Ran moved aside, as the Master walked up. Yugi showed him his hand.

_Well, The Shield of St. George isn't there, _said Siegfried._ Nothing I can take that will impair him, but this will help me…_

"I'll be taking that Polymerization card," he smiled, taking the card from Yugi's hand.

_Crap!_ thought Yugi.

"Now, pick a card, any card!" laughed the Master, revealing his hand.

"Mad Dog of Darkness should do," said Yugi, taking it.

As his opponent walked back to his position, Yugi started to get frustrated.

_Lovely, _he thought._ Now I can't summon Dark Paladin, even if I somehow get Buster Blader back to my hand! And now that he has my Polymerization, it will make summoning his Ultimate Dragon even easier! This is getting harder…_

"Your move now, Yugi," he dared.

"Well, the Master has kept Yugi from pulling the same trick he pulled on Persephone," quipped Donna. "But what can HE do with Polymerization?"

Yugi drew.

"Okay, helmet-head," he growled, "so long as I have this card, I'll summon him in Defense Mode.

He put the card down, and with a growl, the rabid, sandy-brown dog appeared. He bore his teeth, and then sat. (1,900/1,700)

"And then, one card facedown," he said.

He slid the card into the slot, and it materialized in front of him.

The Master looked at him.

_Yugi wouldn't be so foolish as to waste his Shield of St. George on Ryu-Ran, _he thought._ That card is nothing but a bluff…_

He drew.

"I play Card of Demise!" he shouted, throwing a Spell Card into a slot.

A card with a frightening image appeared on his side. It looked like an executioner with a guillotine, preparing to chop a stack of cards in half!

"What the…?" gasped Yugi, in shock.

"Calm down Yugi," said the Master, "this card doesn't hurt you, it helps me. It lets me draw five cards from my deck…"

He made five draws.

"Of course, a card this powerful has its limitations…" he continued.

Yugi saw that the five cards that the Master had just drawn began to glow with blue fire.

"See," he explained, "any of these five cards that I don't actually play in five of my turns, starting with this one, I have to discard… But I think I see use for two of them right now!"

He placed two of them into slots.

"That's a risky move," stated Bo.

"He's the Master of Games," said Duke. "Likely every card in his deck has a use!"

"So I'll place two of them facedown," continued the Master, "and then I'll attack with Ryu-Ran!"

The Dragon inhaled, and blew a wave of flame at Mad Dog of Darkness!

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Yugi. "I activate Spellbinding Circle!"

His Trap Card lifted up, and the pentagram appeared in midair! It blocked the stream of flames, and then slammed around Ryu-Ran! The Dragon roared, as his Attack power dropped to 1,500.

"Clever…" snarled the Master. "Make your move…"

"I will," said Yugi, drawing.

"I summon my Celtic Swordgirl, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the young, green-haired elf girl appeared, holding her dagger. (1,000/800)

"You think you can frighten me with a little girl?" laughed the Master.

"We'll see," said Yugi. "Because I'm also switching Mad Dog of Darkness into Attack Mode!"

He turned his card, and Mad Dog leapt up to Attack position.

"Mad Dog of Darkness, attack Ryu-Ran!" he commanded.

The feral Beast leapt, and grabbed Ryu-Ran by the neck! The Dragon roared, and fell over. Mad Dog of Darkness chewed and then tore its throat out with a bloody rending sound!

The Master's Life Points fell to 6,100.

"Celtic Swordgirl, attack directly!"

Celtic Swordgirl looked the Master in the eye and raised her dagger.

"Go ahead!" dared the Master. "Take your best sho – "

He cringed as she drove her dagger through his armor and into his gut, sending more sparks flying.

His Life Points fell to 5,100.

"Your move now," said Yugi.

"Oh, I will," snarled the Master, drawing. "Playtime is over Yugi. Time to get serious…"

He took one of the burning cards from his hand and placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Kaiser Sea Horse, in Attack Mode!" he said.

A beam of light struck the field, and a humanoid figure covered with scaly fins radiating light appeared. He bore a sharp trident. (1,700/1,600)

Clive got up.

"I know this!" he gasped. "Sol used this trick on me!"

"And since Celtic Swordgirl's big brother isn't here to protect her," said the Master, "she's easy prey. Kaiser Sea Horse, attack Celtic Swordgirl with shining trident!"

Celtic Swordgirl shrieked as the Sea Serpent closed in on her. He rammed his trident into her belly, and then lifted her up above his head with it. She gasped, squirmed for a minute, and went limp. She burst into pixels.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,900.

Before I end my turn, Yugi," he said, "a question – how many cards do you have in your Graveyard?"

"Um," said Yugi, looking at his discard slot. "Twelve."

"Good," he said, grinning evilly. "Make your move, Yugi!"

Yugi looked at Kaiser Sea Horse.

_I know that Monster! _he thought._ If he Tributes it for a Light Monster, it counts as two Tributes! He's definitely going to summon a Blue-Eyes on his next turn! I have to stop him!_

He drew.

"I'm activating a Trap!" shouted the Master.

One of his cards lifted, revealing the image of a dark hole in a graveyard.

"Cemetery Bomb!" he yelled.

Yugi's discard slot started to glow fiercely…

"Huh?" he said.

And then, it seemed like a huge explosion threw him backwards!

He got up, with smoke rising from his clothing.

"Cemetery Bomb inflicts 100 points of damage it you for every card you have in your Graveyard!" laughed the Master. "Hurts, doesn't it?

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,700.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_I can stop him, he thought, and take a good chunk out of his Life Points too…_

"Not as much as this is going to hurt you!" he said. "Sorry, but I will destroy your Sea Horse!"

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I Tribute my Mad Dog of Darkness to summon Dark Magician Girl!" he shouted.

Mad Dog of Darkness vanished in a sparkling light, and beautiful music started playing. Dark Magician Girl flew out of her shimmering vortex and smiled. (2,000/1,700)

The crowd cheered loudly.

"Yugi brings out the hottest Monster in hid deck yet again!" shouted Mike. "And this is going to be great!"

"And now," exclaimed Yugi, fitting a Spell Card into a slot, "I play The Sage's Stone!"

The sparkling gemstone appeared in Dark Magician Girl's hand. A bright light filled Yugi's side of the field, and the powerful Dark Magician stepped out! (2,500/2,100)

The crowd cheered again.

"We've seen this combo before," announced Donna. "And now it looks like the Master is in trouble."

"Dark Magician," commanded Yugi, "attack Kaiser Sea Horse! _**Dark magic attack!**__"_

Dark Magician's staff started to glow.

The Master chuckled, as he hit a button on his Disk.

"You should really pay more attention to my facedown cards, Yugi," he laughed. "I activate Attack Guidance Armor!"

The Trap Card lifted, and a large object appeared. It seemed to be an iron breastplate of sorts, shaped like a fiendish face with sharp jaws!

"What?" gasped Yugi.

"Attack Guidance Armor," shouted the Master, "attach to Dark Magician Girl!"

The armor flew forward, and Dark Magician Girl let out a scream as it clamped down over her! She looked down in terror…

"A perfect fit," mocked the Master. "And now, that Armor will draw your Dark Magician's attack away from my Sea Horse, and towards _her_!"

Dark Magician gave a look of fright as he lost control of his hand! He struggled, as his aim was turned away from Kaiser Sea Horse and towards Dark Magician Girl…

He closed his eyes, as the blast went off, blowing her to fragments!

The crowd was silenced. Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,200.

"You…" growled Yugi. "You fiend! I can't believe you'd force Dark Magician to kill his own apprentice like that!"

Dark Magician looked at the Master with an expression of pure rage…

"I do what it takes," said the Master. "I play to win…"

"That was… heartless!" gasped Peter. "This is going too far!"

"I know!" gasped Clive.

_What is Siegfried thinking? _he thought._ Is he so anxious to beat Yugi that he'd go to such lengths? What is the whole point of this?_

"I'm ending my move by setting one card facedown," snarled Yugi, fitting the card into the slot.

It appeared behind Dark Magician.

"It's your move," he said with a sneer.

Under his armor, Siegfried sighed as he drew.

_I hated to have to do that, _he said._ It was heartbreaking. But I must keep the masquerade up as long as possible. So long as I've cast myself as the villain, I have to play the part…_

_And now he knows what I'm going to do - that facedown card must be The Shield of St. George..._

He chose a card from his hand (one that was on fire).

_Well, perhaps now, to some at least, the masquerade ends…_

"Prepare for the end, Yugi," he sneered. "As you likely know, Kaiser Sea Horse counts as two Monsters when I Tribute it for a Light Monster…"

He switched cards on his Disk.

"And I Tribute it now…"

Thunder started to roll above the field. Lightning started to flash…

"…to summon… BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

Kaiser Sea Horse vanished in a burst of smoke, and music reminiscent of _Final Fantasy_ began to play. A huge, silvery-white form appeared in front of the Master, and began to take shape…

The enormous form of the Blue-Eyes bore over Yugi and let out an enormous roar! (3,000/2,500)

The crowd gasped.

"Folks," stuttered Donna. "I… I can't believe what I'm seeing here! The Master has summoned one of the rarest and most powerful Monsters in the world!"

"Yes…" gasped Mike. "But… but how?"

Jade got up off her chair and stared at the great beast.

_Okay, _she thought._ The less likely theory is, Siegfried lent that card to him. The more likely theory is, the Master IS Siegfried! _

_It all makes sense now… But why is Siegfried doing this to Mary? He would not… No, I refuse to believe that he would!_

"But," continued the Master, "I'm not ready to attack yet, so I'll turn it over to you…"

"This is crazy!" yelled Bo. "Yugi doesn't stand a chance! He has to forfeit!"

"He can't!" gasped Clover. "If he forfeits, he loses! And if he loses…"

She looked up at Mary…

"If Yugi could beat my Inferno Dragon, he can certainly beat that thing," assured Terone. "He just needs the right draws…"

Yugi drew.

_He must think I have The Shield of St. George facedown, _he thought._ It isn't... but it will be good for insurance…_

"I choose to pass this turn," he said.

"Good," said the Master, drawing.

"I play my Pot of Charity," he said.

He placed the Spell Card into the slot, and the enchanted jar appeared before him.

"I'll remove my Kaiser Sea Horse from play…" he continued.

The image of the Kaiser Sea Horse floated out of his discard slot, and was drawn into the jar.

"…and I'll draw three new cards."

The Master laughed out loud.

"I don't like the looks of this," said Donna. "This can't be good for Yugi…"

The Master took the last two burning cards from his hand.

"Now watch," he said, "as I summon a mighty Spellcaster known as Lord of Dragons, in Defense Mode!"

He put the card down, and a tall sorcerer appeared, dressed in black and wearing a cape and a helmet made out of a draconic skull. He shielded himself with his cloak. (1,200/1,100)

"With Lord of Dragons on the field," said the Master, "all Dragons I summon are immune to Traps, Spells, and Monster effects! But that's not all he can do…"

He slid the other card into a slot.

"…I'm using this accessory card, Flute of Dragon Summoning!"

A glowing golden flute shaped like a dragon's head appeared over Lord of Dragons, and he grabbed it. He thrust it out dramatically, and then put it to his lips, playing a trumpeting melody…

"With Flute of Dragon Summoning, Lord of Dragons lets me special summon two, count 'em, _two_ more Dragons! So say hello to two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons!"

Thunder and lightning flashed more than ever, and two more huge shapes appeared on Siegfried's side of the field! Now the three dragons towered over Yugi with menacing stares! (3,000/2,500 x2)

"No!" shouted Clive. "Yugi's had it!"

"Face it old foe," said the Master. "You're doomed! I have enough firepower here to finish you off for good!

"Blue-Eyes number one, destroy his Dark Magician with white lightning!"

The first Blue-Eyes opened its jaws, and shot forth a burst of blazing light at Dark Magician! Everyone covered their eyes…

"Activate Negate Attack!" shouted Yugi, hitting the button on his Disk.

The Trap lifted, and an invisible dome formed around Dark Magician. The blast was absorbed.

"Clever," frowned the Master. "But that won't protect you for long. Make your move…"

_Have to do something, _thought Yugi, drawing._ I have to get rid of Lord of Dragons in order to stand a chance…_

He looked at his card.

_The Shield of St. George! _he thought._ Now I'm ready! _

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Defense Mode!" he said.

He placed the card down, and the armored elf appeared, crouching and shielding himself with his sword.

"And also, one card facedown," he said, throwing it into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

"Yugi has played a clever move," stated Donna. "Not even those Dragons can get by that Guardian…"

"Now Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "attack Lord of Dragons!"

Dark Magician spun his staff and fired! Lord of Dragons was thrown back, and vanished in a stream of pixels.

"Make your move," dared Yugi.

_Darn, _thought Siegfried._ Now I have to worry about his Shield Trap again… That must be what that is..._

…_until I draw my secret weapon. Until then, I might as well prepare for it…_

He drew.

"Well, Yugi," he chuckled, "you might think my Dragons are powerful, and individually they are. But you must know that the key to building a good dueling deck is having cards that work well together…"

_Don't tell me…_ thought Yugi.

"And using the card I got from you," he continued, placing it into a slot, "I can create something that is stronger as a whole than it is as individuals! Go Polymerization!"

The card lifted, and the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons took to the air! They burst into orbs of pure light, and the orbs merged together…

"Combine!" yelled the Master of Games.

A huge shadow covered the field, and a huge, winged, three-headed form landed with a crash – the form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

Its three mouths roared in a voice that shook the whole stadium…

(4,500/3,800)

"Wow, that thing's Attack power is off the charts!" screamed Donna. "I really ought to get bigger charts…"

"And with that Yugi," laughed the Master. "I end my turn. But your future in this duel is looking bleak…"

He stabbed his thumb down.

"…and getting bleaker by the minute."

_Just keep playing it up, Siegfried, _thought Yugi._ I'm pretty sure you know what my Trap Card is, and you know that not even Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon can survive The Shield of St. George!_

He made a draw.

"I'll pass this turn," he said. "Do your worst!"

"What's Yugi gonna do?" gasped Bo. "That thing is the strongest Duel Monster I've ever seen!"

"Wait," explained Terone. "If that facedown card is what I think it is, Yugi might be able to destroy it."

"What?" asked Duke.

"His special Trap Card, The Shield of St. George," answered Terone. "It's a powerful Trap made especially for use against Dragons. If a Dragon attacks and he activates it, the Dragon is automatically destroyed.

"My Inferno Dragon was able to survive it because of its special effect, but the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, while powerful, doesn't have any effect. If Yugi plays that Trap, the Master's Dragon will be reduced to dust, and Yugi will get a free shot at his Life Points!"

"Let's hope so…" gulped Clover.

The Master drew.

He chuckled.

"Heh, heh," he said.

He paused.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" he laughed.

"What's so funny?" sneered Yugi.

"I just drew the card that will win the whole match for me!" gloated the Master.

He held the card out, back-side to Yugi, and waved it.

"This card is… unique," he chuckled. "Only one copy exists. It is a creature of great power. In fact, Maximillion Pegasus designed it hoping that it could successfully combat the Egyptian God Cards if they were ever used against him…"

The crowd gasped.

"Thought that might get your attention," he continued. "This card was stored in mothballs for decades, but I took it out of storage for this very duel…"

"Even if such a Monster exists," said Yugi, "I don't think you can summon it now. You have only one Monster on the field."

"Silly boy," laughed the Master. "This Monster is so powerful, that the only way to summon it is to offer the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon itself as a Tribute! And as you can plainly see, the conditions are just right!"

He placed the card down on his Disk.

A dead silence fell over the area. Cracks started to form in the huge Dragon's hide, and beams of light shot out from them.

Then the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon fell apart, and a brilliant, glorious form hovered over its remains!

It looked like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon that had been fitted with cybernetics. Sharp metallic armor and strange designs that suggested machinery covered its beautiful body. And it had a glow that shone like a miniature sun!

"Meet Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!" laughed the Master.

(3,000/2,500)

"Ugh!" gasped Mike. "Just looking at that thing hurts my eyes!"

"What the hell is THAT?" exclaimed Clive.

"Offhand, I'd say it's trouble," moaned Peter.

"I concur…" said Jade.

"Very pretty," sneered Yugi, starting to sweat. "But it's no stronger than a regular Blue-Eyes!"

"I have to disagree!" laughed the Master. "This big guy gains 300 Attack points for every Dragon in my Graveyard!"

He raised his Disk to the sky.

"Now, souls of deceased Dragons, give my beast strength!"

One by one, large forms flew out of the discard slot of the Master's Disk. First Luster Dragon, then Ryu-Ran, then the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and finally, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon itself! Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon opened its maw and sucked them in, and its Attack Score rose!

(4,800/2,500)

"As you can see," laughed the Master, "he can easily destroy your Dark Magician, and I'm going to prove it, right now!"

_What? _thought Yugi._ He's going to attack?_

"Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon," shouted the Master, "attack Dark Magician with shining neuron blast!"

The Dragon opened its jaws, and a ball of light appeared in them…

"I activate The Shield of St. George!" shouted Yugi, hitting his Disk.

The Trap Card lifted… A large, multicolored shield with the image of a red dragon on it appeared next to Dark Magician. He grabbed it and held it in front of him…

"YES!" shouted Clive. "Yugi's gonna do it!"

The huge Dragon shot forth his blast, and Dark Magician howled! An explosion reminiscent of a small nuclear bomb shook the field, throwing Yugi back ten feet!

When he got up, there was nothing left of Dark Magician but a smoldering crater where he had stood, and Yugi's Life Points had dropped to 1,900.

"But…" stammered Yugi, "my… my Trap…"

"Fool," mocked the Master. "Did you actually believe that one simple Trap could have destroyed a Monster designed to smite the Gods? The fact is Yugi, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon is immune to Spell Cards, Traps, and Monster effects that directly target it! Making your Shield of St. George utterly worthless!"

"Now, it's your move," he said, in a sinister voice.

"Aw, I thought Yugi was doomed before," gasped Peter, "but now I _really_ think he's doomed!"

Yugi paused. He looked up at Mary again.

It didn't look good. Yugi had only 1,900 Life Points, while his opponent had 5,100.

_Only one chance, _he thought._ If I can draw Harpie's Feather Duster and Monster Reborn, I can destroy his Prohibition and summon Buster Blader. But I have neither card in my hand… have to find some way to stall._

He drew.

"Okay, Master of Games," he said, "I'm placing this Monster facedown."

He put the card down, and the facedown Monster appeared.

"Now I'll just step back…"

He took some large steps backwards.

"And end my move."

"Good," smiled the Master.

He drew.

"Time to destroy your last line of defenses," he said. "I'll summon Battle Ox, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the muscular, armored minotaur appeared, raising his battle axe. (1,700/1,000)

"This guy is strong," said the Master, "but not too strong that he can't slay your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! Battle Ox, attack that Celt with battle axe crush!"

Battle Ox leapt forward, and brought his axe down on the elven warrior, cutting him open in a spray of blood! The Beast-Warrior howled.

"Now watch," said the Master, "as your last protection goes up in smoke! Blue- Eyes Shining Dragon, attack the facedown Monster!"

The Dragon shot forth his shining neuron blast…

And Yugi's Morphing Jar appeared on the card!

"What?" said the Master.

The Morphing Jar laughed before an explosion blew it to atoms.

"You know the rules, 'Master'," laughed Yugi.

"Like it will matter," growled the Master.

They discarded their hands, and drew five new cards.

Yugi looked at his hand.

_WHAT'S THIS?_ he thought.

"Think I'll end my turn now," said the Master.

"O… kay," muttered Yugi, drawing.

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" he called out.

He played the card, and the cage of Swords crashed down around the Master.

"Humph," frowned the Master. "A mere annoyance."

"Yugi has made what seems to be a desperate attempt to stall," announced Mike. "But I don't know if that will help him…"

Yugi looked at the other cards in his hand.

_I had totally forgotten about these guys, _he thought._ This will be risky… If I don't draw the card I need to complete this attack before he can attack, I'll lose… but then again, what have I got to lose now?_

"I finish my turn by summoning this in Attack Mode," he announced. "People Running About!"

He put the card down, and a small series of fires ignited on the field in front of him. From the fires, five man-shaped forms arose. It was three men and two women, dressed in old rags colored a dirty red, all of them with red hair. Their eyes were like shining red orbs. (600/600)

Amber got up.

"Huh?" she gasped. "One of the cards I gave him? But why?"

"Um," said Donna. "Yugi has certainly made a… strange move. I don't exactly see the point of this…"

The People Running About didn't do much running. They merely glared at the Master with eyes that conveyed both extreme sadness and slight anger at the same time.

The Master laughed out loud.

"You dare threaten my Dragon with peasants?" he chortled.

"Not peasants," said Yugi. "Slaves. Slaves who despise tyrants. Dictators and bullies like your Dragon – and you."

"They can despise me all they want!" laughed the Master. "My Dragon is… eight times more powerful than they are!"

"We'll see," warned Yugi. "I end my turn."

"Has Yugi flipped his wig?" stuttered Peter. "Jade, what do you think he's doing?"

Jade paused.

"I have absolutely no idea," she said. "I really don't."

"Well then Yugi…" said the Master.

He drew.

"…I don't have any way to destroy your Swords, so I'm just going to pass this turn. I'd like to see your People Running About _try_ to threaten my Dragon."

"Then I draw," said Yugi.

He looked at his card. Black Luster Ritual.

_Crud, he thought. Not the card I need…_

He added it to his hand and chose another card.

"I'll summon another Monster in Attack Mode," he said. "Oppressed People!"

He put the card on the Disk, and a large puddle appeared on the ground in front of him. It bubbled, and five more forms rose out of it. It was four more ragged men and women, these ones dressed in dirty blue rags, with black hair, and eyes that were orbs of sapphire. (400/2,000)

These Oppressed People seemed less sad and more angry than People Running About did when _they_ were summoned. Plus, by summoning Oppressed People, it seemed to do something to boost People Running About's confidence. Their sadness seemed to lessen, and small amounts of determination began to appear on their dirty faces.

"Uh, Donna?" asked Mike. "Have you ever even _seen_ these Monsters?"

"No Mike," shrugged Donna. "Never. And I can't fathom what Yugi's strategy is."

"What the heck is Yugi thinking?" stammered Clover. "Playing junk Monsters in a duel this important? Why does he even have them in his deck?"

"There must be some reason…" pondered Duke. "He must have something up his sleeve…"

"Now you're just insulting me," growled the Master. "That one is even more pathetic than the last!"

"Don't make fun of my Monsters," warned Yugi. "By placing them on the field, I've planted the seeds of something that despots like you fear above all else – rebellion.

"I end my turn."

Siegfried looked carefully at Yugi's side.

Doubt began to surface in him.

_Yugi isn't an idiot, _he thought._ Those two Monster Cards must be hiding some sort of secret… Could they have some sort of way to bypass my Monsters and launch a nasty direct attack?_

He drew.

_My Negate Attack card, _he thought._ If I'm right, this will stop him…_

"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," he said, setting the card.

It appeared in front of him.

"And it's your move…"

"Well, I can hardly wait to see what Yugi does next," shrugged Donna.

Yugi drew.

Monster Reborn, he thought. Still not the card I need!

He took another card from his hand.

"_I summon… United Resistance in Attack Mode!" he said. _

A small whirlwind appeared on his side of the field, and five more ragged peasants appeared, these ones clothed in dirty yellow rags with blonde hair. Their eyes glowed with a yellow light. (1,000/400)

All the sadness was gone from the faces of People Running About and Oppressed People. They looked ahead with pure determination at the great beast in front of them.

"He's summoned all three of the Monsters I gave him!" exclaimed Amber. "He _must_ have figured out how they work!"

"But how?" asked Clive.

"Well," shrugged the Master. "I'll admit that they're stronger than the previous two, but not nearly strong enough…"

"Don't get too confident," warned Yugi. "I've assembled a resistance, and a revolution is brewing. Beware.

"I end my turn."

_Beware? _thought Siegfried._ What can he mean? After my next turn, his Swords will be gone, and all I'll have to do is destroy one of those groups, and he'll lose!_

_Could they have some sort of mighty cooperative attack that could finish me?_

He drew.

Mirror Force.

_This might be even better than Negate attack,_ he thought.

"I'm placing a card facedown," said putting it facedown.

His card appeared, next to the other one.

"And now I end my turn…" he said.

The Swords of Revealing Light vanished. Battle Ox raised his axe, and Blue Eyes Shining Dragon screeched.

"…but next round, I'll be free to attack your worthless serfs, and you'll be in trouble then!"

Yugi looked at his deck.

He started to have doubt.

_It's now or never, _he thought._ What if I don't draw it?_

Yami appeared beside him.

"We can draw it," said the Spirit. "The Heart of the Cards will guide us. So long as we have faith…"

"Okay," said Yugi. "I have faith…"

He drew… And a glow enveloped him…

"This is strange…" said Mike.

"I think Yugi may have gotten something good…" stated Donna.

"Okay, you despot," said Yugi, "I'm laying this card facedown!"

He threw the card into a slot.

"Do your worst!"

_What? thought Siegfried. No attack?_

"NO!" yelled Clover. "He's toast!"

"He's gonna lose…" said Bo, starting to cry. Duke held her.

"Well," smiled the Master, "this is much amusing, but I'm afraid your little coup has failed…

"Now watch… as I draw!"

He deftly drew a card.

"Not so fast, Master of Games!" shouted Yugi. "I activate a Trap! **HUGE REVOLUTION!"**

The card lifted.

"Huh?" said the Master.

"Huh?" said Donna and Mike.

"Huh?" said all of Yugi's supporters.

The eyes of People Running About, Oppressed People, and United Resistance began to blaze like colored flames. The fifteen peasants raised their arms, and red, blue, and yellow light shot from them into the heavens…

A storm cloud gathered overhead, and then, bolts of destructive energy rained down upon the Master's side! And explosion of a force greater than any that had been seen before erupted, as Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon let out a roar of anguish!

When the smoke cleared, all that remained on the Master's side was a huge smoldering crater!

"MY DRAGON!" he screamed. "But it was immune to Traps!"

"Only Traps that directly affected it," said Yugi, calmly. "That card affected your entire side. Huge Revolution is the most powerful Trap in Duel Monsters. It can only be used when People Running About, Oppressed People, and United Resistance are present, but when that happens, the effects are devastating.

"As you can see, _both_ your Monsters were destroyed…"

The Master's Life Points fell to 3,475.

"…also, as you can see, every card on your Magic/Trap zone were also obliterated…"

The Master looked down. His entire side had been wiped out!

"…and that's not all. Take a look at your Disk…"

A message flashed on the Master's Disk. It said, "DISCARD."

"This can't be!" he exclaimed.

"Huge Revolution also forces you to discard every card in your hand," said Yugi, "leaving you defenseless!"

The crowd cheered more than they ever had before!

"Way to go, Yug'!" shouted Clive.

"Curse you…" snarled the Master, discarding his hand.

"And now that you have absolutely no cards to play at all," accused Yugi, "you have no choice but to end your turn…"

The Master slowly nodded.

Yugi drew.

"I told you I had planted the seeds of a revolution by summoning these forsaken souls," warned Yugi. "And now that it has started, I will use Monster Reborn to bring back the messiah who will lead them to a better life… My favorite Monster…"

He fit the card into a slot…

"DARK MAGICIAN!"

The card appeared, and Dark Magician appeared on the ankh. (2,500/2,100)

"People Running About," said Yugi, "attack with Flames of the Oppressed!"

Fireballs appeared in the hands of People Running About. They hurled a stream of fire forward, striking the Master! He staggered back, as his Life Points fell to 2,875.

"Oppressed People," shouted Yugi, "attack with Sea of Sorrows!"

A blue glow formed around Oppressed People, and they shot a wave of water forward, striking the Master and drenching him! His Life Points fell to 2,475.

"United Resistance!" yelled Yugi. "Strike with Winds of the Forsaken!"

United Resistance raised their arms, and a tornado appeared around them. It shot forward and slammed into the Master, causing him to skid backwards.

His Life Points were now at 1,475, and he was struggling to catch his breath.

"Dark Magician," ordered Yugi, "finish this with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician did a flip, landing in front of his troops. They raised their hands in support, as he aimed his staff and fired!

The Master let out a scream, as his armor sparked like crazy, and he fell to the floor. His Life Points were depleted.

"Yugi has done the impossible!" shouted Mike. "The Dragon is demolished, and his army of little people have won the day!"

"The revolution is successful," announced Yugi. "The tyrant has been toppled!"

The crowd cheered again!

"Winner… Yugi!" shouted Mokuba, holding his hand up.

Yugi went over to the Master who was on the floor, groaning.

"I win," he demanded. "Now let Mary go!"

The Master sat up and sighed. He took the remote from his holster.

"Well," he sighed. "A deal's a deal…"

He hit a button, and the robotic Chaos Emperor Dragon sank into the floor of the platform.

"Release the girl," he ordered.

Two Centurions appeared beside Mary, and started to unlock her chains.

"Congratulations, Yugi," said Mokuba. "You have won, and you will be rewarded with the ultimate prize…"

"And of course, the regular rules for the finals still apply…"

"What?" gasped Yugi, in surprise.

The Master got up and reassembled his deck. He held it out in front of Yugi.

"That's right Yugi," he said with a sigh. "You can have any card you want – even one of the Blue-Eyes…"

Yugi was stunned. This he didn't expect…

"Yeah Yugi, take it!" shouted Bo.

"Go ahead, Yugi!" yelled Clover.

"Go on, Yugi!" shouted Duke.

The whole stadium got behind Yugi for support.

Yugi tapped his microphone.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you folks," he said. "But my Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon are mortal enemies. They'd never be happy in the same deck together…"

The crowd grew silent.

"But," mentioned Yugi, "that Luster Dragon seems pretty useful…"

"Very well," said the Master, handing it to him.

_Too bad, _thought Siegfried._ I was kind of hoping he'd take one of the Blue-Eyes. He's going to need all the powerful Monsters he can get soon…_

Yugi looked at the card.

_This makes two useful Monsters he's given me, _he thought._ I'll be sure to treat it with respect…_

At that point, Mary ran down to Yugi and hugged him.

"My hero!" she shouted.

"Touching," said the Master. "And of course, there's the big prize…"

He paused.

"But take some time to think about it. Starting an hour from now, a grand party will be thrown in the streets surrounding the Coliseum, and everyone is invited! Yugi will be the guest of honor! And tomorrow, you can state your request in our super colossal Awards Ceremony!"

The crowd cheered.

"But first," said the Master. "Let's close today's duel with the music of a diva all the way from Beverly Hills, the one and only Carmen Montoya!"

The lights fell on the stage, and a young female singer appeared. She had long blonde hair, and was dressed in the armor of D.D. Warrior Lady, complete with two swords strapped to her back.

She picked up a microphone, as music started to play the old tune "Holding Out for a Hero". The crowd cheered as the song played, and cheered louder than ever as it finished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," muttered Saurius to himself. "Yugi has proven himself yet again…"

He rubbed his chin.

"Certainly, he will be a dangerous foe when we make our move, but come tomorrow, the dueling will take a turn that he won't expect… the rules will be changed dramatically, and he will be fighting for more than a mere title…

"I've put too much at stake to be defeated now… Yugi will fall before he ever reaches me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the Coliseum, preparations for the party were already being made. Food was being set up, entertainment was being prepared… a long afternoon and night of fun was going to be had by the guests.

But some would not be joining the festivities.

Near the center of Duelatopia was a fortified complex, which was off limits to the guests. This was the city's detention center.

And in a cell in the woman's wing, Persephone Amore languished. Anger filled her mind.

She wouldn't be here long. As soon as the last festivities of the tournament were over, she was to be unceremoniously shipped home, with a stern warning never to come back…

But she knew her punishment wasn't going to stop there.

Duelatopia was the biggest Duel Monsters tournament in the world. Once word got out that she had been busted for cheating in it (and she had many enemies that would make sure it got out), few people in the dueling world would trust her. Invitations to other tournaments would stop coming, applications would likely be rejected…

She'd be disgraced. Her dueling career was likely over…

"Curse you Yugi…" she sighed, under her breath.

Having little else to do, she took out her deck (which the Centurions had graciously let her keep), and leafed through it. She looked at a card…

Sprite Princess.

Strange that she never got to summoning this card during the finals. This Fairy was her favorite. Though she only had 100 Attack and 100 Defense, she was like Bazoo the Soul Eater, in that by removing Fairy Monsters from your Graveyard, her power could grow to powerful levels.

She rarely thought about a simple fact anymore – the reason this card was her favorite was because it was the _first_ card she had ever owned.

She looked at her other Monsters. Hysteric Fairy, Wingweaver, Artemis, Dunames Dark Witch… Yugi talked so much of friendship – these Fairies were the only friends she needed…

She did have real friends at one time, but that was a time long ago…

In a time before loss… and betrayal…

She continued to look through her cards, and got to another one. A Spell Card.

Pot of Greed.

She shivered.

Pot of Greed has always been an incredibly common card. Every duelist uses it. Strange then, that this very useful card's image suggested an evil thing, with its sinister grin. Greed was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. But almost all duelists, even Yugi and his friends, overlooked that, and played the card without care.

The same was true for Persephone, at least when she was dueling…

But whenever she looked at this card when she wasn't dueling, chills went down her spine, and she felt like someone was whispering in her ear, something incomprehensible…

But it went away as soon as she put the card away, and she didn't give it much thought.

She put her cards away and reclined on her cot. She sighed…

Then a sound came to her ears. Someone was opening the door to her cell.

_What? she said. Dinner isn't for three more hours…_

The door opened, and Persephone drew back.

A woman entered, one whose beauty was beyond words. She wore a silvery kimono, and had a long blonde ponytail tied back with a silver bow. Jewelry that was covered with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires adorned her wrists, neck, and ears.

Behind her stood a young girl, who Persephone at first thought was Mary. But her hair was red instead of blonde, and she wore a simple cotton dress and wooden clogs.

"Hello Persephone," purred the woman.

"Who are you?" asked Persephone, in wonder.

"My name is Lady Circe," she responded. "But I'm hoping you'll call me a friend. I'm here to get you out, and we don't have much time… It won't be long before the next shift shows up and sees what I did to the guards…"

"Get me out?" sneered Persephone. "And just why should I desire to become a fugitive? If I'm caught, they'll chain me down!"

"Good point," said Circe, putting her hands behind her back. "But I can help you Persephone, because we have so much in common. We're both women who enjoy the finer things in life… and more importantly, we've both been humiliated by that upstart Yugi Mouto Jr.!"

"Yes…" said Persephone.

"Join me…" urged Persephone, "and I can help you wreck your vengeance!"

She held out her hand.

Persephone slowly reached out…

The two of them clasped hands.

"Yes!" smiled Circe. "I can see it in your eyes, Persephone. You and I will make a splendid team.

"Now let's go. We have work to do…"


	43. Snatch Steal

_I knew it would happen eventually._

_Ever since Jade's _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual, I knew something big concerning me would happen in Duelatopia. I gained more information over time…_

_I found out about the Mandate of Heaven, a powerful artifact that protects the world from demonic invasion._

_I found out about Saurius, a fallen angel who seeks to find and destroy the Mandate, so he can conquer the world._

_And the worst thing I found out was, the only person who can defeat Saurius is the holder of the Millennium Puzzle…_

…_that would be me. _

_And now, just when everyone has a pie-in-the-sky attitude, just when the festivities are at their highest and I'm being honored, Saurius has finally made his move._

_Now, this is no game…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

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**Chapter Forty-Two**

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**Snatch Steal**

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As the evening wore on, fireworks lit up the twilight, and the streets of Duelatopia were alive. Music played, people danced, and barbecues roasted food at stands.

Yugi was the center of attention. Duelists came up to him, asking for his autograph – and advice on dueling. He was enjoying a celebrity status that he had never seen before.

Mary was also the center of a lot of attention. She had confided in Clive, Peter, Jade, and Amber that it all had been a ruse that Siegfried was paying her for – but to anyone who asked, she made up a more dramatic story, about how she was ambushed and taken captive by a squad of Centurions – and that she hadn't been taken without a fight. Her story got more vivid with each person she told it to, and a lot of inhabitants were starting to become afraid of the armored figure who was presiding over the ceremonies.

Under his helmet, Siegfried sighed.

_It won't be long now, he thought. That beast will strike very soon… I'm surprised he's waited this long._

_I don't know how much time I have left – maybe only a day. I'll have to put my trust in Yugi to end this nightmare…_

The four members of the Team Supreme loaded hamburgers onto their plates from a nearby stand.

"Whoever would have thought you'd have that killer Trap in your deck, Yug'?" asked Clive. "That trick looked almost impossible to pull off."

Yugi took out his deck and removed the four Huge Revolution cards.

"I'm pretty sure that it was a one-time deal," he sighed. "It might work better in a Gravity Bind deck… maybe if I ever meet anybody who runs one I'll give them to him. In the meantime…"

He slid them into his side deck.

"…the slaves have been freed, so they needn't fight anymore."

He took another card out of his deck.

"Oh, and Mary, you can have this back…" he said.

"Hey, my Flame Swordsman!" she exclaimed.

"I kept him safe," assured Yugi. "You might not need him for any more tournaments now, but you're still a duelist, and you need one of your favorite Monsters…"

"Speaking of which," said Peter, pointing, "it seems _your_ two favorites are already here!"

Yugi looked, and it was true. A man and woman dressed as Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were by a stand, signing autographs for guests.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't the only Monsters around," chuckled Mary.

Amber came up to them.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I saw Magician of Faith running a kissing booth."

Everyone chuckled.

"Too bad I didn't get a chance to duel myself," sighed Amber. "I've been working on my deck…"

She took a deck of cards out of a case.

"Oh?" asked Yugi. "Let me see…"

"Be careful," cautioned Amber, handing them to him. "A lot of those cards are somewhat rare…"

Yugi went over the cards in Amber's deck. Amber looked noticeably nervous…

"Impressive," stated Yugi, handing it back to her.

"Really?" she asked.

"You do take after your mother," he said. "And this deck is powerful. Maybe you could come to next year's tournament…

"Still, I might have something to compliment it…"

He went back to his side deck, and removed a Spell Card.

"I was going to give this to your mother if I ever saw her again," continued Yugi, "but since she's more or less retired, maybe you can use it better…"

He handed it to her. Amber looked at the Ritual Card.

"Gee, I don't know what to say," she muttered.

"A 'thank you' would be nice," said Jade's voice behind her.

"Oh, right," said Amber, turning towards her sister. "Um, thanks Yugi…"

She put the card into her deck.

"I have been teaching Amber dueling strategy," said Jade. "And she is getting better. I doubt she could defeat any of you, but she is more than a match for the average duelist."

"You don't find many 'average duelists' in this business," sighed Peter.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The night wore on, and much fun was to be had. It was nearly midnight by the time Yugi returned to his quarters in the Coliseum.

As he removed his Puzzle, Yami appeared before him.

"So Yugi," he asked. "What request are you going to make at the awards ceremony?"

"Something that will make both Clive and Peter very happy," replied Yugi. "Both of them have fantasized about dream weddings with Phoebe and Josephine… Now I can have KaibaCorp arrange for both of them."

Yami chuckled.

"You have a big heart, Yugi," he said, "in many ways."

"Yeah," he said. "And I may need it. The island is going to be closing down until Winter Break soon. And I doubt Saurius will let us leave before he executes whatever plan he's planning."

"True," muttered Yami. "But try as I may, I've been unable to locate the Mandate, nor can I identify who Shanalla's Chosen is. The divine magic is much too powerful, even for me.

"Obviously, the Mandate is an artifact whose power rivals that of all seven of the Millennium Items. And frankly, while the Items are powerful, they aren't the only artifacts with great power…"

"True," said Yugi.

"Since the beginning of time," continued Yami, "relics have been created with incredible might. The Arc of the Covenant, the Holy Grail… every archaeologist's dream. Some say that things like this are merely apocryphal, and they are only concepts, not true items. I think otherwise.

"But whatever the case with them, the Mandate is very real. And it must be kept safe from all harm…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was a beautiful day in the Coliseum at noon the next day. Not a cloud in the sky. The place was packed, and a large podium had been set up in the center.

A drum roll started, and the crowd began to cheer.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Donna's voice. "Put your hands together for our special guest, from Boston Massachusetts, Willy Trebeck!"

Smoke appeared on the stage, obscuring it. When it cleared, a man with long blonde hair, dressed like Freed the Matchless General, was standing there. His sword was on his back, and he held an old-fashioned guitar. His back-up band wore the armor of Marauding Captain.

"Hello, Duelatopia!" he shouted into his microphone.

They cheered back.

He started to play on his guitar.

"What I'm about to sing is an oldie," he said, "but it is as timeless as the story behind Duel Monsters…"

He started to play. The song was the classic "American Pie" by Don McLean, a song that most everyone knew, timeless as it was. The crowd sang along, and when he finally finished, they erupted into cheers.

"Thank you! Thank you!" he shouted.

Smoke enveloped the stage again, and by the time it was cleared, the band was gone. In their place was the Master of Games, holding a microphone.

"That was Willy Trebeck everyone," he announced. "Maybe I'll get him to do an encore later.

"And now, without further ado, I present to you, our champion!"

That was Yugi's cue. He got up.

But his mind was racing.

"American Pie" was a classic, but nobody truly understood its meaning (aside from Don McLean maybe, and he had been dead for five years). It was the sort of song that people were supposed to figure out on their own, if they could.

But now Yugi couldn't ignore the possibility that Trebeck had been asked to sing it for a reason. That song made references to religion, death, the Devil, and the Holy Trinity. In fact, most of the music he had heard during the finals seemed to convey some subtle hints towards him and the Mandate…

"We Didn't Start the Fire," was all about human vices and turmoil.

"Dancing in the Dark" seemed benign, but it was all about loss, and the struggle to regain what was lost.

"Livin' La Vida Loca" was a subtle hint about lust and betrayal – and insanity.

And "I Need a Hero"? To the untrained eye, it went with Yugi's "task" in that duel, having to "rescue" Mary, but other heroes might soon be needed…

It wasn't a coincidence, that he was sure of. He was going to confront Siegfried about this the second this award ceremony was over…

Yugi reached the stage, and the Master held his hand up.

"I proclaim Yugi Mouto Jr. the true King of Games!" announced the Master. "He is certainly the best!"

The crowd cheered.

"Well Yugi," said the Master, "the twenty million dollars will soon be transferred into whatever account you name. And of as you know, there is the big prize… simply name it, and it will be so…"

"Well I…" started Yugi.

He paused. A chill flew through the air.

"Yugi!" screamed Yami's voice.

"What is it?" asked Yugi.

"Evil draws near," said Yami. "Something is coming! You have to warn Siegfried!"

"All right," he responded.

Fear gripped him as the Puzzle activated.

"S… Master of Games!" he shouted. "You've got to call security! Something is about to happen!"

The Master paused.

_I sense it too, Yugi, _he thought._ But there is little we can do… _

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the arena. Clouds covered the sky, and thunder rolled! Darkness seemed to cover the island…

And then, out of nowhere, dozens of dark shapes leapt onto the field. Yugi looked, and saw that they were men and women like the ones he had seen when he was attacked – dressed in trenchcoats and sunglasses…

…and with fancy letter S's branded on their foreheads.

They surrounded the stage, and glared menacingly at Yugi and the Master. They reached under their coats and drew wicked swords!

The Master lifted his microphone.

"People, please, do not panic!" he urged. "We will handle the situation!"

An alarm went off, and a squad of Centurions rushed onto the field. Captain Descartes was behind them.

"Set weapons to max power!" he ordered. "Shoot at will!"

The soldiers of Duelatopia aimed their rifles and fired upon the dark warriors. Several people in the crowd screamed…

But when the smoke cleared, the weapons hadn't even fazed them.

"Impossible!" shouted Descartes.

The dark swordsmen waved their weapons and made swipes in the air! The Centurions were knocked back, and landed on the ground.

Then they turned back to the Master and Yugi. The Master was strangely silent…

"Yugi!" screamed Mary.

Then a group of the creatures stood aside, as a vortex of inky, blackness appeared twenty feet in front of the stage. A huge figure walked out…

Yugi gasped in fright. This was the first time he had ever seen Saurius clearly in full light. He was fully seven feet tall, and as muscular as a pro wrestler. His skin was coal black, his eyes blood red, and his long hair was stark white. He had large, ram-like horns jutting from his temples. He had two huge wings, feathered and colored dark grey. His dress consisted only of a breechcloth and strange golden sandals.

"Hello Siegfried," he chuckled. "Miss me?"

"No," sneered Siegfried.

Yugi got in front of Siegfried. He realized now that Saurius was after Siegfried!

"You'll have to get by me first you big…" he started, running towards him.

"Quiet!" shouted Saurius, "I'll deal with you later!"

He gave Yugi a shove and he fell down on his behind.

Siegfried gestured, and two blasters emerged from his gauntlets.

"Level Three," he spoke into his wrist.

"You really didn't think this armor didn't come without a weapon's system, did you?" he said to the demon.

He pointed, and fired twin blasts at Saurius, hitting the beast in the chest. Saurius howled!

Yugi was amazed. The Centurion's weapons couldn't even scratch Saurius's soldiers, but Siegfried's…

"Okay, mortal," growled Saurius, clutching his chest, "you burned me… but it was foolish to think that you could make a difference with that…"

He raised his hand, and clenched it into a fist. The two blasters on Siegfried's wrists exploded, as did his gauntlets.

"Yeouch!" shouted Siegfried.

"This has gone far enough," scowled Jade.

She drew her sword…

She leapt over the stands of the V.I.P. booth, and charged towards Saurius.

"A yes," smiled Saurius. "The Samurai…"

He gestured, and Jade became surrounded by an aura of darkness. She gasped, as she was lifted off the ground.

"Foolish girl," he mocked. "I could crush you right now… but if I did that, I would be breaking a promise to someone whom I owe a favor to… So…"

He gestured, and Jade screamed in pain. She collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Jade!" yelled Amber.

"Now then," said Saurius. "Where were we…"

He repeated the dark spell, only this time he turned it on Siegfried. His armor sparked, this time for real, and he collapsed in a heap.

Saurius picked up the microphone on the ground and tapped it to make sure it was working.

"I'm not very big on speeches," he said to the crowd, "so I'll just say thanks… And I hope everyone has enjoyed Kaiba's free vacation – there won't be many more in the future, I promise you!"

He laughed, and the portal opened again; then it closed, taking himself and Siegfried with him.

Then his minions leapt up, and in a second, they were gone as well.

But all was not right. The dark clouds still eclipsed the sun, and angry thunder rolled in them…

Amber was seeing to Jade, urging her to get up, but she was out cold.

Yugi ran over to her.

"Jade!" shouted a voice. "Darling!"

"Huh?" said Yugi.

He saw the source of the voice. Terone leapt down into the field. He bent down besides Jade and cradled her…

"Please be alright, baby," he pleaded. "Please be alright…"

"Terone?" asked Mary. "You and Jade?"

"Long story," sighed Terone. "Who were those guys?"

The Centurions started to get up.

"Put up an APB!" shouted Captain Descartes. "Search every corner of this island!"

"You want the short version or the slightly long version?" asked Yugi.

"Just tell me who he was!" demanded Terone.

"A fallen angel," said Yugi. "A creature from Hell itself. Now he's taken Siegfried, and we don't even know where to start looking…"

"A fallen angel…" muttered Terone.

He paused.

"Maybe I can help…"

He reached into his duffel.

"How can you possibly…" asked Clive.

Terone pulled a large, shiny object out of the duffel, and everyone looked in awe. Made of gold, it was an old-fashioned scale – with the Eye of Horus on the front.

"_The Millennium Scales?"_ gasped Yugi, astonished.

"Yeah Yugi," sighed Terone. "I hold the Millennium Scales, Yugi. It would take too long to explain how I got them, but Siegfried told me to bring them. I think I know why now…

"Each Item has its own unique power… the Scales have the power to find those who's hearts are weighed down by sin…

"And whose heart is weighed down more than this demon? I think I can find him…"

He held the Scales to his face…

His eyes started to glow, and the eye appeared on his forehead. The Scales vibrated. Terone started to chant…

_Scales of power, Scales of might,_

_Those who measure day and night,_

_Find the one within your sight_

_Whose heart lacks but the slightest light!_

The Millennium Scales glowed.

"Something is coming to me Yugi," he said. "I can see a pizza restaurant… a lady's room… with an 'out of order' sign on it…"

"The restaurant where we first met Maligno!" gasped Yugi. "I knew there was something fishy about that locked room."

He turned to his friends.

"People," he said. "What lies ahead may well be dangerous beyond compare. I won't force you to do anything…"

"Get real, Yug'," said Clive, throwing his Disk onto his arm. "I'm with you all the way! My Dark Scorpions are ready to show this clown!"

"My Archfiends as well," agreed Peter, strapping on his Disk.

"I'll follow you to Hell itself if I have to, Yugi," assured Mary, strapping on hers.

Yugi sighed.

"Then let's go…"

He paused.

"But we're the Team Supreme no longer," he mentioned. "From now on… We are The Defenders, plain and simple. We must defend the Mandate at all cost…

"Or it could be the end of the world as we know it…"

"Any way I could be of help, Yugi?" asked Terone.

"Saurius has already been defeated by the Scales," said Yugi. "You'd likely just be a liability. But if you know any good prayers, say one for us!"

They ran towards the exit of the stadium, towards their goal.

Descartes watched as they left.

_Good luck, King of Games,_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes after they had left, Jade came to.

She saw Terone and looked around.

"Terone!" she demanded. "Where did Yugi and the others go?"

"Easy, Jade!" said Terone. He quickly gave her the location.

"Then that's where I am going," she said, lifting her Dueling Disk.

"I'm coming with you sis!" shouted Amber.

"Amber no!" ordered Jade.

She paused.

"Not this time, sister," said Jade. "What evils lurk in this demon's lair may be far too deadly for you…"

Without another word, she lowered her helmet over her head, and ran to catch up with her friends.

But the gutsy Amber would not take no for an answer…

"Terone!" she stated. "Lend me your Dueling Disk!"

"What?" said Terone.

He lifted it out of his duffel.

"It's been deactivated," he told her. "It won't work."

Amber ran up to the nearest Centurion, who happened to be Descartes.

"Sir," she said. "I'm a friend of Yugi's. Do you know how to turn this thing back on? I've got to help my sister!"

Descartes looked at her.

"Well," he mused. "It's against regulations… but given the circumstances…"

He flicked a switch on his armor, and a small key protruded from his finger. He fit it into a small slot in the Disk, and the gem regained its shine, turning to Green.

"Yugi's going to need all the help he can get," he agreed. "And if you are a friend of his…"

"Really I am," assured Amber. "Thanks."

She ran after Jade.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep within Saurius's chamber, Siegfried woke up.

He wasn't very comfortable. In fact, he was chained to the wall. His helmet had been removed.

"Ugh," he moaned, looking around. "Where am I?"

"My temporary lair, Kaiba," chuckled Saurius's voice in front of him.

The demon came into view, holding the helmet.

"So, what to you think of it?"

"Not very cheery," said Siegfried, looking around at the décor, which consisted of skulls and grotesque artwork. "You know, I have a friend who's in the interior decorating business… If you'll just unchain me, I'll give you his card…"

Saurius glared at him.

He looked at the helmet.

"This armor is quite a marvel of technology," smiled Saurius. "Where did you get it?"

"Likely the same place you got that ugly mask," growled Siegfried.

Saurius punched the helmet, smashing it to bits.

"Oh is that supposed to scare me?" asked Siegfried.

"No," smiled Saurius, "this is…"

He grabbed Siegfried by the throat.

"WHERE IS IT KAIBA?" he demanded.

"You think I'm going to tell you?" gasped Siegfried.

"I can crack tougher nuts than you," warned Saurius.

He picked up something on the table.

"This your deck?" he asked. "Let's take a look…"

He leafed through it, and removed the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards.

"The prize cards of the Kaiba family," smiled Saurius. "The only three in existence, right?"

He moved over to a flaming brazier and held the cards over them.

"It would be quite a shame if they were incinerated, wouldn't it?"

Siegfried stared at him. "So let's see," he muttered. "I have to choose between losing my three prize cards, or condemning the human race to eternal enslavement…

"Let me think about that… thought about it. No. Go ahead and burn them. I'm sure the Dragons will understand."

"I swear I'll do it, Kaiba!" shouted Saurius.

"Not even if you were holding the _Mona Lisa_ over that fire pit," growled Siegfried.

Saurius snarled. He looked like he was about to toss the cards…

"Oh, what's the point?" he moaned.

He returned the cards to the deck and placed it back on the table.

"Chickened out huh?" smiled Siegfried.

Saurius ignored him.

"I guess I'm going to have to resort to torture then," he frowned.

"You must be an expert in that," snarled Siegfried.

"Just watch," said the fiend. He threw a poker into the brazier.

"Master!" said a voice.

Mordent appeared out of the shadows.

"What now?" asked Saurius.

"Yugi and his three companions are on the way here," said Mordent.

"Don't worry," assured Saurius. "Our… competitor will buy us a good one or two hours before we have to worry about them…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a higher realm, in a place called The Bastion of the Hopeful…

A soul who was once nearly damned was close to redemption. Plans were being made to allow her to leave the facility in a matter of months – after which complete forgiveness would be granted.

Most would be overjoyed at the prospect of entering Paradise. But as she looked down upon the newly named Defenders running to their goal, worry filled Anastasia Pegasus's heart.

"Dane!" she cried. "Hear me!"

"I'm here, child," said Dane, as he appeared before her. "And I understand your troubles."

"Dane," cried Anastasia. "Yugi and his friends are about to enter a den of horrors! Not to mention a wicked trap. Someone needs to guide them…"

"Anastasia, no!" Dane said. "You are NOT going down there! I've already bent the rules too much with you as it is!"

"I don't need to go there physically," pleaded Anastasia. "But you know I've been taking lessons… I can manifest avatars…"

"Anastasia, that could be dangerous!" warned Dane. "You are just an apprentice!"

"Synonymous with 'baby', right?" she frowned. "I have to try…"

Dane sighed.

"Very well," he said. "But you must limit yourself. Use only forms that you are familiar with – images that are _incredibly_ familiar. And I'm going to stand here the whole time to supervise…"

"Fair enough," agreed Anastasia.

She gestured, and a set of cards appeared in her hand.

"What images are more familiar to me than the Monsters on these cards?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Defenders found the door to the Slice of the Pie restaurant locked, but it didn't take long to break a window. They headed straight to the out of order ladies room door. It was locked as well, but Clive quickly kicked it in.

The bathroom inside was a mess. It clearly hadn't been doing much but gathering dust since this tournament started.

"Look around for a clue, people," advised Yugi. "There must be a secret entrance to a place in this bathroom…"

Clive looked at the wall where the sinks were.

"I saw a guy do this in an old mystery movie once," he said.

He licked his thumb, and then slowly moved from one sink, to the other, to the other…

"There," pointed Clive. "There's a slight draft coming from that part of the wall. There's an opening behind that sink."

"But how do we open it?" asked Mary.

Peter thought.

He turned the handle of the sink.

Slowly, a secret door swung inward, revealing a stairway down into a cavernous place.

"Can you say _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_?" he smiled.

"Be prepared for anything…" said Yugi, as they started down.

They slowly walked down the stairway, and ended up in a large circular cavern. A hallway was leading ahead.

"Well, only one way to…" started Yugi.

Then a light appeared. A small form flew towards them.

It flew around them in circles. Yugi could see what it was – a Duel Monsters card.

The card appeared before them, and a shimmering form appeared out of it…

The figure was easily recognizable – it was Dark Magician Girl. She opened two big green eyes, and looked at them.

"Oh geeze," moaned Peter. "Not this again."

"Friends!" she announced. "Know that in this den of evil, there still exist small amounts of goodness that can guide you…"

She paused.

"Yugi," she warned. "You are about to wander right into a trap where ancient evil lurks, and a duel will be held for horrible stakes!"

"We're ready to face Saurius," assured Yugi.

"No," warned Dark Magician Girl. "Not Saurius. A new enemy has taken refuge here, one whose evil is nearly equal to your more immediate foe!"

"A _new_ enemy?" gasped Clive. "Can't we ever catch a break?"

"But take heart," assured the Spellcaster. "For you have the skills to vanquish this new foe, and with this new enemy you will find new allies…"

"Huh?" asked Yugi. "Allies?"

"Allies which will help immensely," she said.

She paused again.

"The path ahead is long and fraught with peril and untold horrors, but have faith in yourselves and your decks, and you will succeed. Be brave Defenders…"

She vanished in a twinkling of light.

"Somehow, I don't think that was a hologram," mused Mary.

"Whatever it was, it was weird," sighed Peter.

"Something was strange," mentioned Yugi, as they started ahead forward. "I've seen Dark Magician Girl about a thousand times, and there was something different about her – her eyes… Those weren't her eyes…"

"Really?" asked Mary.

"Yeah," replied Yugi. "They were shaped different, and…"

"YUGI!" shouted Yami's voice.

"Huh? What?" responded Yugi.

"Yugi, I'm sensing a force of great evil!" shouted the Spirit. "Something familiar… but I can't quite put my finger on it…"

"People, stand fast!" warned Yugi. "Something's coming!"

They all stood with their backs to each other.

Then suddenly, the floor started to glow…

Then it gave way under their feet, and they were swallowed into the shadows!

"Um, I think we're in trouble," said Clive's voice.

"Shut your mouth or I'll stick your Duel Disk in it," snapped Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Siegfried gasped as the red-hot poker was pressed against his chest.

"Had enough yet?" laughed Saurius.

"When will it get through your thick, horned skull that I've conditioned myself?" mocked Siegfried. "I can take whatever pain you dish out."

"Then maybe," chuckled Saurius, tossing the tool aside, "I should stop using mortal methods and move on to more diabolical devices…"

"My lord," said Mordent.

"What is it, Mordent?" asked Saurius, annoyed.

"Yugi and company have… simply vanished!" said the henchman.

"As I expected," said Saurius. "My competitor has struck. Like I said, they should be out of the way for an hour or two…"

"Hold on, we have more bad news," said Mordent.

He looked into the viewing globe.

"The Samurai is coming."

Saurius turned to Siegfried.

"Consider this your reprieve," he snarled.

"Why thank you," said Siegfried, sarcastically.

Siegfried looked into the globe, and saw Jade enter the restaurant.

_So, that spell I cast didn't do more than stun her, _he thought._ She is clearly a tough one…_

"No problem," he said. "Tell our first recruit to intercept her at the entrance hall."

"Right away, master," said Mordent, and he ran off.

Saurius looked into his globe, and chuckled.

"This should be most amusing," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jade entered the restaurant, and then walked into the bathroom. The secret door stood ajar.

She looked down into the dark staircase. She slowly drew her katana and walked down.

Some said that the Samurai had no fear. Jade knew that having no fear was foolish. With no fear, you would be reckless, impulsive, unable to defend yourself at all, and unable to act with caution. Yes, the Samurai knew fear…

They just didn't let it control them. As Yugi had said to Mary, true courage is when you're afraid, but you act anyway.

As she walked into the large circular chamber, she looked around to get her bearings.

_The unholy energy of this place burns like an inferno, _she thought._ Fiendish creatures could lurk anywhere… I must proceed carefully… I just hope Yugi and the others aren't already in the clutches of one of them._

And at that moment, with scarcely any more noise than a bat, something struck, too fast for her hyper-fast senses to react to. A large net with weights attached to it dropped from an outcropping on the ceiling! She dropped her sword, as it wrapped around her, pinning her arms together!

And that wasn't the worst. A surge of electricity coursed through the net, shocking her! She gasped, and fell over.

Laughter echoed through the chamber.

"I know that laugh," said Jade, angrily.

From the shadows above, Naga dropped down, in his black armor. His Dueling Disk was tied to his waist (although it looked different), and his sword was on his back.

Naga lifted Jade up and set her against the wall in a sitting position.

"There," he laughed. "I want you to see me clearly as I do this."

"So Naga," groaned Jade. "You are resorting to using machines against me…"

"I do what I must," he chuckled, removing his helmet.

Jade saw that the same S symbol that the dark warriors had was branded on his forehead.

"And you ally yourself with the forces of Hell," she said. "Despicable."

"Saurius has promised me a generous reward for my help," smiled Naga. "And in the process, I get to slay you as well! It was an offer I could not refuse…"

He drew his sword.

"Bye-bye Jade!" he mocked. "Now let's see how far your faith gets you…"

"You'd strike a helpless opponent?" shouted Jade. "You have no honor, Naga…"

"Spare me the commentary," laughed Naga. "Things like bushido will barely matter once my master's plan succeeds!"

He raised his sword…. Jade closed her eyes…

"Naga, stop!" shouted a voice.

Amber ran into the chamber.

"Well, this is even better," chuckled Naga. "Maybe I'll kill your bratty sister first, and _then_ you!"

"Amber?" gasped Jade. "No! Run for your life, Amber!"

"Naga," stammered Amber, as sweat poured down her face. "I want to make you a deal…"

"A deal?" asked Naga.

Amber raised her borrowed Disk.

"I challenge you to a duel," she dared. "If I defeat you, you release my sister!"

Naga laughed. He raised his sword.

"Why should I waste time dueling an amateur, when I could finish you off with one swift stroke of my blade?" he asked. "Your challenge would barely be worth the trouble."

"You think you can kill me," said Amber. "But what if I manage to escape? Do you really want people to think you were afraid to duel me?"

"I'm not afraid to duel you!" laughed Naga. "I simply don't want to!"

"Then you're just a bully Naga," accused Amber. "And a coward. You could strike me down, and I couldn't fight back. I'm unarmed, and far weaker than you. Killing me would be the mark of a true coward…"

"Shut up!" shouted Naga. "I am by no means a coward, and I'll…"

He raised his sword…

"Naga…" said a voice.

"Yes master?" he said, somewhat afraid.

"The girl has a point – after all, you've already disobeyed me. I wanted you to duel Jade, not ambush her…"

"But I…" stuttered Naga. "I couldn't…"

"…take the chance?" said Saurius. "Maybe you _are _a coward, Naga. And my organization has no room for cowards.

"So you will accept the wench's challenge, or you will be punished…"

"Y-yes sir," he stammered.

He sheathed his sword.

"Fine Amber," he replied. "I'll duel you. But let's up the stakes. If you win, which you _won't,_ I'll let the both of you go. If you lose, your sister dies, and _you_ surrender your soul to my master."

Amber paused.

"Fine," she said.

"Amber, no!" shouted Jade. "It is not too late to run!"

"I'm sorry Jade," sighed Amber. "But I must… I made an oath last year…"

She paused.

"For years, I had been jealous of you," she started. "You and your utter perfection, knowing in my heart that you were better than I was… And when that madman Remi told me I could win you as my slave, it was an offer I couldn't resist…

"When that duel between us began, I was already plotting the first thing I was going to order you to do once I had you… it was a horrid thing. I won't say what it is here, but I shudder whenever I think of it.

"I cheated in order to win, but you won anyway, and the tables were turned on me. I was trapped in the Lamp of Obedience, and it was horrible. The inside of that thing was cold, dark, and silent…

"I knew the Law of the Lamp… you had every right to hold me captive forever. But after only a few days, you chose to let me go… You were bigger than I was.

"I made an oath on that day Jade… I swore that someday I would save your life in return for you sparing mine…

"And now I'm going to repay that oath!"

Jade sighed.

"Very well," she said. "I cannot stop you."

"Touching," smiled Naga. "Too bad your effort to repay your sister will end in your destruction! Because the day I can't defeat a pathetic pom-pom girl is the day I hang up my armor!"

He slipped his Disk on his hand and shuffled his deck.

Amber shuffled hers.

The two loaded their decks into their Disks, and the Disks activated. But while Amber's Disk was a standard Dueling Disk X-5500, Naga's was strangely different. The infernal looking device reeked of evil. (It was, in fact, the same "model" that the Rebecca-imp had used.)

The holo-imagers shot forth.

"Prepare for your first, last, and only official duel, girl!" warned Naga, as they drew their cards.

Jade watched with fear…


	44. Elegant Egotist

_**In the Battle City tournament, my mother dueled a man named Jean-Claude Magnum… He was a man whom I might have admired before I took up the sword. A Hollywood action hero, he was most known for starring in movies where Ninja were heroes. Everyone assumed him to be some martial arts master like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.**_

_**A year before Battle City, he met my mother, and was smitten with her, and asked her to marry him. She was repulsed, and rejected him. But she made a foolish statement – saying that she would marry him if he could ever defeat her in a duel.**_

_**She had no way of knowing he'd ever train to become a decent duelist and take her up on that offer in Battle City. **_

_**So the duel happened. As everyone knows, my mother used a deck based on Harpies. Magnum, naturally, used a deck based on Ninja Warrior Monsters. Fortunately, she defeated him, and Magnum was exposed for the fraud he was – a coward who couldn't do his own stunts if his life depended on it.**_

_**And now, my sister is about to duel my old enemy Naga, and I can't do more than sit helplessly and watch. Amber's deck mirrors our mother's… Naga's is similar to Magnum's…**_

_**But now… the stakes are much more deadly than they were all those decades ago…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Elegant Egotist**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius chuckled, as he looked into his viewing globe, with his captive behind him.

"Comfy, Kaiba?" he smiled.

"Step a little closer and ask that," dared Siegfried.

Saurius gave him a look.

"Maybe I can loosen your lips with a little demoralization, yes?" laughed Saurius.

He waved his hand, and the image on the globe projected like a screen.

"Watch," he said, "as two of your rescuers are cut down by one of my minions!"

"Don't count your fire-breathing chickens yet, Saurius," warned Siegfried.

"You really think that third-rate duelist can defeat Naga?" laughed Saurius.

"I do," said Siegfried.

"We'll soon see," chuckled Saurius.

_If only he knew, _thought Siegfried._ If only he knew of the dream I had just last night…_

_I dreamt that five duel Monsters were confronting this jerk, and the battle was intense – they were Dark Magician, Flame Swordsman, Don Zaloog, Archfiend Soldier, and Yamoto the Noble Samurai. Obviously, they were meant to represent Yugi, Mary, Clive, Peter, and Jade, respectively._

_At a crucial part of the dream, Saurius seemed to gain the upper hand, but then a sixth Monster joined the fight – it was Harpie Lady, and her presence started to turn the tide. Obviously, Amber plays a role in this whole thing as well._

_And I think she stands a good chance of winning this duel…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the wide entrance chamber, Naga scowled at Amber.

Jade struggled with the net that held her prisoner, but it was too tight.

"Listen here, girl," smiled Naga. "I'm willing to bet my sword that I'll defeat you in seven of my turns!"

"Your sword?" laughed Amber. "Don't be so sure. You're forgetting I saw most of your deck when you dueled my sister, and you've seen none of mine!"

_Heh, _thought Naga._ Little does she know, I've made some great improvements to my deck since then, with some help from Saurius, and some very rare cards…_

"Let's get this over with," growled Naga.

The scores each set to 8,000.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

"Feh," scoffed Naga. "Feel free to make the first move. Like it will matter…"

"Fine," said Amber. She made her first draw.

_Well, _she thought._ This will help…_

"I summon the mighty Birdface, in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

She slapped a card down on the Disk, and a screech sounded over the field. A tall humanoid form covered with golden feathers, with an eagle's head, and wings in place of arms appeared. He was wearing a dark blue breastplate as armor. He spread his wings and hovered over Amber's side of the field, eyeing Naga with his keen pupils. (1,600/1,600)

"And that will end my turn," she said.

_Come on, you freak, _she thought._ Take the bait!_

"Mighty?" laughed Naga. "I beg to differ…"

He drew.

"I summon my Strike Ninja, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and his black-garbed ninja holding two daggers materialized in gust of wind. (1,700/1,200)

"Go!" shouted Naga. "Strike daggers attack!"

Strike Ninja leapt up. He leapt off one wall, and then the other, and then flew towards Birdface, daggers first! Birdface screeched, and burst into an explosion of feathers.

"Bye-bye birdie," chuckled Naga, as Amber's Life Points dropped to 7,900.

"Thank you," smiled Amber. "You're too kind…"

"Huh?" said Naga.

Amber reached for her deck.

"When Birdface goes to the Card Graveyard," explained Amber, "I get to search my deck for a specific Monster and add it to my hand!"

She found what she needed and added the card to her hand. She plugged her deck back in, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"So, any other moves you'd like to make?" she said, nervously.

Naga looked at his hand.

"No, go on…"

Amber drew.

"In that case," she said. "I'll place one card facedown on the field…"

She slowly put a card into a slot.

"…and then, ready to meet the gal I searched for? I summon a girl known as… Harpie Lady 3, in Attack Mode!"

Another screech sounded over the field, and an elegant version of Mai Valentine's signature Monster appeared, with her emerald-green wings spread out. Her hair was blue and spiky, her hands and feet bore long talons, and she was dressed in a tight purple bodysuit with blue leggings.

She looked at Naga and his Strike Ninja with her big blue eyes and smiled. (1,300/1,400)

"I'll end my move there," said Amber.

"Don't make me laugh," chuckled Naga. "She's not even as strong as your first Monster!"

"Think so?" smiled Amber, suddenly sounding a little surer of herself.

"I know so!" laughed Naga, drawing.

_Heh, this will heat things up,_ he thought.

"Strike Ninja, attack her Harpie!" he shouted.

Strike Ninja leapt up in the air again, intent on delivering to Harpie Lady 3 the same fate as Birdface.

"Guess you aren't as smart as you claim," mocked Amber, hitting a button on her Disk. "Meet my mom's favorite Trap Card…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Mirror Wall!" she exclaimed.

A shimmering wall of glass blocked the Ninja's advance, and he howled in pain as he struck it.

"No!" shouted Naga. "That cuts the Attack of my Strike Ninja in half!"

Strike Ninja's Attack score dropped to 850!

"Making him easy prey for my Harpie Lady!" shouted Amber. She pointed. "Counter attack!"

Harpie Lady 3 flew forward, and swiped with her claw at Strike Ninja! His daggers fell to the floor with a clatter, and he fell dead. He vanished, and Harpie Lady 3 chirped with delight. Naga's Life Points fell to 7,550.

Naga growled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Seems your stupid henchman just screwed up," chuckled Siegfried. "A ten-year-old could have known that her card was a Trap."

"Kaiba, you're just _asking_ to die, aren't you?" warned Saurius.

"You won't kill me," smiled Siegfried. "How will you get your information then?"

Saurius turned back to the screen.

"The duel is far from over," sneered the demon, "and you know as well as I do that Amber's Trap is just as dangerous to her as it is for Naga…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Be careful, Amber! _thought Jade._ You know you have to spend Life Points to keep Mirror Wall in place! And you cannot spare many in a duel this vital!_

"It's still my turn, girl," scowled Naga. "So I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…"

He placed the card down, and the Monster appeared, facedown.

"And now," he laughed, lifting another card, "I'll strike directly at your Life Points… with Ookazi!"

He threw the card into a slot, and a burning orb formed on the ceiling. Amber screamed, as flames fell down upon her!

She gasped for breath, and looked down at herself. Her clothing was burned, as was some of her skin. Her Life Points fell to 7,100.

"What's the matter, Amber?" asked Naga. "Oh, right… You're new at this. You aren't used to suffering direct attacks!"

"I can adjust," panted Amber.

"We'll see," smiled Naga. "It's your move."

Amber drew. She smiled.

Her Life Points went down a chunk, to 5,100. Keeping the Mirror Wall in play was costly, but she had the cards in her hand now for a perfect combo.

She flicked her Field slot open.

"I'm playing my Field Spell Card…" she said, fitting a card into it.

Lights swirled around the chamber, and everything changed dramatically.

They had been transported out of the cavern to an outdoor locale, to a quarry-like pit amid mountains. Flying creatures passed by overhead among wispy clouds, and a chilling breeze filled the air. Harpie Lady 3 looked happier than ever.

"Where are we?" asked Naga.

"The Harpie Ladies' home," replied Amber. "It's a place called Harpie's Hunting Ground, and they are the masters here. This realm has two potent effects. First, whenever I summon a Harpie Lady or use Elegant Egotist to summon Harpie Lady Sisters, I can destroy one Magic or Trap card. Second, this place increases the Attack and Defense of all Winged Beasts by 200 points.

Harpie Lady 3's stats changed to (1,500/1,600).

Naga sneered.

"And I'm not done!" smiled Amber. "I'm also Equipping Harpie Lady 3 with this card… Cyber Shield!"

She fit the card into a slot, and Harpie Lady 3 stretched out her arms. Two golden armbands appeared on her, then two golden anklets, and then a golden breastplate. Her Attack score went up to 2,000.

"What do think?" asked Amber. "Be honest… be brutal!"

"Just attack, why don't you?" dared Naga.

"I don't think so, seeing as I don't trust your facedown Monster," said Amber. "So I'll place another card facedown, and that will end my move."

She slid the card into the slot, and it appeared behind her Harpie.

Naga drew. He chuckled.

"Well then," he said. "I'll flip-summon my hidden Monster… Crimson Ninja!"

The card flipped up, and a Ninja garbed in red carrying a long katana appeared. (300/300)

"He may be weak," laughed Naga, "but when he's summoned, he can destroy any Trap Card!"

Crimson Ninja made two slashes with his sword, and the Mirror Wall shattered into shards of glass.

"Heh," chuckled Amber. "A waste of time. I was going to deactivate it on my next turn anyway. I couldn't spend another 2,000 Life Points…"

"Well, he's still useful," said Naga. "Because now I'm Tributing him for my Hebi-No-Ona!"

Crimson Ninja vanished, and a hissing noise came over the field. A woman in a fancy kimono and exotic hairstyle appeared in front of him. She drew back her long sleeves, revealing poisonous snakes in place of arms. She grinned a wicked grin. (1,900/1,200)

"Be careful, Amber!" shouted Jade.

"Be quiet, Jade!" snapped Naga.

"Don't worry sis," replied Amber. "I remember her. She can hypnotize a Monster and prevent it from attacking, right?"

"Right," replied Naga. "So even though your Harpie is stronger, she'll never reach her!"

_That's what you think…_ thought Amber.

"It's your move," said Naga.

Amber drew.

_Yes!_ she thought.

"Well Naga," she smiled, "I think Harpie Lady 3 looks a little lonely by herself, so…"

She placed a card down…

"Meet her sister, Harpie Lady 1!"

A new Harpie Lady appeared, with her wings stretched out. She was dressed the same as first, but had a different hairstyle – her hair was bright red, and was worn down and long. (1,300/1,400)

The two Harpies looked at each other and nodded.

"And wait until you see Harpie Lady 1's effect!" said Amber. "She raises the Attack power of all Wind Monsters on the field, herself included, by 300 points! And don't forget her boost from the Hunting Ground!"

Harpie Lady 1's stats went up to (1,800/1,600) while those of her sister went up to (2,300/1,600).

_What is she doing? _thought Naga._ My Hebi-No-Ona will take her out…_

"And now," smiled Amber, "I'll activate… Harpie Feather Storm!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and the two Harpies fluttered their wings. The air became full of green feathers! Hebi-No-Ona covered her eyes.

"What the?" said Naga.

"Harpie Lady 3," ordered Amber, "Attack her Hebi-No-Ona!"

Harpie Lady 3 flew into the air and dive-bombed the snake woman…

"Hebi-No-Ona, use your effect!" shouted Naga.

Hebi-No-Ona lifted her asps and opened her fanged mouth, staring the Harpie in the eyes…

But Harpie Lady 3 wasn't impressed. She landed talons-first on the evil Spellcaster, obliterating her!

Naga gasped as his Life Points fell to 7,100.

"But…" he gasped. "My Monster's effect…"

"That's why I activated Harpie Feather Storm," explained Amber. "So long as I have a Harpie on the field, I can activate this Trap to nullify the effect of one Monster!"

"Yeek…" gasped Naga.

"And I'm not through with you yet, Naga," smiled Amber. "Harpie Lady 1, attack him directly!"

Harpie Lady 1 shrieked in delight and pounced in Naga, stabbing her claws between his armor! He skidded back and held his chest in pain. Harpie Lady 1 gleefully licked the blood off her claws.

"Still want to call me an amateur?" asked Amber.

Naga held his chest as his Life Points fell to 5,300. He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Ruklamba the Spirit King in Defense Mode!" he yelled.

A frightening Monster appeared in front of him. It looked like a humanoid crocodile with watery eyes, rows of sharp teeth, a long tail and a mane of white hair. He chuckled at Amber. (1,000/2,000)

"What?" gasped Amber. "How could you summon a Monster when it was still my turn?"

"Ruklamba is a rare and powerful card," explained Naga. "Whenever I take more than 1,000 points of damage from a single source, I can special summon this guy to the field from my hand."

"Well, that's new," said Jade.

"And by the way, I have two more Ruklamba in case that happens again…"

"Fine," said Amber. "That defense won't help for long. I end my turn."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Funny," smiled Siegfried. "I always thought that snakes ate birds, not vice-versa."

"Be quiet," growled Saurius.

"Aw," mocked Siegfried. "What's the problem? Think you'll look bad if the guy _you_ helped train does badly? It would be awfully humiliating, wouldn't it?"

"Kaiba," warned Saurius, "if I were in your situation right now, I'd keep my trap shut…"

"But _I'm _the one in this situation," replied Siegfried, "and if I dwell on it too much, I'd likely lose my mind. So kindly let me keep my sanity in my own way, if you don't mind…"

Saurius frowned.

_Never before have I seen someone with such willpower… _he thought._ Naga had better win… seeing those two sisters fall will certainly take the fight out of him…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My draw now," said Naga.

He drew.

Jade struggled against the net that bound her again…

"Pardon me for a minute, Amber," grinned Naga.

He tapped a button on his belt, and electricity coursed through the net! Jade screamed.

"I suggest you sit still, Jade," growled Naga.

"Stop it, you creep!" shouted Amber.

"I'll stop shocking her if she stops squirming!" yelled Naga. "Now where were we?"

He looked at the card he just drew, and then at the cards in his hand.

He chuckled inside.

"I'll place a card facedown…" he said.

He fit the card into the slot, and it materialized in front of him.

"And then I'll summon this Warrior in Attack Mode… Ninja Commander Ikusa!"

He put the card down, and a sound like a gong sounded. A green swirl formed on his side of the field, and a Ninja garbed in green, with a crescent moon symbol on the forehead of his mask, appeared, clasping his arms. (700/700)

"And now," said Naga, reaching for his deck, "I'm activating Ikusa's special effect…"

Another gong sounded, and Ninja Commander Ikusa turned into a blur. A second Ninja formed out of his body, this one looking like Ikusa, but dressed in blue. (400/400)

"Huh?" said Amber.

'The Ninjitsu Art of Multiplicity!" laughed Naga. "So long as I summon Ikusa in Attack Mode, I can special summon Ninja Soldier Katana to the field!"

"Big deal," laughed Amber. "My Harpies can take them both out without half-trying!"

"Can you now?" smiled Naga. "Then by all means, try. I'm ending my turn."

Amber looked at the two of them hard.

_That facedown card HAS to be a Trap, _she thought,_ and attacking might be risky…_

She drew.

_Well, just in case…_

"I'm placing this card facedown," she said, fitting it into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

"Now, Harpie Lady 3, attack his Ninja Soldier!"

Harpie Lady 3 flew into the air and dove at Ninja Soldier Katana!

"I activate Ninja Smoke Ball!" shouted Naga, as his Trap Card lifted.

Katana produced a grenade and hurled it at the Harpie! It burst into a cloud of black smoke, and everyone on Amber's side – her and her two Harpies – started to cough and choke.

"That Ninja accessory will keep your Monsters from attacking me for the rest of your turn," chuckled Naga.

"Fine," coughed Amber. "It's your move then…"

Naga drew.

_This will be good for later,_ he said.

"Now then…" he said.

He removed his two Monster Cards and placed down another one.

"…I Tribute both my Ninja… he said.

The sky darkened over Harpie's Hunting Ground, and lightning flashed… The two Ninja vanished…

"…and I summon my mighty Ninja King!" he shouted.

"No…" whispered Jade.

From out of the darkness, a tall Warrior dressed in black with decorative gold trim emerged. He glared with evil eyes, and drew two large katana blades from sheaths on his back. He glared at the two Harpies… (2,600/1,600)

The two Harpies shuddered in fear…

"It seems the hunters have become the hunted!" said Naga. "Ninja King, attack Harpie Lady 1 with Ninjitsu slash!"

Ninja King leapt in the air and did a double-flip…

"You aren't the only one who can defend his Monsters!" shouted Amber. "I activate Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation!"

As the Trap Card lifted, the two Harpies screamed and took to the air. The merged into one giant bird, and Ninja King was thrown back! He landed on his seat with a gasp.

"What?" said Naga.

"This trick works just like Waboku," smiled Amber. "But I need two Harpies on the field to activate it."

Jade sighed with relief.

"Fine," growled Naga.

He took a card from his hand.

"I'll end my move by playing Mystik Wok," he said, putting a card into a slot.

A huge Chinese wok appeared on his side of the field.

"With this Spell Card," he explained, "I can sacrifice one Monster, and raise my Life Points by either its Attack or Defense Score…"

Ruklamba the Spirit King leapt into the Mystik Wok, and flames erupted under it.

"…so I'll sacrifice Ruklamba and gain his Defense Score!"

The Spirit King turned into smoke, and it flowed into Naga.

"Mmm," he chuckled. "Has a nice smell, doesn't it…"

His life Points went up to 7,300.

"It's your move," he said, as the Wok vanished, "but I doubt that protection will last more than a round…"

_He's right, _thought Amber, as the huge sparrow turned back into two Harpies._ I can beat that Ninja King, but I don't have the right cards in my hand… _

She drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed," she said, placing it into a slot.

The laughing Pot appeared, and spit out two cards. She drew two.

_Not bad…_ she thought.

"Okay Naga," she said. "I'm shifting both my Harpies into Defense Mode…"

She turned both cards, and the two Harpies shielded themselves with their wings.

"And I'll also summon my last Harpie in Defense Mode," she said. "Say hello to Harpie Lady 2!"

She put the card down, and the third member of the triplets appeared. Dressed like the other two, her red hair was worn short with a peak in the front. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,800/1,600)

She also shielded herself with her wings.

"And also, a card facedown," she continued, putting the card into a slot. It appeared behind the three Harpies.

"Make your move," said Amber.

"I will," grinned Naga.

He drew, and smiled.

"I'm activating a Trap, Naga!" said Amber.

"Huh?" he said.

Her card lifted, showing two goofy looking Monsters.

"It's called Taunt," explained Amber, "and I'm directing it towards Harpie Lady 3! That means, if you want to attack with any Monsters this round, you have to attack her first!"

"Fine," said Naga, with an evil grin. "But first I'll attack _you_…"

He threw a card into a slot.

"…with another Ookazi!"

Amber screamed as flames fell from the heavens over Harpie's Hunting Ground, striking her and burning her again!

Her Life Points fell to 4,300.

"Hot Amber?" he gloated. "That was nothing. You'll find the fires of Hell a thousand times hotter!"

She glared at him.

"Now where were we?" he smiled. "Oh yes, your Harpies. You think you can save your Life Points by putting them in Defense, but they won't be defending for long…"

He threw a card into a slot.

"…because I play Destroy Defense!"

The three Harpies leapt up into Attack Mode, as Jade gasped in horror.

"Now you can't defend for three rounds," said Naga, "and by then, you'll be overwhelmed!

"So I can only attack Harpie Lady 3, huh? Very well…

"Ninja King, attack Harpie Lady 3 with Ninjitsu slash!"

Ninja King leapt in the air, did the same double flip, and dove at Harpie Lady 3, swords first! She screamed as she was cut in half!

"How do you like that?" laughed Naga, as Amber's Life Points fell to 4,000.

"I absolutely love it!" cackled Amber. "Take a look at your Ninja King!"

Ninja King gasped… and then he froze, turning to stone!

"What the?" shouted Naga. "What did you do?"

"I may have lost a Monster and 300 Life Points," explained Amber, "but by destroying Harpie Lady 3, you activated her special effect. Any of your Monsters who battles her, whether she survives or not, can't attack for two of your turns!"

Naga looked ready to explode.

"You really should have waited a round," chuckled Amber. "The Taunt only lasted one round."

"Laugh now," snarled Naga. "We'll see who's laughing when this is over!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius growled.

"Seems like your friend just hit rock bottom," smiled Siegfried.

"Laugh while you can," frowned Saurius. "Naga has a big lead, and Harpie Lady 3's curse will wear off in two turns. I doubt that your would-be savior has anything in her deck that can destroy Ninja King."

"Amber will prevail, fiend," scowled Siegfried.

"You're certainly putting a lot of faith in someone whom you didn't even invite to compete in your tournament, Kaiba," frowned Saurius.

Then he grinned.

"On the other hand, you _did_ invite Naga… And you decided who to invite…"

"It was a different situation then than it is now," sneered Siegfried. "Naga had won several tournaments in China, so I couldn't turn him down… and I had no idea he'd be a threat. Amber on the other hand, hadn't won anything, and there was a slim possibility that she _would_ have been a threat after the thing in New York. If Jade hadn't argued with me on her behalf, I'd never have let her set foot on Duelatopia at all – I see I was wrong now; on both counts."

"You invited Clive and Peter," said Saurius. "From what I know, they'd never won any tournaments."

"True," smiled Siegfried. "I invited them so they'd help kick your scaly ass! I knew I'd need allies once you did this."

"Fine," growled Saurius, getting in his face. "But once Jade and Amber are disposed of, I have plans for ALL of your allies… and maybe once they are gone, you'll be more cooperative…"

He bore a single claw and slowly scratched Siegfried's face, drawing blood.

"It's only a matter of time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Amber drew.

"Ugh, I pass this turn," she groaned.

"Fine," said Naga, "Now maybe I'll get something worth using…"

He drew.

"No, this is no good… I'll pass as well."

At that, Amber burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" demanded Naga.

"Do you know what you just did, Naga?" laughed Amber.

"I passed, so make your move!" he shouted.

"Can't you count?" chuckled Amber. "You just ended your seventh turn, and you haven't defeated me yet! Seems you lost that wager you made, big guy."

Naga just stared into space. He had forgotten all about that.

Jade's reaction to this was amazing. _She_ actually laughed.

"The man who makes foolish wagers tends to lose them, Naga," she said.

Naga turned to her, and hit the button on his belt. Jade screamed as the net shocked her again!

"Naga, stop that!" shouted Amber.

"Jade, you should know better than to laugh at someone who's in the position to cause you such pain!" yelled Naga.

"And as for you," he said to Amber, "I won't have to give you my sword when your body is a soulless shell. Now make your move!"

_Okay, _thought Amber._ I know there's something in this deck that can destroy his Ninja King… remember what Jade always says… have faith in yourself, and the Heart of the Cards will come through…_

She drew her card.

"All right!" she smiled. "Take _this, _Naga!"

She threw a Spell Card into a slot. It revealed itself…

"I play… Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation!"

The two Harpies on the field glowed with fiery light. They took to the air, and formed into a giant, flaming bird!

"What's happening?" shouted Naga in fear.

"This powerful card can only be played when I have two or more Harpies on the field," said Amber, but when I do, the results are devastating! I can destroy one opposing Monster for every Harpie present!"

The firebird shot forth a volley of fireballs, and Ninja King was incinerated!

"NOOO!" shouted Naga.

"And that's not all," smiled Amber. "When a Monster is destroyed by Phoenix Formation, its owner loses Life Points equal to the full Attack Score of the destroyed Monster! So you lose a whopping 2,600 Life Points!"

Naga screamed as his score plummeted to 4,700.

Naga was starting to panic, but then he realized what he could do. He threw a card on his Disk.

"Then I can still summon another Ruklamba the Spirit King in Defense Mode!" he shouted, throwing it down.

Another reptilian beast that looked like a twin of the first one appeared. (1,000/2,000)

"Fine," grinned Amber, "I end my turn."

The fire went out, and the two Harpies returned to normal.

Naga drew.

_Nobleman-Eater Bug! _he thought, looking at the card._ When this Monster is flipped, it will destroy two of her Monsters! Just what I needed! Problem is, it needs a Tribute to summon…_

He looked at his cards.

_This will do nicely,_

"Okay, girl," he said, "I'm placing a card facedown…"

He put a card into a slot, and it appeared.

"And then I'll summon Kunoichi Ayame, the Ninja Girl!"

He put another card down, and another Warrior appeared in a puff of smoke. It was a young girl in a maroon _gi_ with her hair in a ponytail, and a small sword strapped to her back. (300/300)

_Now why did he summon someone that weak?_ thought Amber.

She drew and added the card to her hand.

"Harpie Lady 2, destroy the Girl!" she commanded.

Harpie Lady 2 shrieked and flew forward…

"Activate... Ninja Smoke Ball!" exclaimed Naga, as his Trap Card lifted.

The Ninja Girl threw the grenade, and again, the smokescreen exploded. Amber coughed as the attack was blocked.

"Fine," she said. "Your turn."

Naga drew.

"Now, I Tribute my Ninja Girl for a Monster which I'll put facedown in Defense Mode," he announced.

Kunoichi Ayame vanished, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Ooh, sneaky!" giggled Amber.

"Just try to attack it," dared Naga. He waved to signify the end of his turn.

"Oh, I will," exclaimed Amber, making a draw. "Harpie Lady 2, attack that facedown Monster!"

Harpie Lady 2 took to the air and dove talons-first at the card. A huge creature that looked like a Man-Eater Bug, but larger, bulkier, and with a golden exoskeleton appeared on it, with saliva dripping from its mandibles!

"Ha!" shouted Naga. "Fooled you!"

"Did you?" smiled Amber.

Harpie Lady 2 landed on the Bug, and tore it apart, sending pieces of bug-splat flying.

And she and her sister were unharmed.

"WHAT?" gasped Naga. "But it should have destroyed your two Harpies!"

"Why do you think I attacked with Harpie Lady 2?" said Amber with a smile. "She has her own special ability – she nullifies the flip-effect of any Monster she flips! So your Bug's effect didn't work."

_Yes! _she thought._ I think I'm getting the hang of this!_

"I'll end my turn now," she said.

Naga was truly getting angry. He couldn't understand in his boundless ego why he hadn't crushed his opponent yet. It didn't make sense – he was a better duelist than she was…

Wasn't he?

Doubt started to weigh in his mind, as he drew his next card…

"I play Graceful Charity!" he said.

He plugged the card in, and as usual, the angel flew into his deck. He drew three cards.

"I'll just discard these," he said, making his discards.

"Now, I'll place two cards facedown…" he said, fitting them into slots.

The cards appeared.

"And, I'll summon Lady Ninja Yae in Defense Mode."

He placed the hard down, and a gust of wind came over his side. A female Ninja in a silvery jumpsuit with long, green hair, holding a long knife, materialized out of the wind. (1,100/200) –)(1,400/200)

"What?" exclaimed Naga. "She gained Attack points?"

"She must be a Wind Monster," mused Amber. "Harpie Lady 1 bestows her bonus on your Monsters too. Too bad it isn't enough for her to defeat my Harpies."

"Then it's your move," frowned Naga.

Amber drew.

"All right!" she said.

:"I play my favorite Spell Card!" she smiled, throwing it into a slot.

The card revealed itself.

"Elegant Egotist!" she said.

She reached for her deck and found a card.

"This lets me summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck!" she said, placing a card down.

A swirling triangle appeared, and a triad of Harpies appeared next to the other two. (1,950/2,100) –) (2,450/2,300)

"And thanks to the Hunting Ground effects," smiled Amber, "I get to wipe out one of your facedown cards!"

The Sisters pointed, and one of the cards shattered!

"My Sakuretsu Armor!" screamed Naga.

And since that was a special summon," said Amber, I also summon this little spitfire – meet Harpie Girl, in Attack Mode!"

She put down a card, and a creature that looked both adorable and dangerous at the same time appeared. It was a young girl with long blonde hair, dressed in a skimpy black outfit, with sharp talons for hands and feet, large pink wings and a pink feather in her hair. She gave a big smile and the other Harpies smiled back. (500/500) – (1,000/700)

"Who the…" said Naga.

"This is the Harpie's newly-hatched little sister," exclaimed Amber. She looks up to her older siblings and strives to be just like them someday… And now I'm giving her a chance!"

Jade smiled. She clearly saw the parallel between Harpie Girl and Amber herself, even though she was, in effect, a year younger than Amber.

"Now to wipe out your defenses!" said Amber. "Harpie Lady Sisters, destroy Ruklamba with triangle ecstasy attack!"

The three Sisters pooled their energy, and a glowing triangle appeared in front of them. It shot forward, and the Spirit King screamed. He was vaporized.

"Now, Harpie Girl, destroy Lady Ninja Yae!" shouted Amber with glee.

Harpie Girl giggled and flew down, intent on turning Yae into a meal…

"I activate… Ninjitsu Art of Decoy!" shouted Naga.

"What?" said Amber. "A Trap?"

"Yes!" shouted Naga, as it lifted. "And I direct it towards Lady Ninja Yae!"

Lady Ninja Yae, moved quickly out of the way, and a stuffed scarecrow appeared in her place. Harpie Girl struck, destroying the decoy. She looked surprised.

She shrugged at Amber.

Lady Ninja Yae moved back into position and gave Harpie Girl a mean look.

"What happened?" asked Amber.

"You ever hear of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian?" asked Naga. "The same power applies to any Ninja who's under the effect of this Continuous Trap. So long as it remains, Lady Ninja Yae can't be destroyed in battle."

"You mean I can't attack?" asked Amber, in surprise.

"You can," replied Naga, "it just won't work!"

Amber sighed. "Then I end my turn," she said.

Naga drew.

"Remember THIS Amber?" he chuckled.

He showed her the card. It was a third Ookazi.

"NO!" shouted Amber.

"Oh yes," smiled Naga, throwing it into the slot. "Burn!"

Amber screamed as fire rained from the sky of the Hunting Ground again, mercilessly striking her! She fell over.

"Too bad that was my last Ookazi," laughed Naga, "I'd _love_ to do that again!"

The Harpies on Amber's side glared at him in anger.

The score stood with Amber at 3,200, and Naga at 4,700.

Amber got up, and she was clearly hurt. Her clothes were mostly burned away, leaving her with torn shorts and a ragged bikini top. Her skin was pretty seared as well. Fortunately, Naga still couldn't defeat her Monsters.

"Since I don't have anything else useful to use," said Naga, "I'm ending my turn."

Amber drew.

"Nothing useful to use, Naga?" she mused. "Well maybe I can help. I'm playing the Spell Card, Card Destruction!"

She fit it into the slot.

"You know the rules, Naga," she said.

Amber discarded her five cards, and drew another five.

"As you wish," said Naga. He also discarded and drew a new hand.

"And it looks like I got just the cards I needed!" smiled Amber. "I'll play the Spell Card Cost Down!"

She fit the card into the slot.

"I'll just discard this…" she said, discarding a card.

"…and I'll Tribute my Harpie Girl to summon one of my most powerful Monsters!"

Harpie Girl vanished… and then an explosion appeared on the field!

From out of the explosion, a huge, maroon-colored Dragon with huge wings appeared! A bejeweled crown was on her head like a skullcap, and a golden chained leash was around her sinewy neck.

She grinned at Naga, smoke pouring from her jaws.

"Harpie's Pet Dragon!" shouted Amber.

(2,000/2,500)

"Good lord!" screamed Naga.

"And," continued Amber, "since this lovable creature is a Wind Monster, she gains the benefit from Harpie Lady 1… plus, with Harpie Lady 1 and Harpie Lady 2 on the field, she gains 300 additional attack points for each of them!"

(2,900/2,500)

"Doesn't matter!" stammered Naga, in fear. "So long as Ninjitsu Art of Decoy is in place, my Ninja will dodge every attack!"

"It can't protect you forever…" scolded Amber. "So I'm ending my turn by placing this card facedown."

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind her force of Monsters.

"Very well," said Naga, "I draw!"

"And I play a Trap Card," laughed Amber, hitting her Disk. "It's called Prophesy!"

"Prophesy?" asked Naga.

"A simple game," explained Amber. "You have to choose a Monster Card from your hand, assuming you have one… Don't show it to me…"

Naga looked at his hand, and picked a card.

"Good," smiled Amber. "Now, if I can guess whether the Attack Score of that Monster is less than or greater than 2,000, I get to take it!"

Naga gasped.

Jade sighed.

_So she still has that card, _she thought._ When she used it against me in New York, she was cheating by looking at my hand – now she must rely on luck if she wishes to disarm Naga…_

"Okay, let me think," said Amber. "I do believe…"

Naga looked at the card with worried eyes.

_He wants that card! thought Amber. It must be powerful!_

"I believe that it is indeed over 2,000!" she exclaimed.

"DAMN!" cursed Naga.

"Yes, I was right!" laughed Amber. "Well, kindly hand it over, Naga!"

Amber threw it at her. "Choke on it!" he shouted.

Amber picked it up.

"Well, well," she said. "Your Manticore of Darkness, huh? This is what you use for that Ninjitsu Art of Transformation thing, huh?"

"Just let me finish my move, huh?" cursed Naga.

He took the card he had just drawn.

"I play Pot of Greed!"

He played the Spell Card, and the big green card dispenser appeared on his side this time.

He drew two cards, and looked at them.

He looked at Amber with an evil expression.

"Time to end this Amber," he smiled. "I'm playing Premature Burial!"

He slid the card into the slot, and it appeared. His Life Points fell to 3,900.

A rumbling was heard on his side, and a large form crawled out of the ground.

"Look familiar?" smiled Naga.

Ninja King had returned.

(2,600/1,600)

"No!" gasped Amber.

"All I need to do is destroy Harpie Lady 1," said Naga, "and your Dragon will be too weak to defeat him! But since I'm getting sick of looking at you, I'm going to make it quicker, with this little Equip Card…"

He revealed the other card he had drawn.

"Let me tell you a short story," started Naga. "Once there was a member of a barbarian tribe who was, by all accounts, the runt of the litter. While all his comrades were strong, he was weak! He wanted to be strong like all his friends.

"So, he delved into magic that he shouldn't have, and awakened a demon from a thousand-year slumber. He asked the demon for a weapon that would make him incredibly strong. The demon gave him such a weapon – all the while smiling inside, because the demon knew that with all such wishes came a price!

"You see, the sword that the warrior received did make him very strong, but it also made him forget all of his defensive strategies. Eventually, he started taking foolish risks, and he and his tribe suffered as a result. Even worse, he found that he couldn't throw the sword away or destroy it. Eventually, he perished after taking the most foolish risk of all.

"His kin buried the cursed sword, and from that point on, it became known…"

He threw the Spell Card into a slot.

"…as the SWORD OF RECKLESSNESS!"

Ninja King sheathed his two katana, and a huge sword with a skull-like hilt and a blade made of blood-red crystal appeared in his hand.

"In game terms," continued Naga, "to use this Equip, Ninja King has to sacrifice ALL his Defense points, but his Attack points are raised by 1,500! Plus, there is no way to destroy the sword other than destroying him!"

(4,100/0)

"Oh… my… God…" gasped Amber.

"Now my Ninja King," ordered Naga. "Destroy Harpie Lady 1!"

Ninja King raised the Sword of Recklessness to the sky and slammed it to the ground. A shock wave blasted forth, and Harpie Lady 1 screamed. She was blown away in a burst of feathers.

The results had repercussions for the rest of Amber's Monsters. Harpie Lady 2's attack fell to 1,500, the Sister's to 2,150, and the Dragon to 2,300.

And Amber's Life Points plummeted to 900.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius laughed out loud.

"What do you think of your mighty heroine and her birds now, Kaiba?" he cackled. "I knew that Equip Card I gave Naga would come in handy!"

Siegfried didn't answer.

"The silent treatment, huh?" laughed Saurius. "Maybe now you're starting to realize the incredible power I possess. Well, it will soon be over, and little Amber's soul will soon be mine…

"Then I'll have a choice to make…

"Whether I should send it to burn in Phlegethos, or freeze in Cania?"

"It isn't over yet, demon," said Siegfried, through his teeth.

"What, hoping for some miracle, Kaiba?" laughed Siegfried. "You are pathetic…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I… I'm not finished yet, Naga!" gasped Amber.

She drew.

_This Trap can't help, _she thought,_ but I might as well put it down on the field…_

"I'm placing a card facedown," she said. "And moving all my Monsters to Defense Mode."

She set the card and turned her other cards. The facedown card appeared, and her Harpies shielded themselves with their wings, as did her Dragon.

"Y-your move," she stammered.

"Scared?" he said. "Good…"

He drew.

"Perfect," he said.

"I'll Tribute my Lady Ninja Yae to summon my Ghostfaced Ninja!" he said.

Lady Ninja Yae vanished, as did the Trap Card supporting her, but the sinister Ninja Master appeared, wearing his dark kimono and frightening mask, and holding his huge spear. (2,000/1,500)

"I may have lost Ninjitsu Art of Decoy," said Naga, "but as you know, this Ninja has a fifty percent chance to avoid any attack. And by the way, I didn't get a chance to enact Ninja King's effect during the duel you saw with Jade…"

Ghostfaced Ninja's Attack Score started to rise.

"But while he's on the field, all other Ninja have their attack scores doubled!"

Ghostfaced Ninja's Attack climbed to 4,000.

Amber started to sweat.

"Moron," said Jade. "You could have shifted Yae into Attack Mode last turn and destroyed her other Harpie."

"I know…" said Naga, in a sinister voice. "But I couldn't have won then. And where would the fun have been in that? I want to see her suffer Jade… and I want you to watch as she suffers! My revenge will be all the sweeter…

"Now, Ghostfaced Ninja, destroy Harpie Lady 2!"

Ghostfaced Ninja leapt up in the air, and drove his spear into Harpie Lady 2. She gasped, and fell to the ground a crumpled bloody mess.

"Ninja King, destroy the Sisters!" he commanded.

Ninja King slammed the sword tom the ground again, and the three Harpies shrieked. They burst, and were gone.

Harpie's Pet Dragon was aghast. Her stats returned to their original level. (2,000/2,500).

"Only your Dragon left," chuckled Naga. "Time for you to make your last move…"

_I'm finished… _thought Amber with a tear in her eye.

_I'm sorry sis, but I failed you… I tried my best… I…_

She paused.

_No! _she thought._ I can do this… There's gotta be something in this deck that can help…_

She slowly drew.

She looked at the card.

_Huh?_

She looked at it again.

_The card Yugi gave me!_ she thought.

She looked at the field.

_This just might do it!_

"Okay, Naga," she exclaimed, "Time to regain control!"

"Huh?" said Naga.

"Meet my Ritual Card!" shouted Amber, plugging it into the slot. "A little thing called Chant of the Harpies!"

A large altar decorated with birdlike totems and fetishes appeared on her side, and the three Harpie Ladies appeared Circling over it.

"For this ceremony, I need to sacrifice six levels worth of Monsters," said Amber, "and your Manticore of Darkness should do the job!"

She threw the card down, and Manticore of Darkness appeared on the altar. The three Harpies started to sing in their screeching voices, and winds picked up over the entire Hunting Ground. The Manticore was consumed, as was the altar.

And then, a large form flew out of the sky. She looked like a Harpie Lady, but more beautiful than the others, with long, golden hair, platinum armor, and metallic wings. She was decked in gold jewelry and a crown.

"Meet the one whom the Harpies call master," proclaimed Amber. "_**Calypso the Harpie Queen**_!"

(1,900/1,900)

"Puh-lease!" mocked Naga. "Both my Ninja are more than twice as strong!"

"Wait until you see her effect!" laughed Amber. "When she summoned, she can summon up to three of her subjects from the Graveyard!"

Calypso chanted in a musical voice, and cast a spell. Her hands glowed. Three glowing lights appeared beside her.

Harpie Ladies 1, 2, and 3 returned. (1,300/1,400 x3)

"Now watch, as all my Monsters receive bonuses!"

The three normal Harpies' scores were increased to (1,800/1,600), Calypso was increased to (2,400/2,100), and Harpie's Pet Dragon went up to (3,200/2,500).

"Big deal!" laughed Naga. "None of them are strong enough to take down either of my Ninja."

"Naga, your overconfidence will be your downfall," sighed Amber. "Have you forgotten that Harpie's Hunting Ground allows me to destroy a Magic or Trap Card whenever I summon a Harpie? I just summoned three of them!"

"I thought we established that the Sword of Recklessness can't be destroyed," frowned Naga.

"True," nodded Amber, "but there's another card you have on the field…"

Naga looked down.

"NO!" he screamed. "My Premature Burial!"

"Right!" affirmed Amber.

The Premature Burial card shattered.

"Argh!" shouted Naga. "Without that…"

"…your Ninja King returns to the Graveyard…" smiled Amber.

The ground opened up, and Ninja King was swallowed.

"And without him," continued Amber, "Ghostfaced Ninja returns to his original level!"

Ghostfaced Ninja's attack returned to 2,000.

Naga was speechless.

"Now, to make sure your Ninja _can't_ avoid this next attack, I'll activate my Trap Card…"

She hit the button, and it lifted.

"…another Harpie Feather Storm!"

The Harpies waved their wings, and their feathers filled the air!

"Calypso, destroy Ghostfaced Ninja with Harpie's windstorm!" she commanded.

Calypso flung her wings forwards and backwards, and a huge cyclone erupted over the field. Ghostfaced Ninja struggled to keep his footing, but he was blown away, and shattered into dark pixels.

Naga's Life Points fell to 3,600.

"Harpie's Pet Dragon, attack Naga directly!" she shouted.

The Dragon growled. She inhaled, and shot forth a searing blast of fire! Naga screamed as he was toasted extra-crispy!

His Life Points plummeted to 400.

"Well Naga?" asked Amber. "aren't you going to summon your third Ruklamba? You just took more that 1,000 points of damage…"

Naga started to sweat.

Amber certainly knew that with no cards in his hand, he couldn't possibly.

"Well, it's your funeral," sighed Amber. "Harpie Lady 1, finish him off!"

The Harpie screeched, as she bore down and swiped at Naga, knocking him down and depleting his Life Points.

"Yes!" shouted Amber.

The three normal Harpies chirped happily, and their pet roared. Calypso turned to Amber and smiled.

And then they and their home all vanished. Amber's wounds healed, and her clothes were restored.

"Well Naga," smiled Amber, "looks like you lose, and I get to keep my soul…"

Naga got up, seething in rage. He stared at Amber.

_Look at her… _he thought._ That little brat… she mocks me… I'll wipe that smile off her pretty face!_

He drew his sword.

"Amber!" he shouted, lifting it. "I may not have the satisfaction of outdueling you, but I'll still have the satisfaction of _slaying_ you!"

He shouted and charged… Amber screamed.

"Prepare to die, bi…" he started.

And then he halted…

He dropped his sword and clutched his head.

"M-master?" he gasped. "N-no! Please! Please don't be angry!"

Saurius's voice sounded over the chamber, and he was furious.

"Naga," he growled. "I gave you a chance, I gave you all the help I could… and yet, you couldn't beat one pathetic… sorority chick?"

"I tried my hardest!" he pleaded, clutching his head. He ripped his helmet off. "Forgive me!"

"You are nothing but a waste and a disappointment Naga," growled Saurius, "and I can't have such a colossal failure as you getting in my way…"

The S brand on Naga's forehead began to burn!

Then Naga screamed in agony, as his skin began to glow red. It seemed as if his insides were on fire!

Jade and Amber watched in horror as he was consumed from within! Within seconds, he was gone, and his armor clattered to floor.

Amber paused for a minute, and then she ran up to her sister.

"You okay?" she asked, as she struggled to undo the net that held her.

"I will be," said Jade.

It was difficult, as the net had bound her tightly. It took Amber a full five minutes to get Jade free.

"You fought well sister," said Jade, retrieving her own sword from where it had fallen. "I'd say you are now fully forgiven for what you tried to do to me last year… but tell me one thing…"

"Yes?" asked Amber.

"You mentioned before this thing started the first thing you were going to order me to do if you had won that duel against me," said Jade. "Might I inquire…"

Tears came to Amber's face.

"I told you, it was something horrible," sobbed Amber. "I hate myself every time I think about it…"

Jade put her hand on Amber's shoulder.

"Perhaps if you confessed and told me," she said. "The truth will set you free, Amber."

Amber was still crying. "Okay…" she wept.

She paused.

"I… I…" she muttered. "I was going to throw a huge party for all my male friends… and force you to perform as a nude dancer… It would be my way of proving to everyone that I had dominated you…"

Tears flowed from her eyes. She looked at Jade, half expecting her to be furious.

"Well," said Jade. "Do you not feel better now that you told me?"

Amber paused.

"Um… maybe…" she said, calming down. "You aren't angry?"

"No," said Jade. "I almost expected it. Things were different then."

She walked over to what was left of Naga.

"Now, one thing remains, and then we will be on our way…"

She picked up Naga's sword and placed it in the sheath.

"Naga made you a wager that he would defeat you in seven of his turns," said Jade. "He could not defeat you at all…"

She held the sword out to Amber.

"What?" gasped Amber, surprised. "You mean I can keep it?"

"He owes it to you," said Jade. "Just do not try to use it – you are untrained. Keep it as memento of this victory."

Amber's hands shook as she took the weapon. She slowly slung the katana over her back.

"Now," said Jade. "Let us find the others."

They walked out of the chamber and into the long, dark hallway.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well," frowned Siegfried, "if that's the way you treat your servants, it's a wonder anyone works for you."

"Be quiet…" growled Saurius, fingering a dagger.

"And I guess it doesn't say much for your skills as a Duel Monsters trainer either," continued Siegfried.

"Be quiet," snarled Saurius.

"I mean it isn't every day that a minion of the Underworld is beaten by a 'pathetic sorority chick', wouldn't you say?"

"**Be quiet**," scowled Saurius.

"If all of your duelists are this bad, you're in serious trouble. Kind of up the River Styx without a paddle…"

"**BE QUIET!**" yelled Saurius.

He threw the dagger at his prisoner, and it landed in the wall two inches to the left of his ear.

"Did I mention your aim is lousy?" chuckled Siegfried.

"I missed on purpose," sneered Saurius. "I could have hit you if I wanted to."

"Of course," chuckled Siegfried. "If you kill me, how will you make me talk? Say, I have an idea, how about you just read my mind and find out what you need to know that way?"

Saurius growled.

"Oh, did I just hit a nerve?" asked Siegfried. "You can't, can you?"

"Of course I can!" snapped Saurius.

"I know more about you than you think," smiled Siegfried. "I did research. The Archlords cursed you when you were banished so you would still have to comply with one of their most sacred rules, one that you hated – granting mortals free will.

"So you can't invade someone's mind unless you ask permission first… Nor can you force a mortal to serve you against his will. He has to be tempted or persuaded. Or threatened. You have limitations, Saurius, and the fact that you have them drives you crazy…"

Saurius got in his face again.

"A member of your kind once said," scowled the demon, "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing…"

His viewing globe flashed. He looked to it.

"Hmm," he said.

"Mordent!" he said.

"Yes master?" said the servant.

"It seems my hunch was right…" said Saurius. "Our competitor's plan has reached a crashing failure…

"And Yugi and his friends should be back on our case shortly.

"Inform our second recruit that she will be needed in Malasta's temple soon. In the meantime, watch our prisoner…

"I'm going on a short errand. I shouldn't be more than a half-hour…"

He folded his wings, and vanished into his black portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RUKLAMBA THE SPIRIT KING**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description: **When you take at least 1,000 points of battle damage from a single battle, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. By offering this card as a Tribute during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon any number of Monsters from your hand whose combined total ATK does not exceed 2,000.

_Note: "Ruklamba the Spirit King" was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NINJA COMMANDER IKUSA**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 700  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description: **When this card is Normal Summoned, you may Special Summon one "Ninja Soldier Katana" in Attack Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NINJA SOLDIER KATANA**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 400

**Flavor Text: **This assassin is a longtime partner of Ninja Commander Ikusa, and is never far behind.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KUNOICHI AYAME, THE NINJA GIRL**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 300

**Flavor Text: **The youngest of the Ninja clan, this teenage assassin's skill is limited, but she is believed to have potential.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NINJA SMOKE BALL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **This card's image was not shown.

**Card Description: **Activate when a "Ninja" Monster you control is the target of an attack. Negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

_Note: The proceeding four cards were first used by Jean Claude Magnum in the original anime episode "Lights, Camera, Duel!" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HARPIE FEATHER STORM (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A flurry of feathers.

**Card Description: **Activate only during your turn when you control 2 or more "Harpie Lady" Monsters. Negate the effect of one opposing Monster for the remainder of the round.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HARPIE LADY – SPARROW FORMATION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A brown bird in the middle of a rune-inscribed circle.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack, and you control 2 or more "Harpie Lady Monsters". Negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HARPIE LADY – PHOENIX FORMATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A phoenix in the middle of a rune-inscribed circle.

**Card Description: **Activate when you control at least 1 "Harpie :Lady" Monster. Destroy a number of opposing Monsters equal to the number of "Harpie Lady" Monsters you control. Your opponent takes damage equal to the combined Attack Scores of the destroyed Monsters. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn you use this card.

_Note: The proceeding three cards were first used by Mai in the original anime episode "My Freaky Valentine" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SWORD OF RECKLESSNESS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A large scimitar with a skull-like decoration on its hilt, with a blade made of blood-red crystal, glowing faintly.

**Card Description: **Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. The Equipped Monster gains 1,500 Attack Points and its DEF becomes 0. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects when Equipped to a Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHANT OF THE HARPIES (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image: **The three Harpie Lady Sisters dancing over a stone altar decorated with a bird-like motif.

**Card Description: **This card is used to Ritual Summon "Calypso the Harpie Queen". You must offer Monsters whose total Levels equal six or more from the field or your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CALYPSO, THE HARPIE QUEEN**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Chant of the Harpies". When this card is successfully Ritual Summoned, you may Special Summon up to 3 "Harpie Lady" Monsters from your Graveyard.


	45. Offerings to the Doomed

_**I've been in some dangerous situations in my time, but this one has got to beat all.**_

_**The duels with Jezebel and Lady Circe were cake compared to what is about to transpire right now.**_

_**I'm standing on a huge sacrificial altar, about to duel one of the biggest nutcases I've ever had the privilege of knowing, and only the winner will be able to step off of it. I wouldn't have agreed to this, but I don't have a choice – the lives of all three of my friends depend on it. **_

_**I never knew that my opponent right now would go this far for revenge – and deluded proof of divinity. **_

_**One thing's for sure, I'm up against a lunatic – one who's allied with the forces of Hell… and I have to win, or I won't see my next sunrise…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Offerings to the Doomed**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Some distance ahead of Jade and Amber, Yugi and company were walking down a dark hallway.

Torches in the walls provided illumination, but that didn't make it easier to navigate. Here and there, the hallway branched off in other directions… but guided by the Spirit inside him, Yugi always knew which way to turn. He could sense the direction in which Siegfried was.

It also assured him that Siegfried was still alive.

They had already had enough adventures to fill a typical day, but they had to keep going.

"How are you guys holding up?" asked Yugi.

"We'll live," assured Clive. "Thank goodness for that sorceress who…"

"If one woman with a Millennium Item is a 'sorceress'," interrupted Yugi, "does that make me a wizard as well?"

"Who knows?" shrugged Mary. "I'm just glad she showed up when she did."

"You think those girls can deal with that guy?" asked Peter.

"They seemed to know what they were doing," assured Yugi. "And something about them makes me trust them…"

"That place they were from sounded bizarre," said Clive. "Industrial Illusions actually opened a duelist summer camp? You'd have to pretty open-minded as a parent to let your ten-year-old go to a place where she'd be attacked by Monsters!"

"The times are changing," sighed Peter. "They're changing fast…"

They came to the end of the hallway, where they reached an endpoint.

Three doors were before them, one ahead and one on either side. Large winches were placed on them to open them.

"Well, one of them should lead us to the right path," said Yugi.

He started to concentrate.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Anastasia took another card from the stack she had and concentrated.

"Be careful, child," cautioned Dane. "Go slowly, now."

"I'm being careful," replied Anastasia. "That first one wasn't so hard… It should be easier now…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"The middle one," said Yugi.

He and Clive took hold of the winch, and slowly turned it. The door swung open.

And then, something flew out! It was another card.

It flew towards Mary. She ducked to avoid it, and it encircled her.

Then it hovered in mid-air, and a beautiful form appeared in front of her.

It was Queen's Knight, in all her gorgeous splendor. Her scarlet armor, shield, and sword glowed in the dim light.

She opened her eyes (which were green, rather than their normal blue) and looked at Mary.

"Mary…" she said.

"Y-your majesty," gasped Mary. "What are you…"

"As you heard before Mary," responded Queen's Knight, "this lair of evil contains traces of goodness, enough to help in small ways. Listen carefully, for while I am among the newest members of your team, I am just as eager to help as your oldest.

"Ahead lies a monumental challenge. A duel with horrid stakes awaits, and the enemy has a powerful weapon…

"But know this: no strategy is without its flaw. No weapon is without its weakness. No Monster is indestructible. Knowing that will put you a step ahead of your foe…

"I hope we meet again…"

She vanished back into her card, and the card vanished.

They all paused.

_Where have I seen those eyes before?_ thought Mary.

They entered the doorway.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the chamber where Siegfried languished, Saurius reappeared.

"What did I miss?" he asked Mordent.

"Not much," answered the henchman. "But Yugi and his… Defenders are almost at Malasta's temple."

"Excellent," laughed Saurius. "Our latest recruit has joined us – hopefully, he will be an asset to our plans. But onto the matter at hand."

"Oh, Kaiba?" he said.

Siegfried lifted his head.

"I suggest you watch this…" continued the demon. "It's sure to be a scream…"

He turned on the viewing globe.

"Have you forgotten that all four of them were finalists in my tournament?" growled Siegfried. "Whatever pawn you have waiting for them doesn't stand a chance."

"I beg to differ," smiled Saurius. "The duelist is more than eager to destroy Mary, and the improvements I've made to this one's deck make it more than a match for your little friend…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The team found themselves walking down a brightly lit corridor.

Their tummies started to growl. They realized for the first time that they hadn't eaten since breakfast.

They came to the end of the corridor, which was blocked by a red curtain. Simple enough. They moved the curtain aside, and went in.

They found themselves in what appeared to be a large antechamber, with the walls covered with red curtains, and marble pillars supporting the ceiling. Marble tables and benches surrounded the walls, full of candelabras, goblets, orbs, and other precious things.

In the center of the room was a huge dais, with two steps to reach it. The whole thing was covered by a purple covering.

Right before them, was a pedestal, containing a bowl with three luscious-looking citrus fruits.

A sort of spell came over Yugi, Clive, and Peter…

"Whoa," grinned Peter. "Oranges…"

The three of them reached out to grab them.

"Guys, what are you doing?" shouted Mary. "Don't touch them!"

But they apparently couldn't hear her. They picked up the oranges…

"YUGI, NO!" shouted Yami's voice.

But not even he could stop him. The three of them bit into the fruits…

The three paused.

Exactly as Mary was afraid of, the three of them clutched their stomachs in pain! They keeled over and fell to the ground.

"Omigod, omigod," gasped Mary, going up to them. "Poison… What do I do?"

"Mary…" stammered Yugi, as she helped them sit up.

"What do you do?" said a voice. "I suggest you do exactly what I say, Mary…"

Mary looked up on the dais, and Etna Prometheus was standing there, her altered Dueling Disk in hand. She also had Saurius's mark branded on her forehead. She smiled a wicked smile.

"What did you do, Etna?" demanded Mary. "What was in those oranges?"

"Those weren't oranges, silly," smiled Etna. "Those were tangelos!"

"Okay," growled Mary. "WHAT THE HELL WERE IN THE TANGELOS?"

Etna chuckled. "One thing at a time, Mary," she chuckled. "See this lovely room we're in? This is the Temple of Malasta the Ravenous!"

"I don't care if it's…" started Mary.

"Let me finish!" shouted Etna. "Malasta is a demoness of gluttony, and those tangelos – which carried a curse of temptation that no man could resist – carried the embodiments of her hunger in them! Your friends will be dead in an hour… The only way to save them is to sate the demon's hunger…"

"And how do I do that?" demanded Mary.

"By making a sacrifice, of course," smiled Etna, evilly.

"Uh," gulped Mary.

"Climb, up here, and I'll explain," ordered Etna.

"And if I refuse?" asked Mary.

"You can watch your friends die painfully as the magical poison slowly drains their life forces!" laughed Etna.

"You are nuts…" mumbled Mary, climbing onto the dais.

"Perfect," smiled Etna. "Now listen closely. This platform we're on is actually a sacrificial altar of sorts. In days past when cults to Malasta existed, sacrificial rituals were made in a fair and sporting manner. Two female cultists would get up here and fight – and once a winner was decided, a portal to Hell would open, the demoness herself would appear, and the loser would be devoured!

"And we're going to reenact one of those rituals, Mary! I have no desire to resort to fisticuffs, so my master changed this a little, so a battle of Duel Monsters will suffice. Once Malasta feeds, your friends' lives will be spared – so even if you lose – which you will – at least they will survive."

"Mary…" groaned Yugi.

"This is insane, Etna!" yelled Mary. "Why would you take such a crazy risk!"

"Because first of all," explained Etna, "with the coaching and support I've been getting, I know I can beat you. Second, I want revenge for your humiliating me! You and everyone else who's made fun of me! Taunting me… and my heritage!"

"Oh right…" said Mary, rolling her eyes. "The whole 'daughter of Mt. Etna' thing. Give it a rest, Etna!"

Etna drew back.

"You know what I think?" frowned Mary. "I think that your whole story about how the volcano erupted around you was either a lie or some wild exaggeration! I also bet that you cover yourself in some sort of fireproof lotion to make people _think_ you're immune to fire. It's all because of your crazy ego – you planned this from when you were young so people would worship you as some fire goddess, and now you're mad because it hasn't worked!"

Etna's eyes narrowed.

"You're too smart for your own good, Mary," she growled.

She paused.

"But when my master's plans succeed, he's assured me that I _will _be worshipped! I'll have actual mastery over fire, and those who mock me will truly burn!

"And now you have no choice but to duel. You'll be feeding Malasta soon…"

She flicked her Disk into position.

"You leave me no choice," snarled Mary.

She activated hers, and the holo-imagers shot out.

"It's time to duel," said Mary.

The lights in the temple dimmed, and the candles in the candelabras magically lit, casting an eerie glow around the place.

_Good luck, Mary, _thought Yugi._ Don't worry about us… you have to win for yourself!_

As they drew their cards, a voice sounded in Etna's mind.

"Etna!" said Saurius's voice.

_Yes, master?_ she answered.

"I assured you that you could defeat this bitch with the aid I gave you," he ordered. "Don't you dare make me a liar."

_No problem, _answered Etna._ I'll outduel Mary, and Malasta gets lunch!_

"She will either way," said Saurius. "Don't expect me to save you from her if you fail!"

_Uh, yes master,_ answered Etna, stuttering a little.

"Okay, Mary," said Etna, choosing a card, "prepare to burn! I'm going to make sure you're fully cooked before Malasta comes for you!"

"Just start it off, okay?" scowled Mary.

She looked nervously at Yugi, Clive, and Peter, who her clutching their stomachs.

"I'll summon a Monster facedown in Defense, and end my turn," said Etna, throwing a card down.

_Not much for an opening move, _thought Mary, drawing._ Well, this guy shouldn't have much trouble…_

"I summon Axe Raider, in Attack Mode!" she yelled, throwing the card down.

The axe-wielding barbarian arose, holding his weapon high. (1,700/1,150)

He looked around nervously, as if he was a little scared at the sights of the unholy shrine.

"Calm down!" assured Mary. "I'm the only one in danger now! Attack that facedown Monster!"

Axe Raider grunted in approval. _That_ he could do. He lifted his axe and charged…

A huge form appeared in the facedown card. It looked like a giant wooden statue made of burnt wood. A smell reminiscent of a mesquite grill filled the air. (100/2,100)

Axe Raider struck the thing with his axe, but he couldn't crack it. Mary's Life Points fell to 7,600.

Etna laughed. "Sorry, Mary," she smiled, "that was my Charcoal Inpachi! Not only does it have a strong Defense… but it's useful for barbecuing chicken and hamburgers!"

"Ugh, just move," said Mary.

"Certainly," smiled Etna, drawing.

"I'm sure you remember this guy," smiled Etna. "I summon Bronze Sentinel, in Defense Mode!"

Flames appeared on her side, and the huge bronze statue dressed as a Spartan arose, and lifted his shield. (0/2,200)

"As you know," explained Etna, "so long as this guy is on guard, you can't attack any other Fire Monster!"

"I know that," frowned Mary.

"Then move," said Etna.

Mary drew.

"Flame Swordmistress, in Attack Mode," she said, placing a card down.

She put a card down, and the Swordmistress appeared beside Axe Raider. Like he did, she shivered a little, but regained enough courage to face her foe. (1,600/1,500)

_Next round, _thought Mary, looking at her hand,_ I'll Tribute both of them to summon my Red Eyes Black Dragon… and then I'll take them down one at a time…_

"Your move, Etna," she said.

"Indeed," smiled Etna drawing, "and you fell for it just as I planned, sucker!"

"What do you mean?" asked Mary.

Etna took a card from her hand.

"The Monster I now hold is like nothing you've ever seen," grinned Etna. "It's a Fire Fiend that's as powerful as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, with a deadly effect…"

Mary started to sweat.

"But, you know something Mary?" continued Etna. "I really shouldn't be so greedy… I'm going to give _you _this Monster!"

She placed a card down on her Disk.

"Huh?" groaned Clive.

"Now," grinned Etna, "I Tribute your Axe Raider and your Flame Swordmistress to summon Lava Golem to your side!"

"No!" gasped Yugi. "Not _that!_"

Before Mary's eyes, the whole floor underneath her turned into boiling magma. She screamed as her feet burned! Her two Warriors screamed louder, as they were pulled under, and were drowned in the lava!

Then another horrible thing happened. Mary felt herself yanked upward, as an iron cage formed around her! Then she saw the full scope of the situation – the cage was suspended from the neck of a gigantic creature made entirely of lava! (3,000/2,500)

"What's the deal?" shouted Mary.

"I'm certain your father told you about this at one time," smiled Etna. "My master told me that Marik used this charming creature against him once. Let me explain – Lava Golem is part Monster, and part torture device! You're technically in control of it, but every time your turn starts, it will douse you with lava, roasting you for 1,000 points of damage!

"And so…" grinned Etna.

She stabbed her thumb down.

"I end my turn."

Lava poured down upon Mary and she screamed! Her Life Points fell to 6,600.

"Mary!" screamed Yugi.

"I'm fine," said Mary, drawing a card.

_The best way I can think of to get rid of this thing is to Tribute it, _thought Mary._ But the only Monster I have in my hand at all is Red Eyes, and he needs two Tributes!_

"If I'm controlling this thing, then I can attack with it!" shouted Mary. "Lava Golem, attack Bronze Sentinel!"

Lava Golem made a gurgling noise, and flung his arm forward, hurling a glob of lava. It hit Bronze Sentinel, melting it into slag.

"Your move," she sneered.

"True, you can attack with it," said Etna, drawing. "But I was prepared for that…"

She put a card down.

"I Tribute my Charcoal Inpachi for Neo Fire Madoor in Defense Mode!" she laughed.

Charcoal Inpachi went up in a blazing bonfire and was consumed. The bonfire subsided a little, and a fiery sorcerer wearing red and orange appeared amid the flames. (1,200/3,000)

"As you can see," smiled Etna. "This guy's Defense power is exactly the same as Lava Golem's Attack power. So attack all you like… It won't do any good!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his lair, Saurius chuckled.

"Seems your second-place finisher is being basted like a Thanksgiving turkey, Kaiba," he smiled. "Etna's combo will finish her in a matter of rounds."

"She'll take out that Golem," growled Siegfried. "I've faced that creature enough times myself to know that it's far from foolproof."

"Oh?" smiled Saurius. "Even if she does, that Golem is only the beginning of Etna's new and improved deck…

"Lava Golem is the appetizer – even if Mary survives to the main course, she'll find herself the dessert!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The lava cascaded on Mary again! Her Life Points dipped to 5,600.

"If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!" laughed Etna.

"Really original," scowled Mary, drawing.

_Hey… _she thought.

_Now I can kill two birds with one stone!_

She threw a Spell Card into her slot.

"I play Brain Control!" she shouted.

"What?" said Etna.

The hideous brain appeared in front of her.

"Neo Fire Madoor, come here!" yelled Mary.

The brain grabbed the Spellcaster, and slammed him down on her side.

"Now then," said Mary, touching the slots in her Monster Zone, "I'll Tribute both Lava Golem and Neo Fire Madoor…"

The two creatures vanished in a plume of black smoke, and Mary's feet hit the floor.

"…and I'll summon Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

A dark shadow appeared over Mary, and the huge form of Red Eyes appeared! He snarled, with smoke pouring from his jowls! (2,400/2,000)

"Aw, geeze!" gasped Etna.

"You liked fire so much?" shouted Mary. "Try THIS fire! Red Eyes, attack Etna with inferno fire blast!"

Etna screamed, as the Dragon belched his gout of flame at her, engulfing her in fire! Etna's Life Points fell to 5,600.

"Well, look at the mighty fire goddess now," mocked Mary. "Maybe _that_ was a little TOO hot."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Seems that ties the score," smiled Siegfried.

"Mary got a lucky draw," growled Saurius.

"Duel Monsters isn't about luck, Saurius," said Siegfried. "Nor is it about packing your deck with powerful cards.

"My uncle was a lot like you before he saw the light. He thought that power was the key to everything, and that the right combination of powerful cards would make him the greatest duelist in the world. So he just couldn't understand how Yugi's dad could beat him and make a fool out of him time and again. He didn't believe in the Heart of the Cards that Yugi Sr. kept spouting…

"It all started to change during the Dartz incident. He was in a bad situation, and at a crucial moment, at least he told me, he started to believe that maybe there was some truth in what Yugi was telling him… and at that moment, a powerful being named Critias favored him and helped him prevail.

"It's all about faith, Saurius. Faith in yourself, a concept that a beast like you couldn't comprehend if it punched you in the face! That's exactly why Amber was able to defeat Naga. She had faith, while he had nothing but rage."

"That's an intriguing statement, Kaiba," muttered Saurius.

He turned to him.

"I'll be sure to engrave it on your tombstone!"

"Just try it…" dared Siegfried.

"Later," said Saurius. "We'll see how far Mary's faith truly gets her…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Are you going to move, or aren't you?" asked Mary.

She looked at her friends.

_Hang in there guys,_ she thought, getting more worried by the minute.

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Etna, drawing. "I'm considering my options…"

She added the card to her hand, and took another.

"I'll play a Spell Card," she said. "The powerful Flames of Renewal!"

She placed it into the slot.

"With this card, I can remove any amount of Fire Monsters from my Graveyard, and gain 500 Life Points for each," she explained. "So I'll remove all four!"

A bonfire erupted and appeared to consume Etna! She cackled, as if the flames had made her drunk.

When they died down her wounds were healed.

"Feels wonderful!" she laughed.

Her Life Points went up to 7,600.

"Now, I'll place a card facedown, and summon Flame Manipulator in Defense Mode."

She put down the two cards. The fiery Spellcaster in jeans and a t-shirt appeared (900/1,000), and then the facedown card appeared behind him.

"Make your move," she dared.

"Mary," groaned Yugi. "Be careful…"

"Hang on, guys," assured Mary.

_I have to finish this quick,_ she thought.

She drew.

_Aw, I'm having the worst luck!_

"Red Eyes, attack Flame Manipulator!" she commanded.

Red Eyes prepared to attack…

"I activate… Dragon Capture Jar!" shouted Etna.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the sinister looking Jar appeared on her side of the field.

Red Eyes snarled, as he was forced into Defense Mode.

"I knew you would play that Dragon," laughed Etna, "so I slipped this into my deck."

"Clever," frowned Mary. "I end my turn…"

_So now what?_ she thought.

Etna drew.

She chuckled.

"Meet another gift from Lord Saurius!" she laughed. "I Tribute my Flame Manipulator to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, in Attack Mode!"

Flame Manipulator vanished in a puff of smoke, and a bonfire erupted over Etna's side of the field. A deep throaty laugh echoed over the temple, as a figure stepped out. He was wearing oriental armor made of heavy iron, had hair tied in a short ponytail, and wore a Fu-Manchu moustache. Fire covered his hands. (2,400/1,000)

"Thestalos, do your stuff!" shouted Etna.

Flames encircled Thestalos's finger, and he shot forth a stream of fire, which struck Mary's hand of cards!

"Hey!" yelled Mary, as one card caught fire.

"When Thestalos is summoned," said Etna, "you have to discard one card at random… and if it's a Monster Card, you lose Life Points equal to the Monster's star level times 100!"

"Sorry, Etna," said Mary, showing her the burning card, "but this was just Kunai With Chain!"

She discarded it.

"Ah, who cares," scoffed Etna. "Thestalos is still strong enough to blow your Dragon to bits! Thestalos, attack that Red Eyes with firestorm magic attack!"

Thestalos lifted his arms, and a ball of flame formed in them. He threw his hands forward, and a huge stream of flame shot forward! Red Eyes screamed, and was burned to ashes.

"Make your move, Mary," dared Etna. "The Firestorm Monarch will incinerate anything you put before him!"

Mary looked at her hand.

_Time to see if my luck will pay off again,_ she said.

She drew.

_This will do._

"I place a card facedown," she said, fitting a card into a slot.

It appeared in front of her.

"And, I summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!"

She threw the card down, and the fierce gator-man appeared. His eyes shifted back and forth, but he was a good deal braver than the two Warriors before him. (1,500/1,200)

"What?" laughed Etna. "That guy is almost a thousand points weaker than Thestalos! Why would you put him in Attack Mode?"

She chuckled.

"Unless," she quipped, "unless you're trying to lose on purpose to save your friends…"

Mary stared at her.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Pathetic," smiled Etna, drawing. "Well, if losing is your goal, then by all means, let me help! Thestalos, toast that gator!"

Thestalos prepared to fire his blazing spell again.

"Not so fast, Etna," smiled Mary, hitting a button on her Disk.

"Argh, a Trap!" growled Etna.

"Right!" said Etna. "Activate Fairy Box!"

The Trap Card lifted, and the colorful whack-a-mole machine appeared, with its loony music playing. Its six cylinders started popping in and out.

"What's the point?" growled Etna.

"When this carnival contraption finishes its song," explained Mary, "your Monarch can finish his attack… but if there are an even number of cylinders visible when that happens, he'll be attacking with zero Attack Points!

The Fairy Box slowed… and it came to a stop, with four cylinders out!

"All right…" moaned Peter, through his pain.

Thestalos shot forth his fiery spell, but Alligator's Sword leapt over it, and slashed with his scimitar, slicing the Firestorm Monarch in two! The Pyro exploded in a burst of flames!

Etna shielded herself from the explosion, as her Life Points went down to 6,100.

"Ugh!" she said. "I'll end my turn by summoning Flame Dancer in Defense Mode!"

She put a card down, and a weird imp with one eye, smoke pouring out of a spout in its head, and flames surrounding its hands appeared in a small burst. (550/450)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well," smiled Siegfried. "So much for plan A and plan B. Tell me, does Etna have a plan C?"

"As a matter of fact, she does," said Saurius, now angry. "And she will draw the card she needs to enact it, her most powerful card, two turns from now!"

"What makes you so sure?" asked Siegfried.

"Watch," said Siegfried.

He turned to the screen. "Etna," he said. "As Mary draws, put your Duel Disk behind your back…"

Nobody heard it in the Temple except for Etna. She obeyed.

Saurius waved his hand. Siegfried watched, as Etna's Disk started to shuffle her cards.

"What?" shouted Siegfried. "That is outright cheating, Saurius!"

"As the immortal Bard once said," laughed Saurius, "all is fair in love and war…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary looked at the card she just drew.

"I play Graceful Charity," she said.

She placed the card in her Disk, and the angel she was so familiar with appeared, and cast her spell on her deck. She drew three cards.

She grinned as she discarded two cards.

"Okay Etna," she said. "I'm playing Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She placed the card, and the wind blew across the field. The Dragon Capture Jar shattered.

"What did you do _that_ for?" snarled Etna. "I got rid of your Red Eyes!"

"True," said Mary, "but I have another Dragon for you… Baby Dragon!"

She put the card down, and the cute infant Dragon appeared, giving out a squeak. (1,200/700)

Etna chuckled. "Don't you know children shouldn't play with fire?" she laughed.

"He may not look like much on his own, but I also have this," said Mary. "My Polymerization card!"

She fit the card into the slot, and Alligator's Sword and Baby Dragon swirled into two green and orange blurs. The blurs burst, and a larger from appeared, that of Alligator's Sword riding a horse-sized version of Baby Dragon.

"Meet Alligator's Sword Dragon!" exclaimed Mary.

(1,700/1,500)

_Alligator's Sword Dragon! _thought Yugi._ I'd almost forgotten about that!_

"You have to wait a turn before you can attack with that!" said Etna.

"I know _that_," sighed Mary. "So I end my turn."

Etna drew.

"Ah, I pass this turn," she said.

"Good," smiled Mary. "Alligator's Sword Dragon, take to the sky!"

The Dragon flapped his wings, and soared up to the ceiling of the chamber.

"What?" said Etna.

"Since the only Monster you have defending you is a Fire Monster," explained Mary, "my Alligator's Sword Dragon can fly right over it, and attack you directly!"

"NO!" yelled Etna.

The Dragon swooped, and the gator-man slashed with his scimitar, opening a cut on Etna's side and knocking her down. Her Life Points fell to 4,400.

"Ugh… Go Mary…" groaned Clive.

"Your move, fire girl," gloated Mary.

Etna drew.

And then she laughed out loud.

_Time to show Mary a glimpse of what fate has in store for her, _she thought.

She put a card down.

"I Tribute my Flame Dancer…" she said.

Flame Dancer vanished in a small burst of flame…

"…to summon someone you'll soon be very cozy with. Presenting… **MALASTA THE RAVENOUS**!"

A hideous sound, sort of like a cross between a low moan and a man drowning, echoed over the unholy temple. A huge form started to take shape on Etna's side. It came into view out of the shadows… It looked for all intents and purposes like a huge slug with a gigantic maw, and two huge tentacles on either side. The whole thing was covered with slime and filth. It made a gurgling roar as its eyestalks looked at Mary. (1,900/1,000)

"What?" asked Mary. "You said she wouldn't show up until this duel was over!"

"This isn't the real Malasta," explained Etna. "This is her Duel Monsters version. Want to know how we got this unique card? You can thank your friend Anastasia!"

"Anastasia?" asked Mary, amazed.

"She got the idea for this card in a nightmare," explained Etna. "She designed it, but when she actually tested it, she found it was so… _disgusting_ that she decided not to produce it…"

"Do tell…" said Mary, sarcastically.

"So she locked the prototype in her vault," continued Etna, "but after her death, Saurius raided that vault, stealing it and several other rare cards! He gave it to me just for this duel!

"How fitting that Anastasia's creation will be the instrument of your downfall! Malasta! Devour Alligator's Sword Dragon!"

Malasta reached forward with her four tentacles and grabbed Alligator's Sword Dragon! She pulled them into her maw and swallowed them with one gulp!

Mary couldn't believe it. Her Monster had been beaten – and eaten.

Her Life Points fell to 5,400.

"This might be a good time to mention Malasta's special effect, Mary," smiled Etna. "Whenever she chows on an enemy Monster, her Attack Score goes up by 200 points!"

(2,100/1,000)

Yugi struggled to his feet.

"This isn't fair, Etna!" he gasped.

"If you can find the rule that forbids me from using unique prototype cards," smiled Etna, "I'll gladly discard it. After all, your friend Terone has _four_ such cards in his deck!"

Clive crawled over to Yugi.

"Yugi," he groaned. "Mary can… still win, can't she…"

"She can…" said Yugi. "She just has to believe in herself… and her Heart will prove stronger than this maniac's…"

Mary thought to herself.

_Okay, _she thought._ If I draw Goblin Attack Force, then they'll be stronger than that ugly smelly… thing, and I'll be able to beat it!_

She drew.

_Aw, Swordsman of Landstar? Not exactly my most powerful Monster! I have to defend for now…_

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar in Defense Mode!" she said, placing the card down.

The toy Swordsman appeared, kneeling on his wooden blade. (500/1,200)

He gasped at the sight of the huge Fiend.

Etna drew.

She smiled at the card.

_Think I'll have some fun,_ she thought.

"I summon Darkfire Soldier #2, in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and another fire erupted on the field. A Warrior sheathed in flames, dressed in an orange and red kimono, with his hair tied back in a ponytail, carrying two blazing katana, appeared next to Malasta. (1,700/1,000)

"Darkfire Soldier," she ordered, "destroy her Swordsman with flaming katana slash!"

The Soldier did a flip, leaving a trail of fire in the air. He brought his blades down on Swordsman of Landstar burning him up.

Malasta roared, and Mary drew back in fear…

"Now, Malasta," laughed Etna, "direct attack! It's down the hatch for you, Mary!"

Mary screamed as the Fiend grabbed her with its tentacles! Within a second, she was shoved into the beast's huge maw and swallowed!

"NO, MARY!" shouted Yugi.

Etna cackled.

"What did you do to her?" demanded Yugi, through his pain. "What's happening?"

"Oh, she's enjoying a nice digestion in my Monster's bowels," said Etna, with a grin. "She'll be spit out as soon as 2,100 of her Life Points are leeched away, which should take about fifteen seconds…"

After what seemed to be like an eternity, the great creature made a noise that sounded like "BLEAGH!" and spit Mary out, sending her sprawling out on the altar. She was covered in slime, and shaking in fear. Not to mention the fact that her Life Points had been reduced to 3,300.

Mary slowly regained herself. She retrieved the card that had been in her hand.

"How did that feel Mary?" gloated Etna. "Let that serve as a preview of the fate that awaits you! I warn you, the real Malasta isn't going to be spitting you out!

"I end my turn by the way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius laughed a wicked laugh.

"Mary seems to be in big trouble, Kaiba," he chuckled. "That creature I put in Etna's deck is just going to get stronger, and soon there will be nothing Mary can summon that will stand up to it."

"It takes more than brute strength to defeat a creature," growled Siegfried.

"And how would you know about that?" laughed Saurius. "Both you and your uncle used decks that relied on nothing but brute strength. I'm surprised no one has ever tried to use a Crush Card on YOU!

"Besides, the strategy seems to work… after all, aside from Yugi, you're undefeated!"

"Etna isn't me," sneered Siegfried. "She's using that card, but can she use it properly?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Saurius.

"We'll see," smiled Siegfried.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Make your move," laughed Etna. "My beast is still hungry!"

"You're insane," snarled Mary, drawing.

_Nuts _she thought._ Still not Goblin Attack Force!_

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!" she said.

She put the card down, and the mighty Gearfried appeared, holding aloft his bladed arm. He made a dramatic pose. (1,800/1,600)

"Gearfried, attack Darkfire Soldier with iron blade slash!" she ordered.

Gearfried leapt forward, and made a cutting motion across the flaming Pyro. Darkfire Soldier #2 vanished in a burst of flames, and his twin swords clattered to the ground.

Etna's Life Points fell slightly, to 4,300.

"Make your move," snarled Mary.

"Humph," said Etna, drawing. "Oh well, they say iron is good for the muscles… Malasta, devour Gearfried!"

Gearfried gasped as Malasta grabbed him. He was dragged into her mouth and swallowed, just as Alligator's Sword Dragon was.

Malasta's Attack Score went up to 2,300, while Mary's Life Points went down to 3,000.

"Wow, this is fun!" shouted Etna.

She chuckled. "Your move again…"

Mary drew.

"Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in Defense Mode," she said, placing a card down.

She put the card down, and Masaki appeared, kneeling. (1,100/1,100)

"And that's all I can do," she said.

Etna drew.

She looked at the Fireyarou card in her hand.

"You know, Mary," sighed Etna, "I could summon somebody to destroy Masaki and then send you on another trip down Malasta's digestive tract…"

Mary drew back in fear.

"…but instead, I'm going to torture you," she continued, "and force you to watch as ALL of your Monsters are eaten! Malasta, devour Masaki!"

Malasta whipped her tentacles forward, and Masaki was eaten. The Fiend's Attack score went up to 2,500.

"So now what, Mary?" asked Etna. "Without a Tribute, you'll never bring down Malasta! And even if you drew Monster Reborn, she's stronger than your Red Eyes!"

"This is hopeless!" groaned Peter. "Eventually, Mary's going to draw a non-Monster Card, or something she can't summon without a Tribute, and then…"

"Don't despair yet…" said Yugi.

"I won't give up, Etna…" scowled Mary.

She drew.

"I summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," she said, putting the card down.

The lovely form of Mystical Elf appeared, kneeling in prayer. (800/2,000)

"Well," smiled Etna, "I should thank you…"

"Why?" asked Mary.

"Remember?" said Etna. "When cultists used this altar, only female cultists were sacrificed – and the more beautiful the victim was, the more she enjoyed it. She loves to devour beauty.

"So when the real one chows on you, I think she'll be quite happy…"

"Giving me compliments isn't making me any more pleased," frowned Mary.

"Tough," said Etna, drawing. "Malasta, you know what to do."

Malasta reached forward and grabbed Mystical Elf. She didn't flinch, even as she was shoved into the Fiend's gaping mouth and swallowed.

Malasta's Attack went up to 2,700.

Fear started to grow stronger in Mary's mind. She took a good look at the beast in front of her.

She drew. She looked at the card.

"I play my Pot of Greed!" she said, throwing it into her slot.

The laughing jar appeared in front of her, and two cards popped out.

She made two draws.

_No way!_ she thought.

"Okay, Etna," she said. "I summon… Queen's Knight!"

She threw down the card, and a beam of light struck from above. The lovely royal knight appeared, dressed in her attractive scarlet armor. She held up her longsword and shield with its heart symbol. (1,500/1,600)

Unlike the Warriors who had appeared before, Queen's Knight showed no trace of fear on her face, despite the spooky temple and the hungry Fiend in front of her. It was almost as if she knew something that her foes didn't…

"Well," smiled Etna. "_Another_ beautiful victim! And you're kidding yourself, Mary… Your defenses won't last forever…"

"Who said I was defending?" smiled Mary. "Take a closer look, Etna… Queen's Knight has been summoned in Attack Mode!"

"What?" laughed Etna. "She can't defeat my Monster."

"Etna, you made a crucial error in your calculations," said Mary. "Good duelists take every aspect of their Monsters into consideration. Every time your Malasta the Ravenous scarfed one of my Monsters, her Attack Score grew… but that power did nothing for her pathetic Defense Score!"

"What does _that_ have to do with it?" frowned Etna, as if that was a dumb thing to say.

"I'll show you!" shouted Mary, taking the other card she had just drawn. "I play… Shield and Sword!"

She threw it into the slot. The stats of the two Monsters flipped, turning Queen's Knight to (1,600/1,500) and Malasta the Ravenous to (1,000/2,700).

"What?" gasped Etna. "NOOOO!"

"And now," yelled Mary, "Queen's Knight, take out that slug with sovereign slash!"

Leaping into the air, Queen's Knight landed gracefully on the giant slug-demon's back. Raising her sword over her head, she impaled it into the demonic creature and, with a loud moaning wail, the beast thrashed violently as ichorous blood poured out of the wound. Then, after everyone was disgusted beyond belief, the Fiend exploded into a shower of pixilated remains!

Queen's Knight leapt back to Mary's side, and Etna's Life Points dropped to 3,700.

"All right, Mary, GO!" shouted Clive, through his pain.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Guess Queen's Knight gave that Monster a bad case of heartburn," chuckled Siegfried. "At least… I _think_ she hit the heart…"

Saurius paused. He stared at Siegfried, and his eyes glowed with fire.

"Puh-lease, pal," sighed Siegfried. "I've seen plenty of Duel Monsters in my time that were a great deal scarier than _you._"

"There's an important difference between me and a Duel Monster," growled Saurius. "I'M not a hologram!"

"Yeah, and it's probably going to stay that way," agreed Siegfried. "Who'd ever design a card with _your _ugly mug on it?"

Saurius turned back to the screen.

_All right, _he thought._ It's time for a chat…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the temple, Etna was still staring at disbelief at the smoking crater where Malasta had been.

"Are you going to draw or aren't you?" asked Mary.

"Etna!" yelled Saurius's voice in her head.

_[I]Master?[/I] _replied Etna.

"In case you didn't realize it," growled Saurius, "Mary just took away your edge…"

_[I]Tell me about it…[/I]_ she said back.

"And look at your hand – you have nothing that can defeat her Queen's Knight…"

_[I]I know![/I]_ she replied.

"And the one card Mary has in her hand is a Monster that can form a powerful combo with Queen's Knight."

_[I]What?[/I]_ she replied, in panic.

"Need I also remind you that you're playing for the same stakes that she is?"

_[I]Can't you just rearrange my deck the way you did before?[/I]_

"I can't risk doing that twice, Etna," snarled Saurius. "Yugi may be in pain from that fruit, but he and his spiritual guide are as alert as ever. If he noticed any cheating, he'd likely use his Puzzle to help Mary in the same way. If anyone cheats in the presence of the Pharaoh, he can even the score. You wouldn't stand a chance.

"Listen to me – don't you dare lose. Kaiba's willpower grew stronger after Naga fell, and if you go down, it will make my job even harder!"

_[I]I… I won't fail, master…[/I]_ she replied.

"Well here's some encouragement – if you do, then after you're digested you'll spend eternity as a slave girl in the Iron City of Dis! They force the female souls there to wear bikinis made of red hot iron, Etna!"

Etna gulped.

"Now draw!" ordered Saurius.

Etna started to sweat as she drew her next card.

"Sure took you long enough," said Mary.

"Shut up!" shouted Etna. "I uh… I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode!"

She placed a card down, and the facedown Monster appeared.

"That ends my turn," said Etna, sweating.

"Fine," said Mary, drawing.

She took the other card from her hand.

"I summon King's Knight, in Attack Mode!" she yelled, throwing the card down.

Another beam of light struck, and another Knight appeared, this one wearing orange armor, a long blue cape, full beard and a golden crown that covered his left eye. He bore a sword, and a circular shield with a spade symbol. (1,600/1,500)

Mary reached for her deck.

"And when King's Knight is on the field with Queen's Knight," she said, I can special summon Jack's Knight from my deck!"

She threw a card down, and a new Knight arose. He wore blue armor, a cape, a small crown, and golden locks down to his shoulders. He bore a sword and a large shield with a club symbol. (1,900/1,000)

The three Knights looked at each other, and then they looked at Etna with angry eyes. They raised their swords. Etna shivered.

"Now," smiled Mary, "I have a full hand of Warriors on the field, and you're about to be sent to the discard pile!"

"Jack's Knight, attack her facedown Monster with knave's blade!"

Jack's Knight leapt into the air and Fireyarou appeared… The Pyro screamed before evaporating into flames.

"Now, King's Knight and Queen's Knight, attack her Life Points with royal flush combination!"

The two monarchs charged, and Etna screamed. King's Knight slashed his Sword across her thigh, and Queen's Knight stabbed her in the gut.

Etna fell over, bleeding heavily. Her Life Points fell to 600.

"Go Mary!" shouted Clive.

"You're almost there!" winced Peter.

As Etna got up, a low roar echoed over the Temple of Malasta. The three Knights looked up.

"Who was that?" asked Mary.

Etna started to shiver as she got up. She knew _[I]exactly[/I] _who it was…

"Time to move, Etna," dared Mary. "I might actually enjoy this…"

Etna's hand shook as she drew.

"I play the Spell Card Reload!" she said.

She put the card into the slot, and an ancient shotgun appeared before her. A pair of hands flicked the reloading bar.

She put her hand back into her deck, and it was reshuffled. She drew an equal number of cards.

_[I]Yes![/I]_ she thought.

"Okay, Mary," she thought. "I'll first play my second Flames of Renewal card!"

She placed the card into a slot.

"Now that I have five more Fire Monsters in my Graveyard to remove, I can gain 2,500 Life Points!"

Flames erupted around her, and her Life Points rose to 3,100.

"Ah… much better!" she said.

"That's… not good," stuttered Mary.

"Now take this!" said Etna.

She slid a Spell Card into a slot.

"I play Tremendous Fire!"

Mary screamed as a huge inferno erupted around her. Her three Knights looked in fear.

"I have to pay 500 Life Points to use this card," said Etna, as her Life Points fell to 2,600, "but it costs you twice as much!"

It took all of Mary's energy to remain standing. Her Life Points fell to 2,300.

"That hurt, Mary?" she said. "Good. Now I'll place a card facedown…"

She placed the card down.

"And I'll summon a Monster facedown in Defense Mode."

She placed another card facedown, and it appeared perpendicular to the other.

"Etna," growled Mary, getting very angry, "I will defeat you!"

She drew.

"Well worry about my Trap Card!" said Etna, pressing a button.

The card lifted.

"Go, DNA Transplant!"

"Huh?" said Mary.

"As you know from my duel with Clive," explained Etna, "this Continuous Trap changes the Attribute off all Monsters on the field to any I decide, and I decide Fire!"

Flames surrounded King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight, and all their armor turned flaming orange. Their swords burned with flame.

Mary thought for a minute.

_[I]If she turned my Monsters into Fire Monsters, I think I know what's coming…[/I]_ she thought.

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

_[I]Best prepare…[/I]_

"I'm placing this card facedown," said Mary.

She slid it into the slot, and it appeared behind her Knights.

"And now, Jack's Knight, destroy her facedown Monster!"

Jack's Knight raised his sword, and leapt at the hidden Monster…

A strange creature appeared. It looked like a huge mechanical turtle with a shell resembling a flying saucer.

Jack's Knight brought his sword down on it, and it exploded into scrap.

"Ha! Fooled you!" laughed Etna. "You just destroyed my UFO Turtle! And when it's destroyed in battle, I get to instantly summon from my deck any Fire Monster with an Attack Score of 1,500 or less!"

She reached for her deck.

"You think I'm scared of a Monster that weak?" said Mary. "King's Knight will destroy it!"

"He won't be staying that weak…" said Etna.

She threw a card down, and a small form appeared on the field.

"You remember Ultimate Baseball Kid, don't you?"

The small little leaguer in his fiery red uniform and his metal spiked bat appeared. He spit lava on the ground, and raised his weapon menacingly. (500/1,500)

"I knew it!" sneered Mary.

"Then you remember that for every Fire Monster on the field, i.e. your three Knights, he gains 1,000 Attack points!"

(3,500/1,500)

"No…" gasped Clive.

"So, since neither of your other two Knights can defeat him now, you'd best end your turn," laughed Etna.

"Fine," said Mary.

Etna drew.

"Perfect!" she laughed.

She slid a Spell Card into a slot.

"I play… Scapegoat!" she shouted.

The four fluffy sheep appeared on her side of the field. Their fur all turned fiery red.

"And thanks to my DNA Transplant, these four sheep tokens are now considered Fire Monsters!" said Etna.

"What?" gasped Mary. "That makes your Kid's Attack Score 7,500!"

"You got it," laughed Etna. "Enough to wipe you out in one blow! But I'm not going to attack just yet… There's still your facedown card to consider – it's likely something like your Shadow Spell. Fortunately, before I attack, I can weaken your Life Points considerably by exploiting Ultimate Baseball Kid's other ability…"

"_[I]Other[/I]_ ability?" gasped Mary.

"Yeah, I didn't mention that in my duel with Clive," said Etna. "He can sacrifice any and all Fire Monsters on my side of the field, other than himself, and for each one, he can burn away 500 of your Life Points!"

Mary gulped.

"Go, my Ultimate Baseball Kid!" shouted Etna.

The four Scapegoats turned into balls of fire. Ultimate Baseball Kid took his bat, and with four mighty swings, launched them into the air! They rained down upon Mary, and she tumbled under four explosions!

"MARY!" yelled Yugi.

Mary groaned and got up. Her clothes, skin, and hair were burned as black as soot by now. Not to mention that her Life Points were down to 300.

Another roar was heard over the Temple. Now Mary was getting scared.

Malasta was almost here… and she was hungry…

"Now, Ultimate Baseball Kid," shouted Etna, "destroy her Queen's Knight!"

A ball of flame appeared in Ultimate Baseball Kid's hand. He threw it into the air and launched it with his bat…

"Activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Mary.

The Trap Card lifted, and the flaming baseball was swallowed into a vortex.

"A pitiful attempt to stall," said Etna. "Time to make your last move…"

Mary closed her eyes.

_[I]Please deck,[/I] she thought. [I]Give me what I need…[/I]_

She drew.

_[I]Huh?[/I] _she thought.

_[I]Well what do you know? Thanks Jade![/I]_

"Time for this to end!" she said. "I play the Spell Card… Emergence of a Champion!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the part of the lair where Jade and Amber were exploring, Jade suddenly sneezed.

"Something wrong?" asked Amber.

"Strange…" said Jade. "I have a feeling someone is using a card that I used to have… and that it's about to make a difference…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Emergence of a Champion?" asked Etna, as the card showed itself. "What the heck is that?"

"To use this card, I have to cut my current Life Points in half," said Mary, as her Life Points fell to 150. "But it's worth it, because I get to search my deck for any Monster that I want!"

"What Monster do you have that could possibly beat Ultimate Baseball Kid?" mocked Etna, as Mary looked through her deck. "Remember, the more Monsters you have, the stronger he gets!"

"Oh, really?" smiled Mary, plugging the deck back in.

"I Tribute King's Knight…" she said.

King's Knight vanished.

"…and Queen's Knight…"

Queen's Knight disappeared.

"…AND Jack's Knight…"

Jack's Knight faded.

"WHAT?" shouted Etna. "Tributing THREE Monsters? What on Earth are you summoning?"

Mary threw a card down. Thunder started to roll, and a bolt of lightning struck her side of the field!

A Warrior in red and blue ceremonial armor appeared, holding a huge sword! Electricity crackled over him, and his eyes glowed! (2,800/1,400)

"Meet Gilford the Lightning!" yelled Mary.

Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack fell to 1,500… but then he was struck by lightning! He screamed and was vaporized, his bat falling to the ground.

"What?" gasped Etna, as her Life Points fell to 2,250.

"When I Tribute three Monsters to summon Gilford," shouted Mary, "all opposing Monsters are destroyed!"

"THIS CAN'T BE!" shouted Etna.

"Now, Gilford, attack directly with lightning blade!" yelled Mary.

Gilford flew forward, and stabbed Etna in the heart with his mighty sword! She screamed bloody murder as she fell back, and her Life Points fell to zero.

"I win…" growled Mary, as the holograms shut down.

The Temple began to shake… An evil aura descended upon the altar…

Etna gasped in fear. She got up and tried to run towards the edge of the altar – but she was thrown back by what appeared to be an invisible shield.

"Etna!" yelled Saurius's booming voice. "I figured you would try to renege on your side of the bargain!"

"Master, please!" begged Etna, getting down on her knees. "Please spare me from Malasta!"

"NO!" shouted Saurius, as darkness started to envelop the room. "I warned you Etna, and now you have to pay the price!"

And then out of nowhere, a huge shape appeared, and Mary and her friends gasped. The huge, tentacled being looked almost exactly like the Monster that Etna had used, but this one was three times as big. It roared, and bore down on Etna… Etna screamed…

The four Defenders were terrified, but there was nothing they could do to stop this behemoth. The demon seized Etna with a huge tentacle and swallowed her whole!

Then the creature looked at Mary and her three friends. The thing laughed an evil laugh, and then vanished in a shimmering light.

The lights in the temple went back to the way they were before. Yugi, Clive, and Peter started to cough…

"Guys!" shouted Mary. She leapt down from the altar.

The three of them coughed hard, until finally, the pieces of cursed fruit flew from their mouths.

"Well," gasped Clive. "I feel much better now."

"Yeah," muttered Peter. "Lucky us… Poor Etna…"

"It was her or Mary," said Yugi. "Sadly, she sealed her own fate by allying herself with Saurius."

"Yeah," said Mary, slowly. "It was her own fault…"

She sighed.

"Lucky me…"

A stone door opened at the other side of the temple.

"There's the exit," said Clive. "Let's go!"

They got to their feet, and headed for the exit to the next part of the complex.

And then Yami voice spoke into Yugi's ear.

"Yugi," he said. "I don't want to worry you, but that demon we just saw, I don't think she's gone home."

"Huh?" asked Yugi.

"I still sense her presence," said Yami. "She may be hiding somewhere in this temple – don't ask me how a demon that size can hide. It may not be the end of this threat."

Yugi shuddered.

"Come on," said Yami. "We'd best not stay here."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Looks like that plan went down the tubes," smiled Siegfried. "Literally."

Saurius snarled.

And then he smiled.

"Listen, Kaiba… Siegfried…" he said, in a gentle voice. "We don't have to be foes, really. Maybe we can make a bargain of sorts…"

"So now it's bribery…" sighed Siegfried.

"That's such a nasty term," said Saurius. "But seriously, my own master _[I]loves[/I]_ it when someone like you joins us willingly. If you tell me what I need to know, I have lots to offer…"

"Oh, I'm listening…" chuckled Siegfried.

"I can make you happy beyond your wildest dreams," smiled Saurius. "Grant you power over others you never could have before. I could make your life a practical paradise…"

He paused.

"I could gather the most beautiful women in the world to warm your bed. I know you have yet to find love, Siegfried."

"That is truly tempting," muttered Siegfried.

"Anything you want and more…" promised Saurius.

"Anything at all?" asked Siegfried.

He paused.

He spit in Saurius's face.

"I want my uncle back, you son of a…" he started.

Saurius raised his hand, as if to hit him… but then he slowly lowered it.

"Soon Kaiba," he growled. "You won't last much longer, and neither will your friends."

"Master Saurius," said a voice behind him.

Saurius turned, and saw one of his servants.

"Yes, Asmodan?" he said.

"My recruit and I are ready to deal with Clive," said Asmodan.

"Good," growled Saurius. "Then go to the next station and wait for them."

"As you wish," said Asmodan.

"What diabolical scheme do you have for Clive?" sneered Siegfried.

"Oh, you'll see," chuckled Saurius. "Clive won't be able to defeat his next opponent… because he won't WANT to!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NEO FIRE MADOOR**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Flavor Text: **_Believed to be a misfit brother of Neo Aqua Madoor, this fiery magician's defensive power is equal to that of his sibling – but his methods are different._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMES OF RENEWAL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A priestess in a red robe bathing in flames.

**Card Description: **Remove up to 5 FIRE Monsters in your Graveyard from play. Increase your Life Points by 500 for each Monster removed from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MALASTA THE RAVENOUS**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, increase its ATK by 200.


	46. Painful Choice

_EVIL: adj __**1:**__ morally bad; wicked __**2:**__ harmful __**3:**__ disagreeable _noun_**1 :**__ something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity __**2:**__ a cosmic evil force._

_So it is defined in Webster's._

_Demons, by their nature, are the embodiment of Evil; they eat, breathe, and sleep the philosophy. Thus, they are capable of some of the most evil acts imaginable._

_I should have expected that Saurius would strike at me in a way that would challenge me… But nothing I could ever have dreamed of could have prepared me for this… this sadistic setup he has arranged. _

_I swear that he won't get away with it…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Painful Choice**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Guided by the direction of the Millennium Puzzle, the four Defenders made their way through the twisting corridors.

"Um, Yugi?" asked Clive.

"Yes?" asked Yugi.

"Once we find Saurius," asked Clive, "exactly what are we going to _do_? He's about a thousand times stronger than us!"

"We'll think of something," sighed Yugi. "For now, let's just concentrate on finding him. And cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I can't stop thinking about poor Etna," sighed Mary.

"Yeah," agreed Peter. "You know what the funny part is?"

"There's a funny part?" asked Clive.

"Well, not 'ha-ha' funny," explained Peter, "but more like ironic funny. I just find it strange that someone like her loved fire all her life…"

He paused…

"…and now her ultimate fate will be the fires of Hell…"

Mary shuddered.

"We have to stay strong, people," said Clive. "We don't know what Saurius will throw at us next…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What next, you say, Clive?" chuckled Saurius. "My dear boy, you have no idea…"

"I'll ask again, you rat," snarled Siegfried, "what are you up to?"

"Prepare to find out," laughed Saurius.

"Clive can take down any duelist you throw at him!" yelled Siegfried. "He defeated one of the toughest of the Dark Four."

"True, Clive made a fool out of Des Fist," agreed Saurius. "But the situation this time will be totally different. Clive will have a very hard time dueling under the conditions that my servant Asmodan has set up… Just wait and see…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Bastion of the Hopeful, Anastasia's brow furred with worry.

"Clive," she moaned. "What will happen next might well be the toughest duel you have ever encountered… you will need to be strong to succeed…

"But I can still try to help…"

She took a card from her pile, and concentrated hard…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Defenders were walking down a long corridor.

"We're almost to our next destination, people," said Yugi. "I sense a source of great power down this corridor."

"Good," sighed Clive. "Now we can…"

Then a light sparkled up ahead. Another card flew towards them.

"It's happening again!" gasped Mary.

The card headed towards Clive, and circled around him. He stepped backwards, as the card hovered over him, and a slim feminine form appeared out of it.

"Meanae the Thorn?" gasped Clive, in shock.

It was indeed Meanae, dressed in her black and red leather outfit, with her long, dark hair. She held her long whip by her side. She looked at Clive – with eyes that were deep green, just like the previous two phantasms.

"Clive, listen up," she snapped, in a tough, bossy voice. "You're about to go into a bad situation, and you're in for a rough fight. This ain't going to be a run-o-the-mill duel you're walking into…"

"I kind of had a feeling about that," answered Clive.

"Yeah, but it's gonna be worse than you think," she said. "But you can win, so long as you remember one thing…

"Your Heart is strong, Clive, and I don't just mean the Heart of the Cards. Your Heart has other qualities as well, qualities that make you what you are, and make your cares and affections what they are.

"Be strong in Heart… remember everything connected to your Heart… and the nightmare that awaits you in the next room will have a happy ending…"

She vanished into her card, and the card vanished.

"What could she have meant?" asked Mary.

"All I know," muttered Clive, "is that my number is up…"

He paused.

"Let's go…"

They continued to walk down the corridor, until finally they came to a set of huge doors made out of metal. They were decorated, strangely, by images of nymphs, flowers, and other beautiful things, rather than the frightening images they had seen so far.

"How do we…?" started Peter.

The doors started to swing open. A light shone from within.

They heard the sounds of birds chirping…

They entered what appeared to be a beautiful garden, quite out of place in this forsaken lair. Beautiful trees and flowering bushes stood amid cool fountains and statues depicting fairies and cherubs.

Clive gave a strange look.

_This place is familiar…_ he thought.

"This place is beautiful…" muttered Mary.

"Beauty is only skin deep," said Yugi. "And demons often use beauty to tempt and deceive. Be on your guard… And whatever you do, don't anybody eat anything!"

"You don't have to tell us twice," stated Peter, looking at an apple tree.

"Welcome, duelists," said a sinister voice from up ahead. "Like my Garden of Delights?"

"Who's there?" shouted Clive.

"Come to the gazebo in the center of the Garden," said the voice. "I'm waiting for you there."

They followed the voice, and a large gazebo appeared in front of them. It was huge, at least a hundred feet in width, and circular, with a wooden floor, and a large overhanging roof made of wicker about fifty feet overhead. Roses and bunches of grapes hung from the ceiling and the supports were covered with ivy leaves. The floor was bare, however.

The Defenders looked at it strangely. It was the right size for a dueling arena, but NOT the right atmosphere for a battle…

Then, classical music started to play, and a misty smoke started to rise from in front of them. A tall figure arose from the mist.

He was handsome in the same way that a thunderstorm was beautiful. Dressed in expensive-looking satin robes that were colored violet and adorned with gems, he had skin that was tinged red, a neatly trimmed goatee, and stylish black hair. He had two horns jutting out of his forehead. He carried a rod in his right hand that seemed to be made of red crystal.

Also on his forehead was the S brand that was Saurius's symbol.

"Who are you?" demanded Clive.

"I am Asmodan," said the creature. "Fiery Lord of the Fifth Circle of Phlegethos, and one of Lord Saurius's most trusted minions. And I hope you're ready to duel, Mr. Marris, because I've arranged for you a challenge like none other in my Garden of Delights…"

"Fine," stated Clive. "I'll take you on!"

"Oh, _I_ won't be dueling you," explained Asmodan. "Your opponent is on her way up, and she's someone whom I think you're already well acquainted with…"

He snapped his fingers.

"Come on up, my dear," he persuaded.

A figure mounted the platform at the other end… Clive and his friends gasped in surprise!

She was dressed is a beautiful white dress, one that made her look like a princess who was unspoiled. Her long, strawberry-blond hair was done up neatly, and her blue eyes sparkled in the light. She didn't have the brand on her forehead, but she did have one of Saurius's evil Duel Disks on her arm.

Clive was aghast – he knew the face as well as he knew his own…

"Ph… Phoebe?" he gasped.

"Hello Clive," she said, smiling sweetly. "I'm so glad to see you. I wore this dress because I knew it was your favorite. Ready to duel?"

Clive looked at Asmodan with a look of pure hate. He rolled up his right sleeve.

"Okay, horn head," he shouted. "You have to the count of _one_ to let her go from whatever spell you have her under!" He ran up to the demon. "ONE!"

As he tried to run up to the fiend, he was thrown back as a flaming wall appeared around Asmodan.

"You'll find trying to punch me impossible, Mr. Marris," warned Asmodan. "I never like it when smelly thugs try to take swings at me…"

"Clive, please," pleaded Phoebe, putting her hand on his shoulder. "He doesn't have me under any spell. I want to do this."

"WHAT?" gasped Clive. "Phoebe, whatever for? I love you!"

"And I love you," replied Phoebe. "That's why I'm doing this. Saurius made me a promise. He told me that if I can beat you, he'll give you to me forever… And that's what I want. I want you forever. This way, I'll never risk losing you…"

"Yugi do you believe this?" gasped Mary. "Yugi?"

Yugi was concentrating – and communicating with Yami.

"Yugi," said Yami. "This can't be what Phoebe is claiming. I don't believe for a second that she would willingly ally herself with Saurius."

"Well what do we do?" asked Yugi.

"Maybe if I look into her mind and see what the truth is…" said Yami.

He paused.

There was a long silence.

"I… I can't do it!" shouted Yami, in surprise. "Something is blocking me from trying! Some sort of mental defense! Obviously Asmodan doesn't want me prying!"

"You've got to do something…" said Yugi.

"I'll work on it…" said Yami.

Meanwhile, Clive was trying to reason with Phoebe.

"Phoebe, you can't possibly beat me!" he begged. "You duel about as well as my grandmother! And do you have any idea what Saurius might do to you if you lose?"

"I've been… practicing…" stammered Phoebe. "I've gotten pretty good."

Clive turned to Asmodan.

"Listen you!" he yelled. "I won't do it, you hear me! I refuse!"

"Um, Phoebe, wait over there…" said Asmodan.

Phoebe turned and walked to the other side of the gazebo.

"You'd better," whispered Asmodan. "Either you duel her, or I'll destroy her! But if you can defeat her, she won't be harmed…"

He smiled.

"…maybe."

Clive gritted his teeth.

He looked at Phoebe.

He had no choice…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his chamber, Saurius chuckled…

"What have you done to Phoebe?" demanded Siegfried. "I demand to know!"

"Gee, Kaiba," smiled Saurius. "Perhaps your research was wrong… Perhaps I actually _can_ force a mortal to serve me!"

"Leave her out of it!" demanded Siegfried. "She's done nothing to you!"

"And who's going to make me?" asked Saurius. "You?"

Siegfried was strangely silent.

"Of course," smiled Saurius, "if you tell me now what I need to know, I might be inclined to call this whole thing off…"

"Never…" growled Siegfried.

"Then just watch the show," smiled Saurius. "Once my new pawn defeats Clive, and I'm almost certain she will, you'll see just how powerful I truly am…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Puzzle glowed, and Yami's spirit merged with Yugi's.

"Clive," cautioned Yugi, going up to him. "This is dangerous. You can't lose – if you do, Saurius might hold Phoebe forever, and you'll both be doomed…"

He paused.

"But maybe if you defeat her, we can break the spell… that's usually how this sort of thing works. Stand strong…"

"Okay Yugi…" assured Clive.

He turned to Phoebe.

"Okay, Phoebe," sighed Clive. "I'll duel you. Even if I don't want to…"

He turned to Asmodan.

"And I _really_ don't want to…" he snarled.

"Excellent," smiled Asmodan. "It's time to duel!"

The two Duel Disks flipped into position, and the holo-imagers shot out. They both made their draws, and the Life Point counters were set to 8,000 apiece.

"I trust you'll be chivalrous and give her the honor of the first move, Mr. Marris," smiled Asmodan.

"Uh, sure," stammered Clive. "You go first, Phoebe…"

Phoebe made her first draw.

"Well, let's see," she said, looking at her cards. "This one looks good… but then again, there's always this…"

"Look at her," said Peter to Mary. "I don't think she knows what she's doing!"

"Okay," said Phoebe. "I'll summon… Feral Imp, in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and the nasty green imp appeared on her side, and let out a loud screech. (1,300/1,400)

"And uh, I guess it's your move," she said.

_Good grief, _thought Clive, drawing._ She put a weak Monster in Attack Mode? Maybe if I show her how in over her head she is, she'll give up…_

He placed a card down.

"I summon The Hunter With 7 Weapons in Attack Mode!" he yelled.

The bald, grim-faced Warrior dressed in leather and armed to the teeth with weapons appeared. He rubbed his chin and looked over his arms, as if trying to decide which to use. (1,000/600)

"When The Hunter With 7 Weapons is summoned," explained Clive, "I get to declare one Monster Type, and his Attack Score is doubled when fighting that type. So I declare Fiends!"

The Hunter pulled out a long knife.

"Attack the Imp!" ordered Clive.

The Hunter raised his knife and leapt at Feral Imp. He buried the weapon in the Fiend's chest, and the creature fell with a gasp.

"Oh, my Imp!" cried Phoebe, as her Life Points fell to 7,300.

"Minor setback, Phoebe," assured Asmodan. "You can defeat that Hunter."

Phoebe looked at her hand.

"Oh, right," she said.

She drew.

"I summon White Magical Hat in Attack Mode," she said, placing a card down.

A light struck the field, and a magician in a blue tuxedo wearing a white cape, a top hat, and a monocle appeared. He sneered at The Hunter. (1,000/700)

"That may not be a Fiend," replied Clive, "but his Attack Score is equal to The Hunter's."

"Well then maybe this Spell Card can help," said Phoebe. "I play Riryoku!"

"What?" gasped Clive.

She put the card into the slot, and energy flowed out of The Hunter With 7 Weapons and into White Magical Hat. The Warrior's Attack score fell to 500, while the Spellcaster's rose to 1,500.

"Hey, it worked!" exclaimed Phoebe. "White Magical Hat, attack with moonlight blast!"

White Magical Hat raised his arms, and shot a beam of shimmering light forward! The Hunter moaned, and was eradicated.

Clive's Life Points fell to 7,000.

Then White Magical Hat lifted his finger and pointed. A card floated out of Clive's hand and flew into the discard pile.

_No! _thought Clive_. My Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!_

Asmodan chuckled.

"When White Magical Hat damages your Life Points, you lose a card from your hand," he laughed.

"Your move, Clive," said Phoebe.

"Wow, Phoebe just made a clever move," said Mary. "Maybe she _can_ duel pretty well."

"That's what I'm worried about…" muttered Yugi.

Clive drew.

"I summon Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode," he announced.

He put the card down, and the huge rabid dog appeared, salivating at the mouth. (1,900/1,400)

"Go!" shouted Clive. "Attack White Magical Hat with your bite of darkness!"

Mad Dog of Darkness leapt up in the air and tackled White Magical Hat! After a brief struggle, the Spellcaster burst into pixilated bits, and his hat flew away before bursting as well.

Phoebe's Life Points fell to 6,900.

"Why don't you end this madness now, Phoebe?" pleaded Clive. "You're just going to get hurt if this keeps up!"

"I can't," begged Phoebe drawing. "I want this… I want it more than anything!"

She put a card down.

"I summon The Statue of Easter Island in Defense Mode!" she cried.

A huge stone statue that looked like a blocky face crashed down on her side of the field, and stared with blank eyes. (1,100/1,400)

"Your move, darling," she said.

Clive's hand shook as he drew.

"I summon… Masaki the Legendary Swordsman in Attack Mode," he stammered.

He put the card down, and the armored Samurai in silver armor appeared, waving his katana. (1,100/1,100)

"Mad Dog of Darkness," he stammered, "destroy her Statue!"

Mad Dog leapt forth, and smashed The Statue of Easter Island into pebbles!

"Masaki…" he started.

Masaki raised his sword. Clive paused.

Phoebe looked at him.

He hesitated.

"No, don't," he whined. "I end my turn."

Asmodan chuckled. "I thought so…" he laughed.

"Just what I was afraid of," said Yugi.

"Yeah," moaned Mary. "Phoebe was wide open for a direct attack, but Clive just couldn't!"

"I know how he feels," sighed Peter. "If that were me and Josephine up there, I'd _never_ be able to attack her…"

"Yami," said Yugi. "Any luck on getting through to Phoebe?"

"I'm still working on it," said Yami. "But it's difficult. I've never seen a mental defense this strong – it's like some sort of wall is purposely keeping me out!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Heh, heh," chuckled Saurius. "Isn't this fun, Kaiba?"

"Yeah, fun," growled Siegfried. "Fun like a canker sore…"

"Can't you see my strategy now?" smiled Saurius. "You can't win a duel by destroying Monsters alone… And since Clive is too reluctant to strike his girlfriend, he'll never win…"

"Your plan will fail…" said Siegfried, with doubt in his voice.

"From the look of things," laughed Saurius, "it's already succeeded!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A chilling wind started to blow across the Garden of Delights, and the flowers started to sway, as Phoebe made her next draw.

"I'll summon Tauros the Bull in Defense Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and a hulking bovine appeared in front of her. (100/2,300)

"Same as your birth sign, honey," she smiled. "That's why I put it my deck. And it's your move."

Clive sighed. He drew.

_I can't beat that Bull's Defense…_ he thought.

"I have to pass this turn," he said.

"Okay…" said Phoebe, drawing.

"Oh, this looks good…" she smiled. "I'll place this card facedown, like this…"

She put a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Tauros.

"…and now I'll summon Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands to the field," she said.

She put a card down, and a frightening creature appeared. It had a rough, gray skin, and while it didn't exactly have ten-thousand hands, it did have a lot of them, which covered its entire body. (1,400/1,000)

Phoebe reached for her deck.

"Let's see," she pondered. "When Manju is summoned, I get to search for a Ritual Card, right?"

"Exactly, Phoebe," affirmed Asmodan. "You know what to do…"

As Phoebe skimmed though her deck, Yami spoke up to Yugi.

"Yugi," he said, "something strange is going on. Phoebe might sound like she doesn't know what she's doing, but I can't shake the feeling that her inexperience is an act – she's better at this than she's leading us to believe."

"But how can that be?" said Yugi. "She was never any good before… She could barely tell a Spell Card from a Trap Card when we saw her last…"

Phoebe found what she was looking for, and put her deck back. The Disk reshuffled it.

"Now I'll use the Ritual Card… Hamburger Recipe!" she smiled.

She plugged it into the slot, and a huge demonic chef appeared on the field, holding a bunch of cutlery.

"Hamburger Recipe?" asked Clive.

"And to activate it," said Phoebe, "I'll offer as sacrifice both Tauros and Manju…"

The chef took his cleaver and diced the two Monsters into bits, collecting them into a huge frying pan. A fire appeared under it, and he added three sauces from bottles to the mixture…

He flipped the contents up, and then he vanished…

Then a series of layers fell onto the field – two giant all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions, topped with a bun. Everyone looked in surprise…

And then the huge hamburger grew a giant mouth with fangs and roared!

I summon HUNGRY BURGER!" exclaimed Phoebe.

(2,000/1,850)

"Why THAT?" gasped Clive, somewhat frightened.

"I wanted to impress you Clive," explained Phoebe. "Don't you remember our first date? When we met, you said you knew the place that made the best hamburgers in Domino… and you were right. I got this card so you'd remember…"

"That's a funny way of making me remember…" stuttered Clive.

"Hungry Burger," ordered Phoebe, "attack his Mad Dog of Darkness!"

Hungry Burger lunged forth, and swallowed Mad Dog of Darkness with one gulp! The demonic sandwich licked its lips. Clive's Life Points went down to 6,900.

"Good job, Phoebe," grinned Asmodan. "Keep it up…"

"Okay, it's my draw…" said Clive.

"I uh, activate my Trap Card…" said Phoebe, hitting her Disk.

The card lifted, showing a picture of a girl under a shower of sparkling dust.

"Solemn Wishes!" she exclaimed.

"What?" asked Mary. "What's that?"

"Solemn Wishes is a rare and powerful Continuous Trap," explained Yugi. "So long as it's in place, Phoebe's Life Points will increase by 500 every time she draws!"

Clive looked at his card.

"I'll place a card of my own facedown," he said, putting it into a slot.

The facedown card appeared.

"Then I'll shift Masaki into Defense Mode," he said.

Masaki knelt, and leaned on his sword.

"And I'll also summon Getsu Fuhma in Defense Mode," he said.

The Dark Warrior girl in her battle dress appeared; she knelt, and shielded herself with her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"And that will end my turn," said Clive.

"Okay, let's see here," said Phoebe.

She drew, and glittering dust fell over her. Her Life Points went up to 7,400.

"I'll summon Master Kyonshee in Attack Mode," she said, putting a card down.

The ground in front of her cracked, and an agile form leapt out! It was a Zombie dressed in a purple monk's outfit, yellow pants, and a white veil covering his face with Japanese print on it. He bore a large sword which he swung menacingly. (1,750/1,000)

"Hungry Burger," shouted Phoebe, "attack Getsu Fuhma!"

Hungry Burger flew forward…

"I'm going to have to stop you, Phoebe…" yelled Clive.

He tapped his Disk.

"Activate… Magic-Arm Shield!"

His Trap Card lifted, and the Shield appeared on Getsu Fuhma's left arm. She thrust it forward, and the pair of grabbers shot out, seizing Master Kyonshee!

"Now I can reel him in," grunted Clive, "and use him to shield Getsu from your Burger!"

Getsu swung Master Kyonshee in front of her, and Hungry Burger swallowed him instead, biting through the grabber in the process. Then the huge Burger started to gag, as if eating the Zombie had made it sick!

"Bleach!" it gasped.

"Heh," chuckled Peter. "I guess Zombies don't taste too good…"

"Oh!" moaned Phoebe, as her Life Points went down to 7,150.

"Don't get upset, Phoebe!" assured Asmodan. "Your Burger is still stronger than either of his Monsters!"

"Yeah," said Phoebe. "Okay…"

"Then it's my move…" said Clive, drawing.

"And I play my Pot of Greed!" he said, plugging it into the slot.

The squinting green jar appeared before him and two cards flipped out of its top. Clive made two draws.

"Okay," he sneered. "First, I'll switch both of my Monsters into Attack Mode…"

He turned his cards, and Masaki and Getsu stood up.

"Then I'll summon one of my Dark Scorpions… Chick the Yellow, in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and the young, blonde haired teenager in leather, carrying his quarterstaff appeared. (1,000/1,000)

Clive flicked open his Field slot.

"Now, I'll play my Field Spell Card," he continued. "Scorpion's Den!"

The gazebo surrounding them, and the garden outside started to blur, and then change, as the terrain was changed. A cavern formed around the whole group, and they were surrounded by chests, bags, and barrels full of gold and jewels.

"Pretty!" smiled Phoebe.

"True," agreed Clive. "But since this is the home of the Dark Scorpions, they all gain a 500-point bonus to their Attack and Defense Scores."

Chick the Yellow's scores changed to (1,500/1,500)

"And now I'll raise Chick's Attack even more," said Clive, "by Equipping him with the Dark Scorpion Shiv!"

He fit the card into a slot, and Chick fit his quarterstaff on his back. A long dagger appeared in his hand, and his Attack went up to 2,200.

"Ack!" gasped Phoebe.

"Chick, attack Hungry Burger!" shouted Clive.

Chick leapt into the air with his Shiv raised high. He stabbed squarely into the top of Hungry Burger's bun, and the huge thing bellowed! It burst, sending bits of pickles and onions everywhere with a burst of ketchup.

Phoebe's Life Points fell to 6,950.

"Now," explained Clive. "Since Chick damaged your Life Points, I get to see the top card on your deck, without you seeing it, and decide whether or not to put it back on the top or the bottom. So let's see…"

Phoebe sighed. She reached and took the card and showed it to him. It was a Spell Card called…

_Unholy Dragon Revival? _thought Clive._ I've never even heard of that one, but I don't like the look of it…_

"Put it at the bottom," he said.

"Sure Clive," she said, slipping it into the bottom.

"Now…" said Clive.

He looked at his other two Warriors… he looked at Phoebe again.

He sighed.

"I'm ending my turn, Phoebe," he sighed. "But please, you have to stop this! You must realize I could have really hurt you just now, and I don't want to have to!"

"Save your breath, Mr. Marris," growled Asmodan. "If you don't want to take advantage of a good situation, that's your own fault. It's your turn, my dear…"

"Come on Clive!" begged Mary. "You have to fight back!"

"I can do this myself!" shouted Clive.

Yugi was deep in thought.

_There was something awfully familiar about that card she put at the bottom of her deck, _he thought._ Well, so long as it's at the bottom, I guess it can't do much harm…_

Phoebe drew, and her Life Points went up to 7,450.

"I summon The Unfriendly Amazon!" she exclaimed.

She placed a card down, and a tall form appeared. It was a tall woman, dressed in drab, gray, leather armor, with long hair tied in a long braid. She had a mean look on her face and a carried a nasty-looking scimitar. Clearly, "unfriendly" was a good description. (2,000/1,000)

"What?" said Yugi, puzzled.

"Amazon," ordered Phoebe, "attack Masaki!"

The Unfriendly Amazon grunted and lifted her sword. She ran forward and made a slash, breaking Masaki's sword, then buried it in his chest. Masaki fell to his knees and burst into silver pixels.

Clive's Life Points fell to 6,000.

"Wow," gasped Yugi. "Phoebe _really_ messed up now…"

"How come?" asked Mary.

"Well, first ignore the fact that Chick the Yellow is stronger than that Amazon," said Yugi. "The Unfriendly Amazon is powerful for a four-star Monster, but she has a crippling handicap. Every standby phase, the owner has to sacrifice another Monster, or she's destroyed.

"Phoebe has no other Monsters on the field, so come next turn, if Clive doesn't destroy her, she'll be destroyed anyway."

"Now," continued Phoebe, taking two cards from her hand. "I place one card facedown…"

She placed the card in the slot, and it appeared behind the Amazon.

"And I also play a Spell Card… Jam Breeding Machine!"

She slid the card into the slot, and a loud rumbling was heard. Slowly, a huge machine appeared on her side of the field; it was like a dome in shape, with pipes, gaskets, and gewgaws all over it, and a depression on the top.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Hold the phone," said Yugi in surprise. "So she didn't mess up…"

"What does that contraption do?" asked Mary.

"So long as that… contraption is on the field," explained Yugi, "she can't summon any more Monsters without destroying it, but it produces a mini-Monster called a 'Slime Token' every one of her standby phases. Obviously, she intends to use those to maintain the Amazon!"

"Yugi!" said Yami's voice. "There is clearly more than meets the eye here. Phoebe has formed a clever strategy – something is up…"

"Yeah," agreed Yugi. "I wish I knew what…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Okay, Saurius," accused Siegfried, "something's not right here…"

"You only say that because my duelist is winning," laughed the demon.

"It doesn't add up!" snarled Siegfried. "Sixteen days ago, Phoebe didn't even know what a Ritual Card was, now she just used one like a pro. And no amateur would think to use The Unfriendly Amazon in combination with Jam Breeding Machine. She's simply too good, and you don't get this good in sixteen days!"

"Maybe I'm just a good teacher," suggested Saurius.

"She couldn't have learned this fast if Yugi's dad herself had taught her!" sneered Siegfried. "I don't know what you did, but sooner or later the truth is going to come out, and Yugi is going to find a way to break whatever spell you've put on her… I guarantee it!"

Saurius growled.

_Just being suspicious won't help Yugi, _he thought._ And Clive is so concerned, he won't stop to think about how his girlfriend got so good. Soon, victory will be mine…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive drew a card.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" called Phoebe.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a storm blew across the field.

The Dark Scorpion Shiv was blown from Chick's hand and disintegrated. His Attack power went down to 1,500.

"Darn," cursed Clive. "I'll just shift both my Monsters into Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

He turned his cards, and Chick and Getsu kneeled, shielding themselves with their weapons.

"Then it's my turn, darling," smiled Phoebe. She drew, and the golden radiance bathed her again. Her Life Points went up to 7,950.

The Jam Breeding Machine shook and whirred. Smoke poured out of its pipes, and a small glob of protoplasm with a face on it was spit out of the depression on the top. (500/500)

"Now, I'll sacrifice the Slime Token so I can keep The Unfriendly Amazon…" said Phoebe.

The Slime Token vanished.

"Now, Unfriendly Amazon, attack Chick the Yellow!"

The Unfriendly Amazon leapt forth. Chick tried to bock her blow with his staff, only to find it broken in half! The Amazon ran him through, and he collapsed.

"Um, your move Clive," she said.

Clive drew.

_My own Dust Tornado, _he thought._ I can get rid of the Solemn Wishes, or the Jam Breeding Machine with this, but not both…_

"I'm placing a card facedown," he said, fitting it into the slot, "and ending my turn."

"Okay," said Phoebe. "I'm drawing…"

She drew, and her Life Points went up to 8,350.

"I'm activating a Trap!" said Clive. "My own Dust Tornado!"

The fierce winds blew, and the Solemn Wishes card shattered!

"NO!" moaned Phoebe. She looked ready to cry.

"Calm down dear," said Asmodan. "Your Life Points are still way ahead of his…"

"Right… yeah…" said Phoebe, softly.

The Jam Breeding Machine started up again, and once again it whirred. Another Slime Token emerged from the top.

"I'll sacrifice it again…" said Phoebe.

It vanished…

"…and have my Unfriendly Amazon attack Getsu Fuhma!"

The Amazon attacked… Getsu Fuhma screamed as she was cut down.

"No Monsters left, Clive…" said Phoebe with a smile.

"Soon to change…" said Clive.

He drew.

"I place a card facedown, and I summon Don Zaloog in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the cards down. The facedown card appeared, and the leader of the Dark Scorpions appeared, squatting on one knee. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/2,000)

"Your Amazon isn't strong enough to break this defense," said Clive. He waved his hand to end his turn.

"Is she?" smiled Phoebe, drawing.

The Jam Breeding Machine whirred again, and spat out another Slime Token.

"First I'll sacrifice the Token to keep the Amazon," said Phoebe, as it vanished. "And then I'll use this Spell Card…"

She slid it into a slot.

"Rush Recklessly!"

The image of a roaring warthog appeared behind The Unfriendly Amazon!

"This increases her Attack Score to 2,700 for this turn!" said Phoebe. "Amazon, attack Don Zaloog!"

The Amazon raised her sword…

"I activate… Shadow Spell!" shouted Clive, as his Trap Card lifted.

Phoebe gasped, as chains sprouted from the floor, and tied The Unfriendly Amazon up! She struggled, but she couldn't escape.

"Now, when your Rush Recklessly wears off, your Amazon's Attack power will be reduced to 1,300," said Clive, "and she'll be easy prey."

Asmodan glared at Phoebe. She drew back in fright.

"Don't even go near her, horn head!" snapped Clive.

"Then it's your move, Mr. Marris," he snarled.

Clive drew.

"I'll shift Don into Attack Mode," he said.

Don got up, and drew his rapier and dagger.

"And I'll also summon Meanae the Thorn, in Attack Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the beautiful female member of the Dark Scorpions flipped into view, and lashed with her whip. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/2,300)

"Don Zaloog," ordered Clive. "Attack The Unfriendly Amazon with Sting of the Scorpions attack!"

Don leapt up; The Unfriendly Amazon gasped in terror and struggled against her bonds, but they were too tight. Don drove his sword through her, and she burst.

Phoebe's Life Points fell to 7,750

"And now…" said Clive.

Don reached over and grabbed a card from Phoebe's hand. He threw it into her Graveyard pile.

"Just like your White Magical Hat," he said.

Clive looked hard at Meanae the Thorn.

_If I struck now with Meanae, I could bring her Life Points down a notch… _he thought._ And with her effect, I could bring another Dark Scorpion into my hand…_

_I have to do it… have to…_

He looked at Phoebe.

"I can't…" he whispered.

"Okay, Phoebe, I'm ending my turn," he stuttered. "But please, end this insanity! On your next turn, that Machine will churn out another Token, and unless you manage to Tribute it for a stronger Monster, I'll destroy it easily and seriously damage your Life Points!"

Phoebe drew.

"I can Tribute weak Monsters for strong ones," she assured. "This game isn't that hard…"

The Jam Breeding Machine whirred again, and after shaking for another few seconds, spit out another Slime Token.

"So," said Phoebe, putting a card down, "I Tribute the Slime Token and the Machine itself…"

The Slime Token and the Jam Breeding Machine vanished in a large puff of smoke…

"And I summon the mighty Anaconda Crusher!" she exclaimed.

All four of the Defenders gasped as a large Monster appeared on her side of the field. It was a huge serpent, colored brownish-gold, with a diamond pattern on its back. It was curled up in a large coil. It hissed and flicked out its tongue. (2,200/1,000)

"Geeze!" gasped Clive.

"Anaconda Crusher," ordered Phoebe, "attack Meanae the Thorn!"

Meanae screamed as the huge creature darted forward! Within seconds, it wrapped its coils around her and started to squeeze! She gasped, and then burst into pixels.

Clive's Life Points fell down to 5,400.

_No choice, _thought Clive, as he prepared to activate his Trap Card._ Have to bring out the big guns, or she's going to beat me… I didn't want to hurt you Phoebe, but you leave me no…_

He paused. His eyes opened wide.

"Hey, wait a minute!" he snarled.

"What?" asked Phoebe.

"Phoebe hates snakes!" scowled Clive, his expression turning angry.

"Huh?" asked Phoebe. "What do you mean?"

"Phoebe can't stand snakes!" shouted Clive. "She's scared to death of them!"

"Uh…" gasped Phoebe, starting to sweat.

"Wait a minute…" growled Yugi. His eyes narrowed.

"Before I left for Duelatopia, she panicked when I showed her my Giant Spitting Cobra card!" shouted Clive. "There's _no way_ she'd ever put that Monster in her deck!"

He pointed to his opponent.

"You aren't Phoebe at all, you imposter!" he yelled.

Phoebe looked scared for a minute…

And then she recovered. She grinned a grin that Clive didn't like at all.

"Pity," she laughed in a voice that wasn't hers. "I'd hoped to keep up the charade until _after_ this was over…"

Yugi's Puzzle glowed, and the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead…

"Power of the Millennium Puzzle…" he chanted, as light started to emit from it. "Erase the spell of deception! Show things as they should be!"

"Phoebe" laughed, as light filled the whole area, and she grew a head taller. Her eyebrows darkened, and her hair changed from strawberry blonde to jet black, and grew longer. Then horns grew from her forehead, and huge bat-like wings sprouted from her back. Her clothes changed, switching from the innocent white dress to the trashy clothes of a harlot, in black leather with no shoes.

And then the symbol of Saurius appeared on her forehead. The sky around the Garden of Delights darkened, and thunder rolled in the sky. The flowers turned to thorny weeds, and the trees turned bare and wicked-looking. Even the beautiful statues and fountains around them turned ugly.

The creature chuckled as she looked at Clive. Peter and Mary gasped.

"Who are you?" gasped Clive. "WHAT are you?"

"I'll tell you what she is," said Yugi, speaking up. "She's a _succubus_, a demon of desire. These creatures prey on men, seducing them and destroying them, ultimately enslaving their souls to gain power."

"Where's the real Phoebe, you fiend?" demanded Clive.

"As far as I know," smiled the demoness, "she's still on vacation. Oh, we considered bringing her here and forcing her to watch, but we thought it much crueler if she simply never learned what happened to you!"

"You're sick, you…" started Clive. "Say, what IS your name anyway?"

"You may call me Shaleen," introduced the succubus. "And please Clive, just look at me…"

She made a sexy pose.

"Aren't I more desirable than little Phoebe?" she purred. "I mean, do I really look seven-thousand years old?"

"Oh no!" said Clive, sarcastically. "You look two-thousand-five-hundred, tops! Sorry babe, but I'm not interested!"

"Well tough!" laughed Shaleen. "The stakes of this duel haven't changed. Once I defeat you, you're mine… forever! You won't find me as nice as Phoebe, but you'll get used to it!"

"Keep dreaming, slut," snarled Clive, "because now that I know the truth, there's no holding back! And since you never ended your last battle phase, I'm activating this Trap Card…"

He hit a button on his Disk, and the Trap lifted.

"Fallen Comrade!" he announced.

Don Zaloog lifted his hand.

"This allows one Dark Scorpion to rescue another from the Graveyard, so long as I discard one card!"

He discarded a card, and Meanae the Thorn reappeared. She stared at Shaleen with angry eyes.

"And you haven't seen anything yet!" shouted Clive. "You'll pay for soiling Phoebe's image… This duel has just started!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Alas," chuckled Siegfried, "the chameleon has shown its true colors."

"Stop with the Shakespeare, Kaiba!" snarled Saurius. "You're lucky you're still alive to quote him!"

"I'm disappointed in you, Saurius," scolded Siegfried. "You said you had the perfect plan to take down Clive, but you couldn't do better than a carbon copy…

"And it might have worked too, but your succubus made a crucial error. She studied Phoebe and Clive's relationship, but only the positive details. Had she gone into the _negative_ details, she would have realized Phoebe's ophidophobia, and would never have put that snake in her deck…"

Saurius stared at him.

"Look, Kaiba," he sneered, "just because Clive found her true identity doesn't mean he'll win… Shaleen has a big surprise waiting in her deck…"

"Big surprise?" asked Siegfried, raising an eyebrow.

"I won't elaborate," said Saurius, "but let me just say it's a creature that even Yugi's father wouldn't have beaten if he hadn't had help!"

_Help? _thought Siegfried._ What Monster did Yugi's dad need help to defeat?_

He searched his mind.

_Oh… my… God… _he thought.

_Clive…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Clive, be careful!" gasped Mary.

"Do you really think you can defeat me, little boy?" mocked Shaleen. "I was participating in the ancient Shadow Games millennia ago!"

"Shaleen…" scolded Asmodan. "Less talking, more dueling!"

"She'll have to wait," growled Clive, "because it's my turn…"

He drew.

He threw the card into a slot.

"I'll place this card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

"CLIVE!" shouted Peter. "You forgot to shift your Monsters into Defense Mode!"

"It's his own fault," smiled Shaleen, drawing. "Anaconda Crusher, squeeze the life out of Meanae again!"

The huge snake leapt forward at Meanae again…

"That's just what I wanted you to do," smiled Clive, tapping his Disk.

"What? A Trap?" gasped Shaleen, as the card lifted. "What is it?"

"Activate… Blast Held By A Tribute!" shouted Clive.

Anaconda Crusher exploded, sending Shaleen hurtling backwards! She landed on the ground and groaned.

"Since you summoned that Monster via Tribute," explained Clive, "this Trap allows me to destroy it when it attacks. Now you not only take 550 points of damage from Anaconda Crusher's destruction, but you take an additional 1,000 points of direct damage!"

Shaleen's Life Points fell to 6,200.

"See?" said Clive. "I'd never had used a Trap that nasty against Phoebe, but you… you're a different story!"

"Go Clive!" shouted Mary.

"Shaleen!" growled Asmodan, as she got up. "Don't you dare lose! Saurius will have our heads!"

"Yes, master…" said Shaleen, picking up her cards.

She placed a card down.

"I'll end my turn by summoning Yaranzo in Defense Mode," she said.

An old wooden chest appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and a rotting zombie crawled halfway out, shielding itself with its arms. (1,300/1,500)

Clive drew.

"Not the best of moves there," said Clive. "Don Zaloog, attack Yaranzo with Sting of the Scorpions!"

Don Zaloog leapt up, and drove his sword directly into the center of Yaranzo's chest. The zombie moaned, and exploded into wood and pieces of flesh.

"Now, Meanae the Thorn," yelled Clive, "attack her directly with Scorpion lash!"

Meanae leapt into the air, and vanished in a blur…

"Huh?" said Shaleen.

Meanae appeared behind her. She laughed and cracked her whip, lashing Shaleen across the buttocks. The demon yelped.

"How dare you!" scowled the succubus, as her Life Points fell to 4,700.

Now, since Meanae damaged your Life Points," said Clive, "I get to move one member of her team from my deck or Graveyard and add him to my hand…"

He pressed a button on his Disk, and a card slipped out of his discard pile.

"So welcome back, Chick the Yellow…" he smiled. "I'll end my turn by summoning him in Attack Mode."

He threw the card on his Disk, and Chick came back, raising his quarterstaff menacingly. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,500)

"Your move," said Clive.

Shaleen drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she said, plugging it into the slot.

The roof above them lit up with a blue glow.

"Man, that card is popular," said Yugi, as they each drew a full hand of cards.

"Heh, heh," smiled Shaleen. "I couldn't have asked for a better hand! First I'll play this – Mystical Space Typhoon! Say goodbye to your Field Card!"

The three Dark Scorpions covered their eyes, as she played the card and a whirlwind ripped across the field, blowing Scorpion's Den to pieces. The three of them stared in disbelief… their home had been destroyed…

And with it, their strength had ebbed. Don's score went down to (1,400/1,500), Meanae's to (1,000/1,800), and Chick's to (1,000/1,000).

"Now," smiled Shaleen. "I'll play a second Spell Card… the powerful METEOR OF DESTRUCTION!"

She threw the card into the slot, and the sky above them burned with fire! A ball of flame shot down from the heavens, soared into the gazebo and stuck Clive, exploding on impact!

"CLIVE!" screamed Mary.

Clive was on his knees, coughing, his clothes in tatters. He slowly got to his feet. His Life Points had been reduced to 4,400.

"I'm fine…" he gasped.

"Now," grinned Shaleen, "I'll summon a lady who'll really frighten you! D.D. Assailant, in Attack Mode!"

She put a card down, and like something out of _Star Trek_, a figure materialized. It was a woman with short hair, wearing a shiny, white, one-piece bodysuit. She carried a huge weapon that looked like a cross between a sword and a cleaver, which looked too big for her to hold. (1,700/1,600)

"D.D. Assailant," yelled Shaleen, "attack Chick the Yellow with dimensional slice!"

The Warrior woman raised her huge weapon, and ran forward in a blur, mercilessly cutting down Chick the Yellow. He fell, and blood dripped from the huge sword.

Clive's Life Points fell to 3,700.

"Clive's in trouble!" screamed Mary.

"He'll bounce back," assured Peter.

Clive drew.

_Yeah, that's what I need,_ he thought.

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I Tribute both Don Zaloog and Meanae the Thorn…" he said.

The two Dark Scorpions vanished into the shadows.

"…and I summon my Crescent Moon Queen!" he exclaimed.

The shadows took form, and the beautiful-yet-dark queen emerged, raising her blades. She opened her glowing eyes and gazed at the succubus. (2,600/1,700)

"Not only can my Queen easily defeat your Assailant," snarled Clive, "but after she's done, she can attack _you_ in the same round!"

"Well then, I can't stop you…" smirked Shaleen.

"Crescent Moon Queen…" started Clive.

The Queen raised her swords.

"Wait!" shouted Clive.

The Queen lowered them.

"_D.D. Assailant"? _he thought._ This Warrior's name and appearance is an awful lot like D.D. Warrior Lady… and Shaleen doesn't seem the least bit worried…_

_Could D.D. Assailant have the power to banish a Monster from the game if she's attacked?_

He gave the Warrior a long look.

"No attack this round," said Clive. "Make your move."

"I will," said Shaleen.

She drew.

"Hey…" she said.

"I play Nightmare Steel Cage!" she shouted, throwing a card into a slot.

Flames erupted around Clive, and a dome-like iron cage formed around him and Crescent Moon Queen.

"Man, you are really starting to cheese me off!" growled Clive.

"Well, now you can't attack me for two of your turns," laughed Shanalla.

"Clive's in a tough spot…" grumbled Mary.

"Not quite," said Yugi. "Just as the Nightmare Steel Cage keeps him from making an attack, it also keeps Shaleen from attacking him. And he can still summon additional Monsters and set cards."

"And now," giggled Shaleen, "I'll finish by summoning Witty Phantom in Attack Mode."

A cackling laugh sounded over the field, and the tall gentleman Fiend in a purple tuxedo appeared. He removed his hat, twirled it on his finger and replaced it. (1,400/1,300)

"I'm not impressed," said Clive.

"You will be," smiled Shaleen. "Make your move."

Clive drew.

_Hmm…_ he thought.

"I'll place these two cards facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He fit the two cards into slots, and they appeared behind Crescent Moon Queen.

"Splendid," giggled Shaleen, drawing.

"I'll play… Pot of Charity!" she smiled.

She fit the card into her Disk, and touched it.

"I'll remove White Magical Hat from play…" she said.

The Pot appeared on the field, and the image of White Magical Hat was sucked into it.

"…and I'll draw three new cards."

She made the draws.

_Perfect,_ she thought. _Now I have what I need to truly finish him off!_

"I'll summon my Water Magician to the field, in Attack Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and a pretty young Spellcaster in a blue robe and green cape wearing a porkpie hat and a feather appeared, carrying a long spaded staff. (1,400/1,000)

"And also, one card facedown," she said.

She fit the card into the slot, and it appeared behind her three Monsters.

"Over to you, darling," she said with an evil smile.

"Don't call me 'darling'," growled Clive, drawing.

"I'll pass this turn," he said.

The Nightmare Steel Cage started to crumble and evaporate, and within moments, it was gone.

"But next round, I'll be free to attack…" he warned.

"Good," she smiled. "Plan all you want…"

She drew.

"And while you're doing that," she grinned, "I'll summon Flame Manipulator in Attack Mode."

She put the card down, and a tall figure formed. Just like Etna's Monster, it was a fiery Spellcaster in a purple t-shirt and jeans. (900/1,000)

"And it's your turn," grinned Shaleen.

"You're Monsters are all second-rate!" yelled Clive. "They're no match for my Queen!"

_Oh Clive, you silly boy, _thought Shaleen._ If only you knew what was coming…._

Clive drew.

"Now, I'll Equip my Queen with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" he said, throwing a card into a slot.

Crescent Moon Queen sheathed one of her swords, and a larger, nastier sword appeared in its place. Her attack score went up to 3,400.

"And now," snarled Clive, "I'll summon Command Knight in Attack Mode!"

Clive put down a card, and the beautiful young Warrior in her decorated armor appeared in a burst of fire, her strawberry-blonde hair blowing in the wind, and her sword held high. (1,200/1,900)

"Take a good look at this Warrior, Shaleen," said Clive. "I put her in my deck to remind me of the _real_ Phoebe. Whenever I summon this Monster, I know that she's with me in spirit!"

"How touching," smiled Shaleen. "I can't wait to destroy her!"

"That will be hard, because she raises the Attack Score of all Warriors by 400 points!"

Crescent Moon Queen's Attack rose further, to 3,800, while Command Knight herself's rose to 1,600.

"Now, Crescent Moon Queen," he shouted, "attack her Flame Manipulator!"

"Clive, wait!" shouted Peter. "Her Trap Card!"

Crescent Moon Queen charged forward.

"Activate, Negate Attack!" shouted Shaleen.

Her Trap lifted, and the Queen's charge was stopped short by a vortex of energy.

"Humph, you had me worried there for a minute," sighed Clive. "Well, it's your move."

"Very well," said Shaleen drawing. "I summon Sonic Bird to the field!"

She put a card down in the last slot on her Monster Zone, and a noise like a rocket sounded. A creature that looked like an eagle wearing a jetpack and goggles flew into view, and landed beside the other four Monsters on Shaleen's side. (1,400/1,000)

"Ah, it's as weak as the others!" grumbled Clive.

"Don't be so sure," smirked Shaleen. "Just like Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands, Sonic Bird lets me search my deck for a Ritual Card – and I've got a much better Ritual in store for you than that Hamburger Recipe!"

She took her deck and started to look through it.

She took awhile.

"Come on…" she muttered. "Where the heck is it…"

"What do you know?" she shrugged. "It was all the way at the bottom of the deck!"

_The bottom?_ thought Clive.

He paused.

_That strange card I sent to the bottom of her deck with Chick the Yellow's ability… What was it called?_

"See the instrument of your demise!" grinned Shaleen, holding the card up. "The Ritual Spell Card known as Unholy Dragon Revival!"

"What?" gasped Clive. "I've never even heard of that card!"

"You likely haven't, Mr. Marris," grinned Asmodan. "Way back when Maximilian Pegasus created this game, he only made five of these cards for distribution, to be given out to winners of major tournaments…

"But this one, my friend, is the original prototype… Malasta the Ravenous was far from the only card that Lord Saurius stole from Anastasia's vaults after she died…

"And this card can summon one of the most powerful creatures in the Duel Monsters universe!"

"That's right," chuckled Shaleen, throwing it into a slot.

A huge altar, bearing stone images of five frightening dragons appeared, and the five Monsters on Shaleen's side of the field hopped on top of it.

"And this Ritual works differently than most," she explained. "It has very special requirements. Rather than sacrifice a set number of level stars worth of Monsters, I have to sacrifice five whole Monsters; and those five have to represent all Attributes except Light.

"As you can clearly see, Sonic Bird is Wind, Flame Manipulator is Fire, Water Magician is Water, Witty Phantom is Dark, and as for D.D. Assailant, unlike her cousin D.D. Warrior Lady, she's Earth!

"So, I sacrifice all of the Monsters I have on the field!"

D.D. Assailant, Witty Phantom, Water Magician, Flame Manipulator, and Sonic Bird were all consumed in colored flames, and a huge multicolored bonfire consumed the altar…

The bonfire grew, until it took up Shaleen's whole half of the gazebo. A roar was heard from within, then several roars…

"What has she summoned?" gasped Mary.

"I… it seems familiar…" gasped Yugi.

A huge, hideous, black dragon head peered out of the flames. Then a scaly green dragon head and a yellow head with a mane of electricity appeared to either side. Finally, a scaly blue head and a head made entirely of fire appeared to either side of those! The creature's whole body appeared, covered with rainbow-colored scales with hulking muscles, and huge claws. The giant, five-headed dragon roared, and the whole Garden shook as if a small earthquake had struck! The sky grew black as midnight, and lightning flashed, as wind whipped across the bushes and trees!

"Meet the incredible _**FIVE GOD DRAGON**_!" shouted Shaleen.

(5,000/5,000)

"HOLY…!" screamed Mary. "That thing's scores are off the scale!"

"Go, my great beast!" shouted Shaleen. "Destroy his Crescent Moon Queen with Pentecost holocaust!"

The huge dragon reared forth its five terrible heads and breathed forth blasts fire, lightning, ice, wind, and a beam of darkness that converged into an energy ball that thundered towards Crescent Moon Queen! Clive screamed as she was blown to pieces.

He looked in dismay as his Life Points fell to 2,500.

"No!" he screamed. "How do I stop it?"

"That's just it," laughed Asmodan. "You don't. Even if you brought back your Queen with Monster Reborn and boosted her to double Attack with Megamorph, it wouldn't work, because only Light Monsters are allowed to attack this creature!"

"Thanks for letting me know it's weakness," snarled Clive.

"Yeah, like that will help," mocked Shaleen. "Make your move."

"Oh, Clive is a goner!" squeaked Mary, holding onto Yugi.

"Don't give up hope yet, Mary," said Yugi. "I have a feeling that Clive can still prevail."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You play dirty, Saurius," cursed Siegfried.

Siegfried chuckled.

"I play to win, Kaiba," he smiled. "And as you can see, Clive has no chance on his own.

"Yugi's father faced this creature and its counterpart, Mythic Dragon, twice in his career, and while he was victorious, he needed help both times. The first time it was from your uncle, and the second it was from Mary's father. Had he been alone either time, he'd have lost. I doubt anyone can defeat Five God Dragon on his own."

"We'll see about that," said Siegfried.

"Defiant as ever, are we?" smiled Saurius. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clive made his draw.

"Why don't you just give up?" smiled Shaleen. "You _can't_ win."

"Never!" yelled Clive. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

He fit his card into the slot, and the glowing Swords crashed down around the Dragon. It screamed, and froze.

"Are you done?" asked Shaleen.

"No," said Clive. "I play Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode."

He put the card down, and the tall, dagger wielding member of the Dark Scorpions appeared. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,600/1,000)

"Now I end my turn," said Clive.

Shaleen drew.

_Well, this will help me out,_ she thought.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," she said, fitting the card into a slot.

The card appeared, resting behind the legs of Five God Dragon.

"Then I draw…" said Clive.

"I'm activating a Trap!" smiled Shaleen, hitting her Disk.

The card lifted, showing a ghoulish, skeletal face with horns.

"Skull Invitation!" laughed Shaleen. "This Continuous Trap deducts Life Points from a player whenever a card is discarded for _any_ reason. So when my Dragon destroys one of your Monsters, even if it's in Defense Mode, you'll automatically lose 300 Life Points for each!"

Clive gave her a long stare.

"You might think I'm afraid of your Trap Card," he sneered, "but I'm _not_. And to prove it, I'll use one of my two facedown cards…"

One of his two cards lifted.

"It's a Spell Card called The Cheerful Coffin!" he announced.

A tall undertaker in black with a stovepipe hat appeared on the field, carrying a large coffin. He grinned at Shaleen as he hoisted the heavy load.

"The Cheerful Coffin allows me to discard three Monster Cards from my hand to the Graveyard!" said Clive, taking three cards out of his hand.

"What?" gasped Shaleen. "You'll lose 900 Life Points!"

"No, I'll lose 1,200," corrected Clive, discarding the three cards. "Because I also have to discard The Cheerful Coffin."

"Well," said Shaleen, with a smile. "If that's truly what you want…"

The eyes on the Skull Invitation card glowed, and the ghostly shape flew out, flying into Clive's body! The chill of death came over him, as his Life Points were leeched away, falling to 1,300.

"Has Clive gone crackers?" shouted Peter.

"Quiet," said Yugi. "I think he has a plan."

"You're a fool," said Asmodan. "Your macho attempt to prove you weren't scared has cost you greatly!"

"You misunderstand," said Clive, catching his breath. "The reason I sent three Monsters to the Graveyard was to give another one more strength…"

He took one of his two remaining cards and placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Blade Knight, in Attack Mode!" he said.

As shining light appeared on his side of the field, and a knight in glowing armor holding a sword as bright as the sun appeared. He made a sweep with his weapon and turned to face the Dragon. (1,600/1,000)

"When I have only one card in my hand, like now," said Clive, "Blade Knight gains an additional 400 Attack Points. Plus he gains 400 more from Command Knight…"

(2,400/1,000)

"…and one more thing – Blade Knight is a Light Monster, so he's permitted to attack your Dragon!"

"Big deal!" gloated Shaleen. "His Attack power is less than half that of my Dragon's. So even if that last card in your hand is Megamorph, it won't be enough!"

"I may not have Megamorph, but I do have this other facedown card…" said Clive.

The card lifted.

"Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

"Huh?" said Shaleen. "What?"

"The Dark Scorpions are the world's greatest thieves," explained Clive. "And by using this card, Cliff the Trap Remover can steal from your Graveyard any Spell or Trap Card he desires! So what's it gonna be, Cliff?"

Cliff rubbed his chin. He turned to Clive and whispered something.

"Perfect!" approved Clive. "That's a great idea, Cliff! Now do your stuff!"

Cliff gestured, and the image of a card appeared in his hands.

"ARGH!" shouted Shaleen. "He's got my Riryoku card!"

The card materialized in Clive's hand.

"That's right," smiled Clive. "And I think I'll use it on my Blade Knight!"

He fit the card into the slot, and energy flowed from out of Five God Dragon and into Blade Knight.

**Blade Knight:** (2,400/1,000) –) (4,900/1,000)

**Five God Dragon:** (5,000/5,000) –) (2,500/5,000)

"Of course," mentioned Clive, "since I have to discard both Dark Scorpion Pilfer and Riryoku itself, I have to take another 600 Life Points…"

The ghost of Skull Invitation pounced forth and passed through him again, draining his Life points down to 700.

Clive stopped to catch his breath.

"…but it's worth it," he continued, "to take down that ten-eyed eyesore!"

Blade Knight raised his blade high as Shaleen and Asmodan watched in horror…

"Blade Knight," said Clive, "destroy that thing with shining blade!"

Blade Knight struck the ground with his sword, and a blast of pure light ripped through the ground, heading straight for the terrified (?) Five God Dragon! The five-headed beast howled as it was torn apart, and exploded in a fiery burst!

"Yeah!" shouted Peter. "Go Clive!"

"Ugh…" said Shaleen in disbelief. "I lost 2,400 Life Points…"

"Uh huh," said Clive. "And thanks to your own dumb Trap Card, you lose 300 _more_ Life Points.

The skeletal ghost flew from his card and into Shaleen! She screamed, as it sucked more energy out of her.

Her Life Points were now at 2,000.

"And I'm not done with you yet!" shouted Clive.

Cliff the Trap Remover and Command Knight raised their weapons.

"Shaleen, do something!" demanded Asmodan.

"Do WHAT?" she screamed, in panic.

"Cliff the Trap Remover," shouted Clive, "attack her directly!"

Cliff raised his dagger, and flipped into the air. He buried the weapon in her breast, sending her tumbling backwards. Her Life Points fell down to 400.

"Now," growled Clive, "consider this a message from the _real_ Phoebe – and your punishment for imitating her! Command Knight, finish her with flame blade!"

Command Knight's sword blazed with fire, and she ran forth in a stream of flames. She struck the evil succubus, and she fell over, her Life Points falling to zero.

"Ye-haw!" laughed Peter.

"You did it Clive, you did it!" shouted Mary.

"Get up, you worthless…" said Asmodan to Shaleen.

Shaleen started to get up.

And then, the symbols on both of their foreheads started to burn!

"Argh!" moaned Asmodan, as the two of them clutched their heads. "Master no! Please don't be mad!"

"Mercy, please!" shouted Shaleen.

"Mercy?" said Saurius's voice. "I gave the two of you one of the most powerful weapons in Duel Monsters, and you still couldn't handle Yugi's apprentice… I have no tolerance for outright fools…

"And I don't give many second chances…"

The two demons' bodies glowed cherry-red, and before the terrified eyes of the four mortals, they were consumed, seemingly from within. All that remained was ashes, and Shaleen's Duel Disk.

Clive took his cards out of his discard pile and looked at his Meanae the Thorn card.

_Thanks for the advice, Meanae, _he thought._ However you managed. That succubus was a beast, but she made me remember who I'm fighting for._

Then he took out his wallet, and looked at the photo of himself and Phoebe.

_And I promise you Phoebe, I will survive this… And once we get married, even if our marriage is a small one, I'll still make you the happiest girl in the world…_

Meanwhile, Peter went up to the fallen Duel Disk, and removed the Unholy Dragon Revival card.

"Think Industrial Illusions will offer a reward for this card's return?" he asked.

"We can't worry about that now," said Yugi.

They looked around. The Garden of Delights had turned into a large cavern, almost completely bare. A tunnel was at it's far end.

"We've got to keep going people. Siegfried is counting on us."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well," smiled Siegfried. "That was amusing. What do you have next, old boy? These _are_ getting to be fun!"

"SILENCE!" shouted Saurius. "I'm supposed to be torturing you here, Kaiba!"

"Believe me, looking at your ugly face IS torture!" laughed Siegfried.

Saurius grumbled, and turned away from him.

_I'll go back to the original plan, _he thought,_ disposing of Yugi. And I know just the fellows who can do the job…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes after Yugi and company had left the cave that had been the Garden, Jade and Amber entered it.

"We are getting closer, sister," said Jade. "I sense that a battle took place here recently – the forces of good were victorious."

"Great," said Amber. "Yugi must not be far ahead."

"Tread with caution," said Jade. "There is evil in the air…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ANACONDA CRUSHER**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Flavor Text: **_This huge constrictor snake attacks preys on anything smaller than itself, crushing victims to death in its unbreakable grip._


	47. Delinquent Duo

_**Most great thinkers will tell you of the value of teamwork.**_

_**In most duels, it's a clear-cut case of you against your opponent. But in a duel where you have to work with a partner against two opponents, it gets a lot more complicated.**_

_**First, you have to watch your partner's back, as well as yours. If your partner goes down, you'll likely be overwhelmed.**_

_**Also, you have to find ways to work together. You must find team strategies to make your deck work with your partner's deck. That can give you an advantage.**_

_**And there's a lot of trust involved as well. If you hope to win, you can't turn against each other or argue. It will just drag you both down. **_

_**It's especially important when the stakes are this high...**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Delinquent Duo**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Clive took a long look at the Unholy Dragon Revival card and the Five God Dragon, the Ritual and Monster that had almost defeated him.

These cards were priceless, and could summon one of the most powerful beings in Duel Monsters. It was rightfully his now, and he was tempted to keep it – even though he couldn't summon Five God Dragon with his current deck. He had no Wind or Water Monsters.

He sighed and put the cards into his side deck. They were stolen property, and he knew it. If he survived this, he'd call Industrial Illusions and tell them it was recovered…

After all, maybe Peter was right – maybe they _would_ offer a reward for its safe return.

"So what time is it anyway?" he asked, as they trudged down the tunnel.

"According to my watch," answered Yugi, "five PM."

"We should be thinking of a plan to take down Saurius when we find him," pondered Clive. "Him and the rest of his creeps…"

"I've got an idea…" suggested Peter.

"It can't involve flying a military helicopter or unleashing demon-eating sharks," sighed Mary.

"Uh, never mind," said Peter.

"People, be serious," said Yugi. He was still merged with Yami, and was growing more concerned about Siegfried by the minute. "We don't know what Saurius will throw at us next."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What next, you ask?" smiled Saurius, who was watching them. "Why Yugi, you have no idea…"

He turned to Mordent.

"Mordent!" he ordered. "Begin your preparations!"

"Yes, my master," he nodded.

"Preparations?" asked Siegfried. "What are you up to now, Saurius?"

"Oh, a little ritual that will crush Yugi good," smiled Saurius.

He smiled an evil smile.

"In the meantime, we have a little surprise waiting for the King of Games just ahead of him. Tell me Siegfried… do you think even he could defeat two duelists at once?"

"What?" gasped Siegfried. "You'll never get away with that!"

"Oh, I think I will!" grinned Siegfried. "Just watch…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Jade and Amber were trekking down a tunnel, several thousand feet behind Yugi and his friends.

"My feet are tired," complained Amber.

"You have to have stamina if ever you are to be a great duelist," said Jade. "And we cannot stop now. I sense that Yugi is nearby – as is another source of evil. He might be in danger…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Bastion of the Hopeful, Anastasia clutched her head, as if a slight headache was starting to form. She was a soul-being with no real body (at least not yet – she'd be given one when allowed to enter Paradise), but even so, she was starting to feel signs of fatigue.

"Anastasia," protested Dane, "this is taking a toll on you. You really shouldn't do this much longer…"

"Just a little longer," sighed Anastasia. "I can do it, I know…"

She took another card, and concentrated…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Defenders came up to yet another door, and this one was much more dreadful than the last. It seemed to be made entirely of skulls and bones, not all of which were human – some were of fiendish creatures.

"I really don't want to see what's behind that door!" shuddered Clive.

"We have to," stated Yugi. "Otherwise…"

Then a light started to shine. A card appeared in front of Yugi.

Yugi stepped back. It was happening once again.

Light poured out of the card, and a woman dressed in leather armor with a shortsword by her side and a bow and quiver of arrows on her back appeared. She looked at Yugi with big green eyes.

"It's Sashia!" exclaimed Mary. "One of Jade's Monsters!"

Sashia paused for a moment, and then spoke.

"Yugi," she said. "The next door is a place of supernatural fear. A challenge awaits that you cannot face alone…"

"What do you mean?" asked Yugi.

"As my master is fond of saying," replied Sashia, "united you stand, divided you fall. Know this well. Your foes know this, but only to a point. Like the bond I share with Yamoto, you share similar bonds with many others. Use one of those bonds well, and you will triumph.

"Be strong, for you must not only trust your own Heart, but that of another as well.

"Good luck…"

She vanished into her card, and the card disappeared.

The doors slowly swung open.

The smell of rotting vegetation and earthen ground reached their nostrils as they walked in, and found themselves in a derelict cemetery. Broken tombstones were everywhere, as were dead trees and misty clouds in this large cavern.

"Welcome to the Graveyard," muttered Mary.

"Really funny," sighed Peter.

They noticed a large archway on the other side of the cavern.

"Well, at least we can see the exit," said Clive.

They made their way across the spooky cemetery, until they reached a large circular area, where the ground was cleared of all tombstones.

"Wait," warned Yugi, holding them back.

"What?" asked Mary.

"I sense a presence…" said Yugi.

And then, a hand burst out of the ground! The four Defenders leapt back.

Another hand burst from the ground, and two forms pulled themselves out of the earth. One was wearing a brown cloak and cowl, while the other was wearing a grey one. They both had Saurius's enchanted Dueling Disks on their arms.

"Where do you think you're going?" laughed the one in grey.

"We're going through you," warned Yugi, "like it or not!"

"Fine," said the one in brown, "but you'll find that difficult… I am Dread…"

"And I am Despair," said the one in grey. "We are among the most elite of Lord Saurius's duelists, and we are charged with destroying you!"

"So if you wish to find your friend, Yugi," chuckled Dread, "you're going to have to duel us both – simultaneously!"

"What?" shouted Clive. "Two against one? No fair!"

"You cheaters are gonna play by the rules," yelled Mary. "Yugi has to have someone to help him!"

"Let me give it a go," said Peter. "You both are still tired…"

"I'm afraid we can't allow that…" chuckled Despair.

The two creatures lifted their hoods slightly…

To the shock of the four mortals, their faces were bare skulls! Saurius's symbol was branded on their foreheads. Their eyes glowed with a fiery light, and Clive, Peter, and Mary screamed…

They drew back, and cowered against a group of tombstones.

"What did you do to them?" demanded Yugi.

"We didn't get our names for nothing," laughed Dread. "We were created out of the emotion of fear, and we can flood mortals like you with it. We simply flooded their minds with terror, and now we believe they're in no condition to help you."

"Now you have no choice but to face us alone!" laughed Despair.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said a voice.

Yugi turned around, and saw Jade and Amber walk up to Clive, Peter and Mary. She looked at them, and then looked at Dread and Despair angrily.

"Yugi will _not_ fight this duel alone," ordered Jade. "I will fight alongside him."

"Foolish woman," mocked Despair. "Must we subject you to our powers as well?"

Without waiting for an answer, the two creatures glared at her, and their eyes glowed again.

Jade stared them in the face, and folded her arms.

"Huh?" said Dread.

"If you goons think you can panic me, you are sorely mistaken," sneered Jade. "Keep trying if you must… we will soon see who's willpower is stronger."

The two demons strained.

"Dread, it isn't working!" gasped Despair.

"I have conditioned myself mentally," said Jade. "Your psionic attacks aren't strong enough to affect me. And I am willing to wager that without your powers over emotions, you are nothing but weaklings…"

She drew her sword and pointed it at them.

"So either accept my challenge for a two-on-two duel, or we will end this quickly!"

The two demons drew back.

"This wasn't part of the plan…" muttered Dread to Despair.

"Don't worry," assured Despair. "We'll destroy them both!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Heh," smiled Siegfried, "seems like Jade just threw a wrench into your machinery, Saurius."

Saurius ignored him and looked at the screen.

_Humph, _he thought._ That accursed Samurai. Well, it doesn't matter. Kaiba doesn't know it, but Dread and Despair are only pawns in my true plan to destroy Yugi. If they defeat those two, fine… if not, I've got something better lined up._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four duelists stood in a square pattern, spaced twenty feet apart.

"Jade," asked Yugi, "are you sure you can do this?"

"We've dueled side-by-side before, Yugi," mentioned Jade. "In the Labyrinth, against those two Weird Sisters."

"Yes, but this is Mach-3 rules," reminded Yugi.

"I didn't tell you this," said Jade, "but during the preliminaries of this tournament, Terone and I were partners in our own tag-team. We defeated our foes – although they were much weaker than we were."

"Very well," agreed Yugi.

"Ahem!" announced Dread. "Let's get some ground rules down first. First of all, let us show you the fate that awaits the losers, namely you."

"If you'll kindly turn around…" smiled Despair.

Yugi and Jade turned around, and behind each of them was an open grave with a tombstone – they clearly hadn't been there before. On the one behind Jade had the words:

**R.I.P.**

**JADE VALENTINE**

And behind Yugi:

**R.I.P.**

**YUGI MOUTO JUNIOR**

"Getting nervous?" asked Dread. "Good. When your Life Points reach zero, you'll be dragged into those graves and buried alive!"

"Rest in peace…" smiled Despair. "And one more thing… The two of you are forbidden to reveal to each other your strategies! Do so, and you lose automatically!"

"Fine," said Yugi. "But that goes for you two as well!"

"Don't worry," assured Dread. "We don't intend to cheat!"

"I find that doubtful," said Yugi.

They loaded their decks into their Disks, and the devices swung into position. The holo-imagers shot out. The Life Points all set to 8,000.

"LET'S DUEL!" all four of them yelled at once.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mary slowly got up. The fear was slowly leaving her.

"Huh?" she asked. "What happened?"

"I dunno," muttered Clive. "Last thing I remember, those two boneheads zapped us… and now Yugi and Jade are dueling them…"

Amber ran up.

"Their fear zaps weren't enough to scare my sister," she assured. "Now she's dueling with Yugi."

"Well guys," sighed Peter, "we're going to have to cheer them on the best we can…"

"Right," said Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four duelists drew their hands.

"I'll start this off," said Dread, taking two cards from his hand. "I'll place one card facedown on the field…"

He put a card into his slot, and the card appeared in front of him.

"And now," he smiled, "I'll summon in Attack Mode a gal who'll give you shivers…"

He put a card down, and a large coffin lifted out of the ground. The lid slowly lifted off, and a tall form stepped out.

"I summon… Vampire Lady!" he laughed.

With an evil laugh, the creature stood up. She was wickedly beautiful, with green skin and sexy curves, clothed in a purple dress with capes attached to her arms. Her green hair was done up in a long ponytail. (1,550/1,550)

"And now it's your turn, Samurai," said Dread.

Jade drew.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" she asked.

_Best defend for now,_ she thought.

"I summon Mataza the Zapper in Defense Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and a Dark ronin in green leather armor appeared. He gazed around at the scene around him, but stood firm. He sheathed his sword and knelt in Defense. (1,300/800)

"And that will end my turn," said Jade.

"Good," said Despair.

_Already have a good hand…_ he thought.

He drew with his bony fingers.

_And this will make it perfect!_

"I'll start by playing… Graceful Charity!" he said, plugging the card into the slot. "And we all know what that does."

The sparkling angel appeared and flew into his deck. He drew three cards.

"And I already know what I'm going to discard!" he said.

He took two Trap Cards from his hand, and discarded them.

_What did he mean by that?_ thought Yugi.

"Now," continued Despair, "I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

He set the card, and the Monster Card appeared in front of him.

"Then it's my move," said Yugi.

He drew.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher, in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the mighty Grepher appeared, holding his greatsword. He looked around nervously, but regained his courage quickly. (1,700/1,600)

_All right, _thought Yugi._ Everyone has drawn, so I can attack… Grepher is stronger than Vampire Lady, but then there's Dread's facedown card… If it's a Trap, perhaps he'll be less likely to use it to protect Despair's defensive Monster than her…_

_Here goes nothing…_

"Warrior Dai Grepher," shouted Yugi, "attack Despair's Monster!"

Grepher lifted his sword and charged at the facedown card…

"Why thank you Yugi," mocked Despair. "You're too kind…"

A flash of Dark energy hit Grepher, and he was thrown backwards!

And then, a spooky shape rose out of the facedown card. It was a huge structure that Yugi and everyone else present knew too well – a haunted castle with creepy spires supported by a floatation ring – a Castle of Dark Illusions! (920/1,930)

"Ugh!" gulped Mary. "I get chills every time I see that blasted card!"

Yugi's Life Points fell down to 7,770.

Despair chuckled. "Since you just flipped my Castle," he said, "all Zombies on the field, i.e. my partner's Vampire Lady, gain 200 Attack Points immediately!"

Vampire Lady's stats changed to (1,750/1,550).

"And that's not all," continued Despair. "Over the next five turns, the Castle will continue to increase all of my partner's Zombies' Attack Scores by 200 points per turn!"

"Why thank you, Despair!" laughed Dread.

"All right," snarled Yugi. "So you formed a team strategy. Well you aren't the only ones who can do it."

"Indeed," affirmed Jade.

"If we give you that chance!" laughed Despair.

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

"Lovely," said Dread, drawing. "Well, well."

He put a card down.

"I could destroy your Warrior with my Vampire Lady," he said, "but instead, I'll Tribute her for her big brother…"

The coffin reappeared, and Vampire Lady crawled into it. Unholy energy radiated from the casket.

Then another form started to climb out…

"I summon… Vampire Lord!" he shouted.

The Monster that emerged was a devilishly handsome figure, with shock-white hair, dressed in a purplish-black outfit and a cape. He laughed a deep laugh. (2,000/1,500)

"Now, Vampire Lord," ordered Dread, "attack Warrior Dai Grepher with Children of the Night!"

Vampire Lord cackled and lifted his cape; a swarm of bats flew forth! Grepher struggled under the onslaught, and was disintegrated into nothing. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,470.

"And that's not all," said Dread. "I now get to declare one type of card, and you have to remove one from your deck… so I declare a Trap Card."

Yugi grunted and removed his deck. He leafed through it and found his Enchanted Javelin. He discarded it and placed his deck back into the holder, where it was reshuffled.

"Now it's your move, Samurai," laughed Dread.

Jade drew.

_Nothing that can defeat his vampire,_ she said.

"I summon The Forgiving Maiden in Defense Mode," she said.

She put the card down, and a pious woman in a nun's outfit appeared. She knelt, as if in prayer. (850/2,000)

"Where did Jade get her?" asked Peter.

"Dunno," shrugged Clive. "But she makes an effective wall…"

"And I will end my turn by placing a card facedown," said Jade.

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind the Maiden.

"My turn?" asked Despair.

He chuckled as he drew.

The Castle of Dark Illusions glowed.

"Now my Castle will power up my partner's Vampire Lord," he said, as Vampire Lord's stats grew to (2,200/1,500).

"Now Yugi," he said. "Time to fry… I summon Twin-Headed Wolf in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a huge wolf with purplish fur and two ravenous heads appeared. It looked up at the ceiling and made two howls! (1,500/1,000)

"As nasty as Cerberus himself!" smiled Despair.

"Cerberus has _three_ heads, Skeletor!" sneered Yugi.

Despair's eyes narrowed.

"THIS will teach you some respect!" he shouted. "Twin-Headed Wolf, attack Yugi directly with jowls of flame!"

Fire started to pour from Twin-Headed Wolf's two mouths…

"Ooh, I can't watch…" squeaked Mary.

"Forgiving Maiden, block the attack!" shouted Jade.

"Huh?" said Despair.

The Forgiving Maiden lifted up her dress and rushed in front of Yugi! She began to glow with holy light, and as Twin-Headed Wolf belched forth two streams of flame, they were stopped by the brilliant aura!

"What?" said Despair.

Twin-Headed Wolf winced…

"Did you forget you were dueling two opponents?" said Jade. "In a two-on-two duel, I am allowed to use my Monsters to aid my partner. Now instead of taking Yugi's Life Points, you have lost them."

Despair's Life Points fell to 7,500.

"Despair, you idiot!" shouted Dread.

"Hey, we were supposed to fight him without her, remember?" said Despair. "I won't make the same mistake twice…"

"You'd better not!" sneered Dread.

"Look at this, guys," chuckled Clive. "A couple of numbskulls!"

"I'll deal with you later," snarled Despair. "I'll end my turn…"

"Fine," said Yugi. He drew.

"I'll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card facedown.

The beautiful Elf appeared in front of him, kneeling in prayer.

"You're going to have to tear down our defenses before you can reach our Life Points!" exclaimed Yugi.

"Then we'll take them down piece by piece!" snarled Dread.

He drew.

"Now my plan can come to fruition," he said. "I summon my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, in Defense Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a rumbling was heard. A huge form erupted out of the ground next to Vampire Lord. It was fifteen feet tall, conical in shape, and made from bones and skulls, which seemed to be alive! The dozens of skulls embedded in the thing yammered and moaned! (400/1,500)

"Okay, I am officially creeped out…" gulped Amber. "What IS that thing?"

"This 'thing', as you call it," explained Dread, "may not have the best Attack or Defense, but as long as I have another Zombie on the field, like Vampire Lord there, it can't be attacked! Plus it has another ability, which I'll demonstrate by activating my facedown card…"

He tapped his Disk… A Trap Card lifted…

"Call of the Haunted!"

An arm reached out of the earth in front of him… A humanoid form pulled itself to the surface.

It was Vampire Lady. (1,550/1,550)

And then, all the eyes on Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower glowed! Yugi and Jade's Disks shook, and the top two cards on their decks flew out! They flew around, and then were discarded into the discard slots.

"Whenever I special summon a Zombie to the field, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower sends the top two cards on your decks directly to the Graveyards!" laughed Dread.

"Nasty," sighed Yugi.

"Now, Vampire Lord, destroy that lousy Maiden!" shouted Dread.

Vampire Lord hissed, and raised his cape. The swarm of bats flew forth again.

"Activate Waboku!" shouted Jade.

Shen hit her Disk, and the swarm was stopped as the three priestesses sprang up.

"Huh?" asked Clive. "She wasted her Trap to protect a defensive Monster? How come?"

"Um…" muttered Mary. "Peter, you used to use The Forgiving Maiden… doesn't she have an effect of some sort?"

"Well, if Jade intends to use her to summon St. Joan, it'll be the first time I've ever seen her do it…" mused Peter.

"Wait no…" he continued. "The Forgiving Maiden _does _have an effect… what was it…?"

"It is my move now," said Jade.

She drew.

"And I believe I will pass."

"Good," said Despair, drawing.

He chuckled.

"First, my Castle will power up my partner's Monsters even further," said Despair, as you can plainly see…"

Castle of Dark Illusions glowed, and Vampire Lord went up to (2,400/1,500), Vampire Lady up to (1,750/1,550), and Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to (600/1,500)

"Then, I summon Shadowslayer in Attack Mode!" he laughed.

He put the card down, and a slim figure flipped into view, landing on his feet. It was a Fiend with a bestial skull for a head, dressed in the clothing of an assassin, holding a slim katana. (1,400/200)

"Now try to defend your partner from this, Samurai…" he dared. "I don't think you can! I play Curse of the Styx!"

He threw a Spell Card into a slot, and it appeared.

"What?" said Yugi.

"Curse of the Styx allows me to attack directly with one Fiend Monster," explained Despair. "Although I have to send the Fiend to the Graveyard afterwards.

"So I'll use it on my Twin-Headed Wolf, and we'll try this again!"

Twin-Headed Wolf transformed into a ghostly shape, and it charged at Yugi! He felt his blood run cold as the thing plowed into him!

He keeled over, as his Life points fell to 5,970. The ghostly shape evaporated.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you, Samurai!" smiled Despair, pointing to Shadowslayer. "This guy might not look like much, but he has a powerful effect. When the only Monsters you have on your side are all in Defense Mode, he can bypass them and attack you!

"Go my Shadowslayer – attack her Life Points with shadow sword!"

Shadowslayer leapt into the air and did a flip, diving at Jade! She gasped as he stabbed with his katana, knocking her down.

Her Life Points fell to 6,600.

"These guys don't play fair!" shouted Clive.

"I'll be fine," said Jade, getting up.

_I think I see their strategy, _thought Yugi._ Dread's deck is full of Zombies, while Despair's is full of Fiends; and those two Types go hand-in-hand._

"Make your move, Yugi," snarled Despair.

Yugi drew.

"I summon Flame Swordmistress in Defense Mode!" he said, placing a card down.

The orange-clad Warrior woman appeared, leaning on her sword. He glared at the evil creatures in front of him. (1,600/1,500)

"Heh, heh," smiled Despair. "Weren't you listening just a minute ago? Playing Monsters in Defense can't stop my Shadowslayer!"

"We'll see," grinned Yugi. "I end my turn."

Dread drew.

"Well," he smiled. "I could attack your that Maiden again, but why repeat myself? Vampire Lord, destroy Yugi's Mystical Elf!"

Vampire Lord hissed again, and his Children of the Night flew forward. Mystical Elf screamed as she was eaten alive.

"Next I'm going after that Warrior of yours, Samurai," said Dread. "Vampire Lady, attack… whatever his name is!"

Vampire Lady stretched out her long nails and fired a beam of blackness at Mataza the Zapper. He gasped, and was enveloped in darkness, that consumed him.

"Nice try, demon," frowned Jade, "but now I'm activating The Forgiving Maiden's special effect…"

She hit a button on her Disk, and The Forgiving Maiden vanished in a sparkle of golden motes.

"By offering her as a Tribute, I can retrieve the Monster you just destroyed, and return him to my hand."

The Mataza the Zapper card flipped out of the discard pile.

Dread snarled.

"Oh, right!" noted Peter. "That's it!"

"Well, I end my turn," said Dread. "I suppose you're going to summon him again?"

"That depends on what I draw," said Jade.

She drew.

"Time to turn this duel around, demons," she stated. "The Samurai is a tradition rooted in feudal Japan, but neighboring countries also interest me – such as China…"

"China?" asked Dread, puzzled.

"Yes," smiled Jade. "The land that inspired this next Monster. I summon… Gyaku Gire Panda in Attack Mode!"

She set the card down, and a huge panda bear carrying a large spear made of bamboo appeared, and bellowed! (800/1,600)

"Hah!" laughed Dread. "Do you really think that a Monster that weak can threaten any of our Monsters?"

"He starts out weak," said Jade. "But his special effect is potent. Gyaku Gire Panda gains an additional 500 Attack Points for every opposing Monster on the field!"

"Wait a second!" gasped Clive. "Five Monsters on their side of the field, times five-hundred, plus eight-hundred…"

"Don't burn any neurons," sighed Mary. "It adds up to 3,300!"

Dread and Despair looked in terror as the huge bear's stats grew to (3,300/1,600)!

"Gyaku Gire Panda!" shouted Jade, "attack his Vampire Lord!"

The ferocious panda lunged forward and pounced on the horrified vampire! He raised his bamboo spear, and plunged the wooden weapon through the Zombie's heart! Vampire Lord moaned, and then burst into dust! Vampire Lady screamed.

"The usual way to get rid of a Vampire, I guess," sighed Clive.

"I usually go for throwing them into the sunlight, myself," chuckled Peter.

"Shut up!" shouted Dread.

Dread's Life Points fell to 7,300. With one Monster gone, Gyaku Gire Panda's Attack Score fell to 2,800.

"It's your move, Despair," smiled Jade.

Despair drew, and the Castle glowed again.

Vampire Lady's Attack score grew to 1,950, while Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower's grew to 800.

_Hmm,_ he thought.

"I summon Makyura the Destructor in Defense Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and an evil looking creature with a metal, skull-like head and purple, exotic armor appeared in front of him. His hands had long, metal claws, which glistened in the light, and he used them to shield himself. (1,600/1,200)

"Humph," said Jade. "By summoning another Monster, my Panda becomes as powerful as before."

Gyaku Gire Panda's Attack Score rose to 3,300.

"I know that," said Despair nervously. "I'll shift Shadowslayer into Defense Mode, and end my move."

Shadowslayer knelt in defense.

"Good," said Yugi, drawing.

"You like Fiends, Despair?" he smiled. "I have a Fiend for you… I Tribute my Flame Swordmistress, to summon the powerful Beast of Gilfer!"

He switched cards, and the Warrior was consumed in flames. From out of the flames, the hulking, winged, dragon-like fiend arose, flying into the air. He roared at the two skeletal duelists! (2,200/2,500)

"There's your target, Beast of Gilfer!" shouted Yugi. "Destroy his Castle with your flame attack!"

Beast of Gilfer flapped his wings, and flew up to the ceiling. He spouted a stream of flames at the huge structure, and it erupted in an inferno! Slowly, it sank to the ground behind Despair, and crashed in a deafening explosion!

"If only it had been that easy with Remi," sighed Mary.

The Gyaku Gire Panda's attack returned to 2,800.

"Now you can no longer power up your partner's Zombies," said Yugi. "And now it's his turn."

Dread was understandably nervous. He drew.

"Um…" he said. "I'll shift my Vampire Lady into Defense Mode," he said. "And that will be all.

He turned his card, and Vampire Lady covered herself with her capes.

Jade drew.

"That will not protect you," she said, shaking her head. "Gyaku Gire Panda has a second effect – he can damage your Life Points even when your Monsters are in Defense Mode, due to his built-in Fairy Meteor Crush!"

"No!" yelled Dread.

"You would have been better keeping her in Attack Mode," said Jade. "Now, I will summon Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode…"

She put the card down, and the hare-like Beast-Warrior appeared, raising his katana and shifting his eyes. Sweat started to stain his brow. (1,500/1,000)

"Fear not, Usagi," comforted Jade. "I will aid you. I use Blade of Bushido!"

She slid a Spell Card into a slot, and Usagi Warrior's normal sword was replaced by a larger, glowing one. His score changed to (2,300/1,000)

"Gyaku Gire Panda, shouted Jade, "attack his Vampire Lady!"

The Panda leapt forth, and Vampire Lady screamed. The Panda staked her through the heart, and she suffered the same fate as her sibling.

Dread's Life Points fell to 6,950.

"Now, Usagi Warrior," yelled Jade, "demolish his Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!"

Usagi raised his sword and leapt forward. He chopped at the huge tower, and it blew apart, sending a shower of skulls and broken bones flying everywhere!

"And I end my move," said Jade.

Her Panda's Attack Score was now down to 1,800.

Despair grumbled and drew.

"I summon a Monster facedown in Defense," he said, "and I also play a card facedown."

He set the cards, and the two hidden cards appeared before him.

"And I end my turn," he said.

"Fine," said Yugi. "It's my draw…"

He drew.

"Ooh, I'm activating my Trap!" smiled Despair.

His card lifted, showing the picture of a matronly goblin writing in a notebook.

"Good Goblin Housekeeping!" he proclaimed.

"What?" asked Jade. "What is that?"

"Good Goblin Housekeeping is a tricky Trap to use," explained Yugi. "When triggered, the owner is allowed one draw for each one of the same Trap he has in his Graveyard plus one… but he doesn't have any…"

"Oh, look who knows so much!" mocked Despair. "For your information, my deck had three copies of this card, and when we started, I had two in my hand – and I discarded both when I played Graceful Charity! So now I get three draws!"

He made three draws.

"Of course, there's a downside to this card – I now have to put one card from my hand at the bottom of my deck…"

He slid one card to the bottom of his deck.

"…but I'm not worried, because I'm sure I can get it later."

"Then I'll finish my move," snarled Yugi. "Beast of Gilfer, destroy Makyura the Destructor!"

Beast of Gilfer shot forth his inferno, and the clawed creature was melted into slag.

"Why thank you, Yugi," smiled Despair. "You activated Makyura's special effect! When he's sent to the Graveyard, I get to activate any Trap Card from my hand that I want. And I _want_ to activate my Mirror Force!"

He slammed a card into a slot, and a flash of light shot forward as the Trap Card appeared. Beast of Gilfer, Usagi Warrior, and Gyaku Gire Panda screamed as they were blown away!

Jade's Life Points fell to 5,575 and Yugi's fell to 5,420.

"Uh…" groaned Yugi. "I'm sorry Jade…"

"It's okay…" sighed Jade. "I'd likely have made the same mistake."

Yugi took a card from his hand.

"I'll end my turn by playing Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the armored elf holding his silver sword appeared. He crouched in defense. (1,400/1,200)

"Your move," said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius chuckled, and poured himself something from a flask that looked like green wine.

"It seems my servants are in the lead, Kaiba," he smiled.

"For now," said Siegfried. "I wouldn't get ahead of myself if I were you."

"You seem so confident in Yugi and Jade's abilities as a team," grinned Saurius. "Don't forget, if they cheat, they get buried!"

"If you have faith in yourself, and in your partner in this case, you don't have to cheat," frowned Siegfried.

"Again with the faith," growled Saurius. "Did faith protect you from my attack this morning?"

"You ambushed me with your whole army when you had the advantage, like a big coward," snarled Siegfried. "It will be different once Yugi gets here."

"Again," smiled Saurius, "we'll see…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dread made his draw.

"I summon Armored Zombie in Attack Mode," he announced.

He put a card down, and a rotting corpse dressed in rusting Samurai armor appeared, holding a chipped katana. It moaned. (1,500/0)

"I end my turn," he said.

"You will pay for mocking the Samurai with that undead monstrosity!" snarled Jade.

She drew.

"I will summon Mataza the Zapper, once again in Defense Mode," she stated.

She put a card down, and Mataza returned, now looking a little braver. He knelt in Defense again. (1,300/800)

"I'll also set a card facedown," she said, "ending my turn."

She slid the card in the slot, and it appeared behind Mataza.

"Now it's my draw," said Despair, drawing.

"And I summon Whiptail Crow in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a huge, fiendish vulture-like creature with batlike wings and orange skin appeared, giving a throaty laugh! (1,650/1,600)

"Whiptail Crow," shouted Despair, "attack Mataza the Zapper with terrible talons!"

Whiptail Crow took to the air with a shriek, and bore down on the ronin…

"I activate… Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Jade.

"Argh, a Trap!" cursed Despair.

The Trap lifted, and the shimmering pentagram formed around Whiptail Crow, paralyzing it and reducing its Attack points to 950.

"Good move, Jade!" commented Yugi.

"Thank you," responded Jade. "Now finish it off!"

"Anything else Despair?" asked Yugi.

"NO!" shouted the demon. "Just move!"

"Big idiot…" grumbled Dread.

"I heard that!" snapped Despair.

Yugi drew, and put a card down on his Disk.

"I summon Alligator's Sword in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

The fierce lizardman appeared, savagely swinging his blade! He growled at the sight of the two demonic duelists. (1,500/1,200)

"Now," yelled Yugi, "attack his Whiptail Crow!"

Alligator's Sword leapt up, and with one savage stroke, beheaded the Fiend! The creature's body shook, and then burst into orange pixels!.

Despair's Life points fell to 6,950.

"I'll finish my turn by laying this card facedown," said Yugi, placing a card in a slot.

"And I'll turn it over to you, bonehead."

"You'll pay for these insults," growled Dread, making a draw. "Just because I have no flesh doesn't mean I don't have feelings, you know…"

"Now I'll destroy your Zapper," he warned. "Armored Zombie…"

Yugi inched towards his Disk… Dread noticed his facedown card…

"Uh, maybe not," stammered Dread. "I think I'll pass this turn…"

Jade drew.

"First," said Jade, "I'll shift Mataza the Zapper into Attack Mode…"

Mataza stood up, and drew his sword.

"Then I will summon Ancient Master Yoshi, in Defense Mode," she continued.

She put the card down, and the wise old sensei appeared, holding his hands in prayer. (800/2,000)

Mataza looked surprised. He turned towards Yoshi and made a polite bow.

"What?" asked Despair.

"Let me explain," said Jade. "Mataza the Zapper is a ronin, and a Warrior of darkness… but their still exists a spark within his heart that makes him remember his days as a Samurai of Light. Thus, when in the presence of his old teacher, there is still enough Samurai in him that he is inspired, and gains 500 Attack points."

Mataza's Attack went up to 1,800.

"And don't forget, he has the ability to attack twice in one round!" exclaimed Jade. "Mataza, attack Armored Zombie with zapping blade!"

Mataza charged forward in a blur, and cut down the rotting corpse. It exploded into pulp.

"Now destroy Despair's Shadowslayer!" shouted Jade.

Mataza zoomed from his fallen foe and brought his sword down on the Fiend, slicing it in half. He did a backflip, landing back on Jade's side.

Dread's Life Points were now at 5,950.

"It is now your turn, Despair," said Jade. "And now the only thing defending you two is your facedown Monster. Your chances are looking grim…"

Despair drew.

"They've got them!" exclaimed Clive. "They've got these two dust-brains cold!"

Despair laughed. He laughed out loud.

"That's what you think!" he chortled.

"I'll flip-summon my facedown Monster," he laughed. "The lethal Rafflecia Seduction!"

A huge plant appeared on his side of the field. It had terrible vines, and a huge flower at its center, which had a set of demonic jaws in the middle. (300/900)

"When Rafflecia Seduction is flipped," he explained, "I can control one opposing Monster for one round, and I choose your Ancient Master!"

The wicked plant reached over with its tendrils and grabbed Yoshi, pulling him over to Despair's side.

"And I'm not half-done yet!" continued Despair. "I now activate this Ritual Card! It's called Resurrection of Chakra!"

He slid the card into a slot, and a disturbing image appeared in front of him. A scantly clad woman with long hair bound to a cross, as if crucified, appeared behind the two Monsters.

"And now, I sacrifice my Rafflecia, your Ancient Master, and from my hand, one Kuriboh, to summon a beast that will bring chills down your spine!"

He threw a Monster Card down, and Kuriboh appeared on the field. The woman's eyes opened, and beams of black light shot forth. The three Monsters exploded into pulp, and then she exploded into a pool of blood!

"EEEW!" cried Amber.

The blood bubbled, and a horrible form arose, it was a giant Fiend, with one piercing eye for a head, whose body was made out of blades and ropy flesh!

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Despair. "Behold the form of my terrible CHAKRA!"

(2,450/2,000)

"And lest you forget," chuckled Despair, "without Yoshi, your Zapper's Attack is now only 1,300! Now Chakra, destroy Mataza with bladed butchery!"

Everyone gasped as Chakra flew towards Mataza the Zapper, blades first! Mataza screamed, and he was torn to sheds! Jade's Life Points fell to 4,425.

"See Dread?" laughed Despair. "I knew that stupid facedown card of his wasn't a Trap!"

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

"How are they going to stop that… thing?" gasped Clive.

"Yugi has two Monsters on the field," said Mary. "If he summons something with a double-Tribute, he'll be able to…"

_Mary's right, _thought Yugi,_ but first I have to draw something that powerful… _

He drew, but it was nothing good.

"I'll shift my Alligator's Sword into Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

Alligator's Sword knelt in Defense.

"This doesn't look good Jade," said Yugi. "They'll likely destroy our Monsters before we can Tribute them for anything powerful enough…"

"Well too bad for you!" mocked Dread, making a draw.

Jade looked at Yugi.

_Was that a hint?_ she thought, looking at her hand.

"I summon Clown Zombie in Attack Mode," said Dread, putting a card down.

A hideous laugh echoed over the field, and an equally hideous Zombie appeared in front of him. It was a fat, rotting clown, dressed in tattered clothing and carrying a long staff. It gazed with watery, dead eyes. (1,350/0)

"Your move, Samurai," he chuckled.

"Then I will move," she said.

_I hope Yugi doesn't mind,_ she thought.

"I'll Tribute my partner's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" she exclaimed.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian vanished in a beam of light.

"What?" stuttered Dread. "She can do that?"

"And I'll summon Yamoto the Noble Samurai in Attack Mode!" she continued.

She put the card down, and in a flash of light, the prize Monster of Jade's deck appeared, holding his mighty katana! (2,200/2,000)

"No fair!" protested Despair.

"It is!" exclaimed Yugi. "This is a two-on-two duel, meaning my partner can use my Monsters as Tributes for her own!"

"And not only that," explained Jade. "Because Yugi's Monster was used to summon Yamoto, he can command him on his turns, as if he were his own Monster!"

Despair paused.

"Well, a lot of good he'll do you!" he laughed. "That tin can has 250 Attack points less than Chakra!"

"Oh really?" smiled Jade. "Chakra is a Fiend, and Yamoto gains a 500-point bonus to his Attack Score when battling such Monsters!"

Despair gasped.

"Now, Yamoto," yelled Jade, "avenge Yoshi! Annihilate that wretched thing!"

Yamoto raised his sword, and leapt forward. He brought the weapon down on the hideous creature, and it burst into a disgusting explosion of metal and flesh, which ended up strewn about amid the ground. Despair's Life Points fell to 6,700.

"Yes!" shouted Peter.

"Go, go, go!" shouted Clive.

"I hope you have a plan!" gasped Dread.

"I'm working on it…" growled Despair.

He drew.

"Okay," he said. "I'm placing a card facedown."

He set the card and it appeared.

"And then I'll play Earthbound Spirit in Defense Mode." he said.

He put the card down, and the ground rumbled. A filthy creature made of dirt crawled halfway out of the earth, and gazed with glowing eyes. (500/2000)

"And I'll end my turn," he said.

Yugi drew.

_Humph, _he thought. _Despair just used the oldest trick in the book. He might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says, "I just set a Trap, attack me!"_

He looked at his facedown card and smiled.

_So, what be it to me to disappoint him?_

"I'll shift Alligator's Sword into Attack Mode," he said.

The Beast-Warrior got up, and held his saber aloft.

"Now, Yamoto," ordered Yugi, "destroy his Spirit!"

Yamoto lifted his katana…

"I hate to disappoint you," laughed Despair, tapping his Disk, "but my Sakuretsu Armor Trap will destroy your Samurai!"

The card started to lift…

"Forget about _my_ facedown card?" asked Yugi. "I activate Trap Jammer!"

His card lifted, and the Sakuretsu Armor Trap was blown to bits!

Yamoto charged forth, and drove his sword into Earthbound Spirit! The Fiend exploded into a morass of mud!

"Now, Alligator's Sword," said Yugi, "attack Clown Zombie with your steel scimitar!"

"Alligator's Sword lifted his mighty blade and rushed forward. He cleaved through Clown Zombie's staff, and then stabbed into its thick gut! The Zombie moaned, and then burst into gruesome ichor.

Dread's Life Points fell to 6,200.

"Heh," laughed Amber. "That's one clown that's frowning on the outside _and_ the inside!"

"You two have no Monsters left," warned Yugi. "You're in big trouble now."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'd say your two ghouls' chances are dropping pretty fast, Saurius," smiled Siegfried.

Saurius just growled.

"So what are they going to pull out of their decks next?" asked Siegfried. "Zera the Mant? Fushioh Richie? Gee, that's a weird name for a Monster, isn't it? 'Fushioh Richie'…"

"I hate you…" muttered Saurius.

And orb appeared in Saurius's hand.

"Ignore me if you want, Saurius, because I'm not ignoring you," grinned Siegfried.

"Mordent!" ordered Saurius into the orb. "I want a progress report! How long is it going to take you?"

"About half an hour, master," responded Mordent's voice.

"Well hurry!" demanded Saurius. "I'm not sure how long Dread and Despair can hold them!"

_Hold them? _though Siegfried._ Could it be that… Siegfried didn't WANT them to win?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dread drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed card," he said, plugging it into a slot.

He played the card, and drew two new cards.

He chuckled.

"Now I play a powerful Spell Card," he said. "It's called Vengeful Spirits!"

"Huh," muttered Mary. "I don't like the sound of that…"

He threw the card into the slot, and suddenly, five ghostly skulls appeared over the field, with phantom embers surrounding them!

"With Vengeful Spirits," he said. "I can inflict upon my opponents 500 Life Points of damage for every Zombie Monster in my Graveyard, and in case you lost count, I have five of them! Go my Vengeful Spirits!"

The five Spirits flew forward and dove right into Jade! She gasped and the chill of the grave came over her, forcing her to her knees. Her Life Points fell all the way down to 1,925.

And the effect wasn't done. The ghostly forms fled from Jade's body and flew into Yugi's. He cringed as the evil spell drained the energy from him, dropping his Life Points down to 2,920.

"Jade, you all right?" gasped Yugi.

"I'll be fine…" croaked Jade.

"Well try to get past this!" shouted Dread. "I summon Wall of Bones in Defense Mode!"

He placed the card down, and a long wall, six feet wide and four feet tall erupted out of the ground. Whoever had built Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower apparently made this too, because the materials were the same, and the skulls in its make yammered more than ever. (0/2,300)

"Not even your Noble Samurai can crack this Defense," warned Dread, "and our Life Points are now way ahead of yours. So make your move."

"Celebrate while you can, fiend," warned Jade, drawing. "It seems our teamwork far surpasses yours. Yugi gave up his Warrior to aid me, and I would gladly repay the favor if I could."

She put a card down.

"I summon Nin-Ken Dog in Attack Mode," she said.

A gust of wind flew, turning into a small cyclone, and a dog-like Beast-Warrior clothed in a red _gi_ and holding a slim katana appeared next to Yamoto. He snarled and raised his sword. (1,800/1,000)

"I end my turn," said Jade.

_Wait, _thought Yugi._ Maybe Jade is hinting at something… the best she could do without outright cheating…_

Despair drew.

"I summon Mystic Tomato in Defense Mode!" he said.

He put a card down, and a huge tomato 'o lantern with a grinning face appeared on his side. (1,400/1,100)

"You know," chuckled Despair, "they say that Mystic Tomato is the restless ghost of a man who murdered enemies with poisoned tomatoes, and was thus cursed with this ridiculous form!"

He laughed. "I end my turn."

"I'll turn your Tomato into pasta sauce if that's the best you can do!" exclaimed Yugi.

He drew. He smiled.

"Time for you to repay that favor, Jade!" he smiled. "I Tribute my own Alligator's Sword and Jade's Nin-Ken Dog…"

The two Monsters vanished into dark mist…

"And I summon DARK MAGICIAN!"

In a flash of light, Yugi's favorite Monster appeared before him. Dread and Dismay drew back.

Dark Magician and Yamoto the Noble Samurai looked at each other. They nodded and turned to face their foes.

"Now, not only is MY favorite Monster on the field," continued Yugi, "but because I used Jade's Monster to help summon him, he is under her command as well, just as Yamoto is under mine."

"And it all comes full circle," smiled Jade. "Yamoto is a creature of Light… Dark Magician is a creature of Darkness… when Light and Dark come together, they form Shadow… and Shadow is the basic foundation on which this game was formed!"

"Right!" shouted Yugi. "Dark Magician, demolish their Wall of Bones!"

Dark Magician pointed his staff and fired, blowing the wall into shards of white pixels!

"Yamoto!" continued Yugi. "Destroy Mystic Tomato!"

Yamoto leapt forward, and sliced the Tomato in half!

"Salad, anyone?" chuckled Yugi.

"Smart," smiled Despair, "but when Mystic Tomato is destroyed, I get to search my deck for another Dark Monster."

"True," said Yugi, "but it must have 1,500 or less Attack Points."

Despair removed his deck and went straight for the bottom card.

"I knew I'd be able to summon this later," he said. "I summon Ancient Brain in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and a strange Fiend appeared. It was a tall creature in a long green robe, with a long face, and a cranium that was one huge brain. Brown, feathered wings sprouted from its back. (1,000/700)

"Do… not… screw… up…" he snarled to Dread.

"Okay," said Dread, drawing.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He fit the card into the slot, and it appeared before him.

"No Monsters?" asked Jade. "Are you two starting to run out of ideas?"

"You'll soon see," smiled Dread.

"In that case, I draw…" said Jade.

"And I activate my Trap!" shouted Dread. "Threatening Roar!"

The Trap lifted. A huge purple beast appeared over the field, and let out an earsplitting roar at Jade, knocking her down!

"Like that?" grinned Dread. "Now you can't declare an attack for this round!"

"Fine," said Jade, angrily getting up. "I'll simply play a card facedown, and end my turn."

She slid a card into a slot, and it materialized.

"Man, these guys know how to play dirty," groaned Peter. "I nearly soiled my shorts there!"

"I didn't need to know that…" sighed Clive.

"Now it's my turn," grinned Despair, drawing.

"And now I play my Foolish Burial Spell Card!" he exclaimed, throwing a card into a slot.

"Foolish Burial?" asked Amber. "What the heck…?"

"Wait…" muttered Mary. "My father had that card! What did it do?"

"Foolish Burial allows me to take any card from my deck…" exclaimed Despair, leafing through his deck.

He found what he wanted.

"And then bury it my Graveyard."

He discarded the card.

"Okay," mused Jade. "Why did you do _that_?"

"All part of my master plan," said Despair.

He showed her a card he had from his hand. Monster Reborn.

"Let me guess," said Jade. "You put a Monster Card in your Graveyard, and you are going to use that card to revive it now?"

"Correct," affirmed Despair, throwing Monster Reborn into the slot.

Jade's discard slot glowed, and a form appeared next to Ancient Brain.

"A clever combo to get the Monster you need from your deck quickly," smiled Despair. "Say hello to Tainted Wisdom!"

A large, evil-looking brain appeared, hovering over the air. (1,250/800)

"And now," continued Despair, "I use… Polymerization!"

He slid the card into a slot, and a dark vortex appeared on the field. Ancient Brain and Tainted Wisdom were sucked into it…

And a huge, hulking form marched out. It was a knight-like figure, with a breastplate and helmet shaped like skulls. He wore a cape, and carried a sword made of bone. He laughed a haunting laugh.

"Merged together, they make… _**Skull Knight**_!" laughed Despair.

(2,650/2,250)

"As you can see," chuckled Despair, "Skull Knight is stronger than both of your fighters! And despite the fact that he is a combination of two Fiends, Skull Knight himself is a Spellcaster, making Yamoto's special ability absolutely worthless against him!

"Now, since Fusion Monsters have to wait a turn before attacking, I'll end my turn and savor my next turn!"

"This is bad!" gasped Amber. "Really bad!"

"Yugi will think of something!" said Mary. "I… hope."

Yugi drew.

"I'll summon Gemini Elf in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the two Elf sisters appeared. They looked around, and clutched each other in fear. (1,900/900)

"And then I'll shift Yamoto and Dark Magician into Defense as well," he continued, "ending my turn."

The two Monsters knelt in Defense.

"Running scared, are we?" smiled Dread. "Oh well, I'll simply place a card facedown, and end my turn."

He placed a card in a slot, and it appeared in front of him.

_Despair's Skull Knight is adequate protection, _he thought._ But this will serve as insurance…_

Jade drew.

She closed her eyes…

"I shift Yamoto and Dark Magician back to Attack Mode," she said.

"Jade!" gasped Yugi, as the two of them stood up.

"Have faith, Yugi," assured Jade, putting a card down.

"And now," she continued, "I summon Time Wizard!"

In a *poof!* of magic smoke, the clock-shaped Spellcaster appeared! (500/400)

"No!" shouted Despair. "That thing can age Skull Knight into a feeble old man!"

"Don't worry," said Dread, nervously. "Time Wizard is all a matter of luck… if ours is better than theirs, we'll have a free strike at their Life Points!"

He chuckled.

"And we'll be able to bury Jade on your next turn…"

The spinner on Time Wizard's staff began to spin…

"Come on Time Wizard…" shuddered Clive.

"Don't land on a skull…" gasped Peter.

The spinner started to slow…

And then, to everyone's horror, it landed on a skull!

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Despair. "You lose!"

"NO!" screamed Mary.

"Not yet, demon!" shouted Jade. "I reveal my facedown card!"

The card lifted showing a scene with a goblin picking up a coin at the feet of a noble.

"Second Coin Toss!" she exclaimed.

Then Time Wizard's spinner started to spin again!

"WHAT?" shouted Despair. "HOW?"

"Second Coin Toss allows me a second chance at any fifty-fifty game of chance," explained Jade, "and my faith will not desert me twice in a row!"

"Huh," pondered Mary. "I should get one of those…"

The spinner on the staff started to spin again… everyone held their breath…

…and this time, it landed with a clang on the top crown!

"_Time Magic!"_ shouted Time Wizard.

He raised his staff to the heavens, and a vortex appeared over the field. Skull Knight's armor cracked, and he began to keel over.

"What have you done?" shouted Despair.

"Time Wizard's spell has caused a thousand years to pass on the field, rendering your Skull Knight old and infirm," said Jade.

Skull Knight moaned. He struggled to hold his sword up, as his Attack power went down to 1,950.

"And that's not all," smiled Yugi. "The passage of a thousand years is a liability to your Monster, but to our two major players, it's an asset!"

Yamoto became engulfed in an orb of light, while an orb of darkness enshrouded Dark Magician…

"What's happening?" shouted Dread in panic.

The orb around Yamoto vanished, and he had changed – his armor was now a brilliant white that shone like the sun, with traces of gold, and his sword seemed to be made of pure light. (2,800/2,400)

Meanwhile, the aura surrounding Dark Magician also vanished, and he too had changed. In his place was a much older, wiser sorcerer, with a full beard, a bulkier robe with royal-like splendor, and a decorated wooden staff in his hand. He levitated off the ground in a sitting position. (2,800/3,200)

"After a thousand years of mental, spiritual, and physical training," said Jade, "Yamoto the Noble Samurai has become Yamoto the Celestial Avatar!"

"And after a thousand years of study and research," said Yugi, "Dark Magician has become Dark Sage, a magician of near-unparalleled skill!

"And when Dark Sage is summoned, I get to search my deck for any Spell Card I choose!"

He leafed through his deck and chose a card.

_Double Spell will come in useful, _he thought._ When I have Monster Reborn in my hand, I'll try that Foolish Burial trick…_

"Yes!" yelled Mary. "That move was one in a billion!"

"Dread you idiot!" shouted Despair. "How could you let this happen?"

"ME?" yelled Dread. "How is this MY fault?"

"Oh people?" said Jade. "It is still my move…"

Dread and Despair gasped.

"Dark Sage," commanded Jade. "Destroy Skull Knight with ancient dark magic!"

Dark Sage's staff glowed with Dark energy. He shot forth a tremendous blast at Skull Knight, blasting him into vapor!

Despair's Life Points fell to 5,850.

"Now, Yamoto…" started Jade.

She smiled, as an idea came to her.

"Yamoto," she shouted. "Attack Dread's Life Points directly!"

The Celestial Avatar lifted his blade, and charged at the demon like a brilliant blur!

"NO!" shouted Dread. "I activate Hallowed Life Barrier!"

His Trap Card lifted, and he discarded a card. Three figures that looked like the Waboku priestesses dressed in purple appeared. Yamoto's sword was blocked.

"Heh, heh," smiled Dread. "This Trap protects me from taking damage for this turn."

"Indeed," smiled Jade. She turned to his partner. "But Despair, let me ask you something?"

"Oh, what?" growled Despair, annoyed.

"Hallowed Life Barrier is a very powerful, rare, and costly Trap Card… I doubt that Dread has more than one of them in his deck. You'll notice that before I attacked your partner with Yamoto, I destroyed your only line of defense…

"And that makes me wonder something… What, perchance, would have happened if I had chosen to turn Yamoto's wrath on _you _instead?"

Despair looked dumbfounded.

"Would Dread have wasted his valuable Trap to defend you?" asked Jade. "Or would he have let you suffer? It's something to think about."

She folded her arms.

Despair paused. He looked at Dread.

"What?" asked Dread. "Of course I would have!"

"I'm starting to question that!" snapped Despair. "You haven't been helping me much so far!"

"Despair, I would have used it if she had attacked you…" said Dread.

"Even though you don't deserve it…" he added under his breath.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" shouted Despair.

_Ooh, that did it, _thought Dread._ I can defeat these two by myself. I don't need this bag of bones' help to do it…_

_This jerk thinks he can get away with this? _thought Despair._ He just wants to take all the credit for destroying Yugi himself! He's always sucking up to Lord Saurius… Well, from now on, I'm only looking out for myself…_

Inside, Yugi chuckled.

_Clever work Jade, _he thought._ You're slowly turning them against each other. We'll win this yet…_

"It's my move!" said Despair, drawing.

_I know that loser has a card in his hand that would help us win, _he thought, looking at Dread, _but he was too chicken to use it. Well too bad!_

"I play the Spell Card Temporary Truce!" he said, putting a card into a slot.

A sparkling mist settled upon the field.

"Now, for two full turns, none of us can make any attacks or destroy each others' Monsters. Next, I place a card facedown on the field!"

He threw another card into a slot, and it appeared.

"Third, I summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the large, grinning Fiend with four faces appeared, hovering over the field. (1,500/1,200)

"Now another Spell Card," he exclaimed, fitting it into a slot. "Card Exchange!"

"What?" said Yugi.

"This card lets me exchange my whole hand with any player," explained Despair. "So, I think I'll swap hands with my partner."

"WHAT?" yelled Dread. "Despair, you poisonous snake!"

"Listen, Dread," growled Despair, walking up to him, "if you're too much of a coward to use your cards, then _I'll_ use them, so gimme!"

He snatched the cards.

"This could get ugly," muttered Clive.

"Ugly?" questioned Peter. "Those goons are _already_ pretty ugly!"

Despair ignored the wisecrack.

"Just as I thought," he said, looking at the cards. "Now I'll play the Ritual Card Revival of Dokurorider!"

"What are you doing?" shouted Dread.

He put the card in the slot, and a black cloud appeared. A noise like a loud motorcycle erupted over the field…

"To activate this ceremony, I offer as sacrifice my Four-Face Beast, and this Dragon Zombie…" he said, placing a Monster Card down.

A huge rotting Dragon appeared on the field, and both it and Melchid were sucked into the cloud.

The motorcycle noise got louder, and suddenly, a large figure rode out of the cloud. It was a fierce Zombie biker with a spiked harness and a horned helmet. His motorcycle had spiked wheels and a large skull on the front. He bore a long chain as a weapon.

"I summon Dokurorider!" exclaimed Despair.

(1,900/1,850)

"Despair, are you out of your skull?" yelled Dread. "Dokurorider is no match for their two Monsters!"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Despair. "I know what I'm doing! And I end my turn, by the way."

_What is he up to? _thought Yugi._ Well, I can't attack…_

"I shift my Gemini Elf to attack Mode," said Yugi.

The two elves prepared to attack, looking somewhat braver with the powerful Warrior and Spellcaster nearby.

"And I also summon Brown Recluse in Attack Mode," he continued.

He put the card down, and the giant spider appeared, clicking its mandibles. (2,300/0)

"And also, a card facedown," he finished, fitting a card into a slot.

_Just in case…_ he thought.

He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Dread drew.

"I play Monster Reborn," he grinned, "to bring back Vampire Lord, in Defense Mode!"

He placed the Spell Card in a slot, and Vampire Lord reappeared. The Zombie knelt, and shielded himself with his cape. (2,000/1,500)

_But don't expect me to defend you with him…_ thought Dread, looking at Despair.

Jade made her draw.

"I summon Sashia the Samurai Squire, in Attack Mode," she exclaimed, placing a card down.

A beam of light struck the field, and Sashia appeared, holding her shortsword high. (1,700/1,500)

"And lest I forget," exclaimed Jade, "since Yamoto's current incarnation is considered the same as his former self, she gets a boost to her power."

Sashia's Attack rose to 2,000.

"They've got this duel cold," smiled Mary. "They can't lose!"

"I end my turn," smiled Jade, "but as soon as your Truce wears off, you will not survive the onslaught we have set before you!"

"I beg to differ," grinned Despair, drawing. "I now reveal my facedown card… Ritual Weapon!"

His Spell Card lifted, and a long, nasty blade appeared in Dokurorider's hand.

"This Equip Card raises the Attack score of Dokurorider to 3,400!" laughed Despair. "And now he's stronger than any of your Monsters!

"As soon as the Truce wears off on my next turn, I'll start slaughtering your Monsters, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

He laughed a wicked laugh.

"Make your move, Yugi!"

Yugi drew.

He looked carefully at his hand…

_Wait… _he thought, looking at Jade._ I've got an idea…_

"I'll start by Tributing Both Gemini Elf and Brown Recluse for Buster Blader," he announced.

The twin elves and the giant Spider vanished into mist, and the mighty Warrior appeared, brandishing his huge lance! (2,600/2,300)

"Now," he said, "one card facedown…"

He put a card into a slot, and it appeared behind his two Monsters.

"And then I'll use the Spell Card Double Spell!" he said.

He threw his Sage's Stone card into his discard slot.

"Now I can duplicate the effects of any Spell Card that the two of you have used," he said. "And I'll use it to duplicate your Card Exchange, Despair!"

He looked at Jade.

"And like you did," he continued, "I'll exchange my hand of cards with my partner!"

"Huh?" asked Jade, as he walked up to her. "But Yugi… why?"

"I can't tell you without cheating, Jade," said Yugi, handing her his three cards. "But I'm sure you'll figure it out."

She handed him hers, and he walked back to his position.

Jade looked at them.

_Of course!_ she thought.

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

Dread drew.

_Perfect! _he thought._ I can handle these two without Despair's help. Then Lord Saurius will reward me well… _

"Heh, heh," he smiled. "I banish my Vampire Lord from the game to summon Vampire Genesis, in Attack Mode!"

He threw a card down. Vampire Lord gave a howl, and an unholy transformation started to take place. His clothes tore, and he began to take on a more demonic form…

Eventually, he turned into a creature that looked like a fiendish, hulking vampire, covered with muscles, with purple skin and a thick cape covered with spiky protrusions. He wore a spiked harness and a loincloth. (3,000/2,100)

"What?" gasped Yugi. "How did you summon a Monster that powerful with one Tribute?"

"Vampire Genesis is so powerful, that he can only be special summoned by removing Vampire Lord from the game!" smiled Dread. "And he has a useful effect. Once per round, I can discard one Zombie from my hand to special summon a Zombie from my Graveyard of a level less than the one I discard. Fortunately for you, thanks to my dumb partner…"

He glared at Despair.

"…I don't have one in my hand right now, but that will soon change!

"I end my turn!"

"Holy…" gasped Mary. "Now what?"

Jade made a draw.

_Robo Ronin will be good for later,_ she thought.

"I'll place this card facedown," she said, placing one of Yugi's cards into her Disk.

It appeared on the field.

"And now," she continued. "I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense, ending my turn."

_It is all up to Yugi now,_ she thought.

"Lovely," said Dread, drawing.

The sparkling mist over the field vanished.

"The Truce is over," he laughed. "And now I can strike! Dokurorider! Attack Yamoto now!"

The Zombie biker revved up his motorcycle, and sped towards the Celestial Avatar, his Ritual Weapon held high…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Yugi.

"No!" yelled Despair, as the Trap Card lifted. Dokurorider skidded to a halt.

"Phew!" gasped Mary.

"Nice save, Yugi!" shouted Clive.

Despair was clearly angry.

"I end my turn then," he growled.

Yugi drew.

"I'll pass for this turn," he said.

"Fine," smiled Dread, drawing. "Then _I'll_ destroy that Samurai! Vampire Genesis, attack with rage of the undead!"

"DREAD, DON'T!" shouted Despair.

Vampire Genesis raised his arms, and a ball of black lightning formed in them…

"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Yugi.

"WHAT?" shouted Dread.

He gasped as a pentagram formed around Vampire Genesis, freezing him in place, and lowering his Attack Score to 2,300.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Yugi. "I had one of them too."

"You… jerk!" shouted Despair. "If you weren't already dead I'd kill you!"

"Don't worry Despair," snarled Dread. "They still can't defeat Dokurorider…"

"I think we can," said Jade, making her draw.

"I flip-summon the Monster that Yugi was kind enough to give me… Magician of Faith!"

The beautiful female mage appeared where the facedown card was. (300/400)

Jade smiled.

"And by doing so, I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard," she said. "Guess which one it is?"

A card flipped out of her discard pile.

"The Equip that Usagi Warrior was holding when he was destroyed," she continued. "Blade of Bushido!"

She fit it into a slot, and Yamoto's sword was replaced by an even more brilliant one!

"By Equipping it to Yamoto," said Jade, his Attack goes up all the way to 3,600, more than enough to take down your Dokurorider!"

Despair and Dread drew back in fear.

"And I'm not through," continued Jade. "I also Tribute Magician of Faith for Robo Ronin!"

She switched cards, and Magician of Faith vanished, replaced by the large robotic Samurai with his energy sword. (2,000/1,000)

"Now," she commanded, "Yamoto, attack Dokurorider with Blade of Ultimate Light!"

Yamoto raised his sword to the heavens and sped forward. He smote the demonic biker, and the Zombie exploded, sending pieces of broken machinery flying and two tires rolling across the floor. Despair's Life Points fell to 5,650

"Dark Sage," said Jade, "attack Vampire Genesis with ancient dark magic blast!"

Dark Sage's staff glowed with dark fire, and he blasted a beam or energy at the hulking vampire. He gave off a chilling moan, and burst in an explosion of blackness, sending a chill over the entire area. Dread's Life Points fell to 5,700

"Sashia," ordered Jade, "attack Dread directly!"

Sashia held her sword out and struck a pose. She leapt up into the air and brought her sword down on the demon, tearing his cloak and slashing through bone! Dread fell over, and his Life Points dropped to 3,700.

"Your turn, Robo Ronin!" shouted Jade. "Attack Despair directly!"

Despair screamed as the large Machine closed in on him, slashing with his glowing sword. He fell to his knees, as his Life Points fell to 3,650.

"Time to make your final move," said Jade to Despair.

Despair looked at his hand.

_I've got nothing that I can summon without a Tribute!_ he thought.

He drew.

_But I do have this!_

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" he said, throwing the card into a slot.

The glowing swords started to fall…

"Not quite, Despair," said Jade. "I activate another card Yugi gave me… Magic Jammer!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and she discarded a card. The Swords vanished.

"So much for your plan," she mocked. "Anything else?"

Despair paused.

"I said, anything else?" repeated Jade.

"I'll take your silence as a no," said Yugi.

He drew.

_This will do the trick,_ he said.

"I summon Celtic Swordgirl, in Attack Mode!" he said, putting a card down.

The small elven maiden appeared, holding her small sword. (1,000/800)

"Now, Dark Sage," he said, "attack Dread directly!"

Dread screamed as Dark Sage blasted him with his Dark spell, blowing his Life Points down to 900.

"Now, Celtic Swordgirl, finish him off!"

Celtic Swordgirl ran up, and drove her dagger into Dread's chest. As his Life Points fell to zero, the skeletal demon collapsed in a heap.

"And I'm only half done!" said Yugi. "Yamoto, attack Despair!"

Despair shrieked, and the holy warrior leapt forward and slashed at him with his sword, tearing his cloak to shreds! His Life Points dove to 150.

"Now, Buster Blader," shouted Yugi, "blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader charged, and brought his mighty blade down on Despair. He moaned, and fell over.

It was over. The six Monsters on Yugi and Jade's side of the field raised their weapons in triumph.

And then, the holo-imagers shut down, and they vanished into sparkles of light.

"All right!" yelled Mary, "way to go!"

"Good job sis!" cheered Amber.

Jade sighed. She removed her helmet and wiped her brow.

"We make a pretty good team, Yugi," she said, as she extended her hand.

"Yes," said Yugi, shaking it. "And now that the six of us are together, our team is even stronger…"

"Hey guys," mentioned Peter. "Look at Dread and Despair…"

He nudged the cloaks where they had fallen. All that was left was piles of bones.

"Looks like they all went to pieces!" exclaimed Clive.

"Funny," said Yugi. "Now let's find Siegfried."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well, another plan just went down the drain, Saurius," grinned Siegfried.

"Did it Kaiba?" smiled Saurius. "On the contrary, I never expected those two fools to defeat Yugi… I only intended them to slow him down!"

"What do you…?" started Siegfried.

At that point, Mordent entered.

"The ritual is ready, my master," he said.

"Good," smiled Saurius. "And who have you chosen for our unwitting victim?"

"I was thinking Peter," said Mordent. "His deck is my favorite."

"Then make it so," ordered Saurius.

"What are you up to this time, Saurius?" chuckled Siegfried. "Peter will defeat your next toady just like the others did!"

"That's not the way it's going to work this time, Kaiba…" said Saurius, evilly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Defenders, now consisting of six members, walked down a long corridor.

"You're kidding, Amber," laughed Peter. "You really took down Naga? Nice sword, by the way…"

"It was nothing, really…" blushed Amber.

"I'm proud of you, Amber," said Yugi. "Your Heart is much stronger than it was when we first met you. In more ways than one."

Peter paused. He noticed that shadows were starting to surround him…

They came to a fork in the corridor.

"So," asked Mary. "Which way do we go?"

"Let me concentrate for a minute…" said Yugi.

And then they heard a scream…

Peter's scream.

"PETER!" shouted Yugi.

They looked back where he had been.

He was gone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CURSE OF THE STYX (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A dark river cascading down a broken hellscape.

**Card Description: **Select one Fiend-Type Monster you control that is Level 4 or less. The selected Monster may attack your opponent directly this round. During the End Phase of the turn, destroy the selected Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WALL OF BONES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Flavor Text: **This diabolical construction was composed of mortar made from cemetery clay, and bricks made from bone, forming a formidable defensive structure.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VENGEFUL SPIRITS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A group of angry, skull-like ghosts coming out of a dark graveyard.

**Card Description: **Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent for each Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD EXCHANGE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Two hands throwing a hand of cards into the air.

**Card Description: **Activate only in a duel where there are more than two players. Exchange your hand of cards with another player.

_Note: "Card Exchange" was first used by Lumis in the original anime episode "Double Duel (Part 3)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	48. Brain Jacker

_**You know those old spy movies when they have a scene where the hero (or heroine, as the case sometimes is) comes to after losing a fight, finds that he or she is tied down in a dark room, and the first thing he or she says is:**_

"_**Where the heck am I?"**_

_**That's pretty much the way I am right now.**_

_**Last thing I remember, I was walking down the hallway of this accursed place, complimenting Amber on defeating Naga… when all of a sudden something cold grabbed me and I blanked out.**_

_**So what is this? A prison? A torture chamber? A TV game show?**_

_**Just from looking around…**_

_**I think we can rule out the TV game show…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Brain Jacker**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"Where could Peter have gone?" wondered Mary.

"Maybe he fell down a trap door…" answered Yugi.

"This is Saurius's work," said Jade. "I can feel it."

"When I catch that creep," muttered Clive, "I'm gonna rip him a new starfish!"

He punched his palm with his hand.

"Rip him a new starfish?" asked Amber.

"We aren't going to find him standing around," said Yugi. "We've got to search every inch of this dungeon until we find him…"

The mist ahead of them started to lower, revealing a huge, wide hallway full of doors.

"Well," said Amber, "maybe if we just check these doors…"

She reached for one.

"AMBER WAIT!" shouted Jade.

Amber opened the door… and was met by a huge set of fanged jaws that roared at her!

Amber turned white and slammed the door shut.

"Okay…" she squeaked. "Well, we know he's not in _there_…"

"Let me open the next one, Amber," said Jade.

She went to the door across the hall, and opened it.

A form materialized. It was a tall clown in a colorful costume and a cape.

"Dream Clown?" said Jade, surprised.

(1,200/900)

The Monster grinned. He raised his hand, and a large pie materialized in it…

And then, with a laugh, he threw it in Jade's face!

As Jade wiped the stuff off her eyes, the Monster cackled. Jade activated her Disk…

"I hope you enjoyed that…" she growled.

She drew a card and placed it on her Disk.

"Usagi Warrior, go!" she shouted.

Usagi appeared and drew his katana. (1,500/1,000)

Dream Clown drew back in fright… Usagi took a swipe with his katana and cut him in half!

"I do not even like coconut…" muttered Jade, wiping her face.

Clive activated his Disk.

"If we have to open every door to rescue Peter," he muttered, "then we'll just have to do it…"

He took a card from his deck.

"But I'm going into the next one prepared…"

He fit a card into his Magic/Trap Zone.

Then he reached for another door. He opened it, and the stench of death wafted through…

A hideously rotting Zombie dressed like a wizard, carrying a staff made of bone stepped out! (2,600/2,900)

"Fushioh Richie!" gasped Yugi.

The Zombie blasted a beam of black magic at Clive…

Clive hit his Disk, and a vortex appeared before him. The blast was swallowed by it.

"Good thing I set up a Negate Attack," muttered Clive. "Now to deal with you, ugly…"

He pulled out a card.

"Go Getsu Fuhma!" he yelled, putting a card down.

The female, red-haired Warrior in dark armor appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,700/1,200)

"Attack!" ordered Clive.

Getsu bravely leapt forward and struck Fushioh Richie. The creature swatted her aside… she fell over, gave a gasp, and died.

"It didn't work!" screamed Mary.

"Oh really?" smiled Clive.

Suddenly, smoke started to pour from Fushioh Richie's rotting form. The Zombie gasped, dropped his staff, and crumbled into ashes.

"Any Zombie or Fiend that Getsu Fuhma manages to strike dies," smiled Clive, "even if she loses the battle!"

"Good work, Clive," smiled Mary. "Let me take the next one…"

She opened the door… And saw a facedown Monster.

"Be careful, Mary," warned Yugi. "This could be risky…"

"Then I'll prepare…" said Mary. "First, Scapegoat!"

She put a card down, and the four sheep tokens appeared in front of her.

"Now, Alligator's Sword!" she continued.

She put the card down, and the fierce gator-man appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"Attack!" yelled Mary.

Alligator's Sword leapt to attack…

And then an odd Monster appeared. It looked like a large penguin in a tuxedo and a dumpy top hat. Alligator's Sword bounced off. (900/1,800)

"Ack!" yelled Mary. "It's Defense is too strong!"

"That's Nightmare Penguin!" gasped Yugi. "Ugh! Mom forbade that card from ever coming in the house!"

"Why?" asked Clive.

"Long story…" sighed Yugi.

Alligator's Sword vanished, and the card flew back into Mary's hand.

"Huh?" said Mary.

"When Nightmare Penguin is flipped, one Monster on the field is returned to the owner's hand!" said Yugi.

Nightmare Penguin reared up to attack, and its Attack Score rose to 1,100.

"It got stronger!" gasped Amber.

"That's its other effect," said Yugi. "It raises the power of all Water Monsters, including itself…"

The Penguin shot forth a beam of frost, encasing a Scapegoat in a block of ice. It shattered and vanished.

"Good thing I put up those Scapegoats," sighed Mary, "or that might have been me. But now that it's in Attack Mode, let's try this again!"

She put the card back onto her Disk, and Alligator's Sword appeared again. He leapt forward, and brought his sword down on the Penguin. It squawked, and shattered into icy pixels.

"Saurius!" shouted Yugi. "If you think we're going to play games with you all night, you are sorely mistaken!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dark place, Peter woke up.

And immediately found that he was strapped to a chair.

_Okay… _he thought._ Whoever did this is really getting tired of breathing…_

He started to struggle…

"Off the record," said a voice in front of him, "Gearfried the Swordmaster couldn't break free from those straps, so I don't think _you_ have much chance."

Peter stared in the direction of the voice.

"When Yugi and the others get here," he warned, "they're going to make you very, very sorry!"

"Well then," said the voice. "I'd better handle you rather quickly."

Mordent stepped out of the shadows.

"You!" exclaimed Peter. "You're the nut who set that imp shaped like Rebecca after Yugi!"

"You remember me," smiled Mordent. "I'm touched."

He took out a deck of cards… Peter's deck.

"Those are mine!" shouted Peter.

"I'll give them back," assured Mordent. "I just want to look at them for a minute…"

He leafed through them.

"Ooh, good cards," he complimented. "We aren't so different Peter. We both like the same type of Monster – fiendish creatures from the depths of the Underworld!"

He placed the deck in a Disk (Peter's actually), and placed it in Peter's lap.

"I didn't choose Archfiends because they were evil, jerk," sneered Peter. "I chose them because of the design. I'm an artist, and I like cards that reflect art."

"Then we're similar in another way," smiled Mordent. "I'm an artist myself. I have a talent that you might have seen before. I can summon the spirits of demons from the depths of Hades, and give them bodies taken from any image… drawn, painted, sketched, printed… Pictures give life to my beasts…

"You know what my ultimate dream is, Peter?"

"I think you're going to tell me…" snarled Peter.

"My dream," explained Mordent, "is to go to the Sistine Chapel and transform all of Michelangelo's artwork there into my demonic minions!"

Peter gasped.

"That…" he stammered, "…that's a blasphemy!"

"But sadly I can't," sighed Mordent. "The Vatican is such a sacred place, I'd be reduced to dust if I even tried to go near it. I can't even enter a small neighborhood church. I'll have to wait until Lord Saurius's plans succeed before my dream can be realized."

"How sad," said Peter, sarcastically.

"But," smiled Mordent, taking out another deck, "when I discovered Duel Monsters cards, it was another dream come true. With over three thousand cards, over three thousand lovely pictures to experiment with, I could truly practice my art…"

"Only a twisted art, pal…" scowled Peter.

"Of course, bringing some cards to life are hard," continued Mordent. "I had to work hard to prepare the ritual that would enchant the card that would help me crush your friend Yugi."

He took the card off of the top of his deck.

"Crush him I will," he smiled, "and you're going to help me."

"In your dreams, hose-nose," snarled Peter.

"Want to see the card?" asked Mordent. "I think everyone has seen this incredibly common Spell Card…"

He turned the card towards Peter.

"Change of Heart?" asked Peter.

Then the card started to blaze with dark fire, and a form started to rise out of the floor…

After a few short seconds, a man-sized version of Change of Heart was standing in front of Peter!

She looked at him with an evil smile and reached out with her hands…

"No!" yelled Peter, trying to struggle. "Stay away…"

He screamed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Don Zaloog stabbed with the Dark Scorpion Shiv, and Mechanicalchaser exploded.

"Man, I'm getting mighty sick of this," snarled Clive.

"Don't worry, we're running out of doors," said Yugi.

"So let me get this straight, Yugi," asked Amber, "your parents and Mary's dad were trapped in a virtual world, where they had to fight these corporate tycoons who had taken on the forms of Duel Monsters?"

"Yeah," answered Yugi. "Their nutty accountant Krump had a thing for penguins, and he took the form of Nightmare Penguin. My mom dueled her… he underestimated her… he lost. Krump thought that percentages and numbers were the key to winning any conflict, but Duel Monsters is much more than that."

"Krump was a practical boy scout compared to the sleaze my father dueled in that place," snarled Mary. "Johnson was the group's legal expert, and he was the kind of lawyer that was the very reason that most people don't like lawyers – the kind of lawyer who'd use any trick, no matter how dirty, underhanded, or illegal, to win a case. He naturally took the form of Judge Man, and he actually cheated in the duel… but my dad outsmarted him and won."

"The legal profession was once a noble one," said Jade, "but it became corrupt very easily."

"Come on people," persuaded Yugi. "Need I remind you that we have _two_ people missing now..."

Two doors were left – one to the side of the hallway, and one in front.

Yugi and Mary looked at each other. They shook their fists. Mary's jutted out scissors, Yugi's stayed closed, rock.

Mary opened the door.

A small Monster appeared. It was a green kangaroo with boxing gloves and a purple jacket. (1,500/1,700)

"Des Kangaroo!" said Yugi.

"No problem!" smiled Mary. "Go, Panther Warrior!"

She threw a card into her Disk, and the mighty Beast-Warrior appeared. (2,000/1,600)

"Now…" she said. "Oh wait… I have to make a Tribute before he can attack…"

Then another form appeared behind Des Kangaroo. A much bigger form. A huge koala, twice the size of Des Kangaroo, reared up and snarled. (2,700/2,000)

"That's Big Koala!" screamed Mary. "No fair!"

Big Koala took a mighty swipe, and cut Panther Warrior to pieces!

Then a card came into view behind the two Monsters. A Polymerization card. The two Monsters glowed…

"Guys," stammered Clive. "This could get ugly…"

The five of them all backed up, as Master of Oz lumbered into view! (4,200/3,700)

"Now what do we do?" shouted Mary, in panic.

Amber flicked her Disk into position.

"I'll handle this…" she scowled.

She took three cards out of her deck.

"Harpie Lady 1!" she shouted.

She slapped the card down, and the first of the three Harpie sisters appeared. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400)

"Harpie Lady 2!" she yelled.

She put another card down, and the first Harpie's sister appeared. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400)

"Your Harpies can't beat that goliath!" yelled Clive.

"Can they?" smiled Amber, as the great Beast bore down on them.

She threw the third card into a slot.

"Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation!" she exclaimed.

The two Harpies screamed, and erupted into flames, merging into a huge bird made of fire! The firebird plowed into Master of Oz – it bellowed, and exploded!

The two Harpies returned and alighted beside Amber.

"Whoa…" stammered Clive.

"I think our opponent is almost out of Life Points," said Yugi. "We should find the right way soon."

"Well," said Amber, putting the cards back in her deck, "there's one more door, and I think we can handle it…"

She went up to the door. On it was a plaque with words on it:

**CRAZY INTENT**

"Crazy intent?" pondered Amber, reaching for it.

Everyone else was just as puzzled.

"Amber, wait!" shouted Jade. "'Crazy intent' is another way of saying…"

Amber opened the door to a dark tunnel. A light shone in the distance and the sound of a train whistle screamed…

"LOCO MOTIVE!" shouted Jade.

"RUN!" shouted Clive.

Everyone turned to run, as a huge shape rushed out of the door. It was a huge, iron locomotive with a fiendish face on the front!

It thundered towards them, and steam poured from its jaws…

"Wait a second…" said Yugi.

He stopped, and whipped a card out of his deck.

"Warrior Dai Grepher, come forth!" he yelled, placing it down.

Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, and raised his sword to challenge the mad train! (1,700/1,600)

"Yug', are you nuts?" shouted Clive. "Grepher can't stop that thing!"

"Can he?" asked Yugi.

As the train sped towards Grepher, the Warrior struck with his sword, and a huge explosion ensued. When the dust cleared, Grepher was still standing, and the demonic train had been reduced to rubble.

"I thought so," said Yugi. "That thing was Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Someone tried to use one against me in an old tournament. It looks mean and tough, but it only has 1,400 Attack points.

"And it has another effect. When destroyed, the owner gets to draw one card."

"So what are you waiting for?" he called out.

As if on cue, a large card appeared in front of them. Then it turned to them.

"I know that card," said Yugi. "It's called The Dark Door."

And then, the card turned to a black door, hovering in the air.

"Let's go," said Yugi, opening the door. "We'll find our answers in here."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Bastion of the Hopeful.

Anastasia had seen better days. She was haggard and exhausted. What she had been doing had truly begun to take its toll. She had always had a strong will – but everything has limits.

"Anastasia," warned Dane, "you can't go on! You're about to collapse! It is very possible for you to hurt yourself, you realize…"

"I can't stop at this point, Dane," said Anastasia, through gasping breath. "Peter's life… and his soul… are on the line… I have to try."

"Anastasia," cautioned Dane. "Let me reinstate my formal protest and remind you of the danger of overtaxing yourself…"

"I still might have enough energy for one more…" sighed Anastasia.

She slowly took another card from her stack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Did you see the looks on their faces when Dekoichi appeared?" chuckled Saurius.

"Hello?" exclaimed Siegfried. "Didn't Yugi just blow your Dekoichi to bits?"

"All part of my plan, Kaiba, all part of my plan," replied the demon.

An orb appeared in front of him.

"Master," said Mordent's voice. "I'm taking Peter to the Crystal Chamber. We'll be there before his friends are."

"Excellent," replied Saurius.

"So what sort of duelist do you have lined up now, horn-head?" asked Siegfried, with a smile. "Maybe someone with a Chaos Deck? Maybe the old fashioned Beatdown Deck?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of an Archfiend Deck, Kaiba," chuckled Saurius.

_Archfiends? _thought Siegfried._ Peter uses Archfiends…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends were now walking through a dark tunnel where the walls and floors seemed to be made of white crystal.

"Creepy…" shuddered Amber.

Then a flame appeared in front of them. A card flew at them from ahead.

"What?" said Jade. She drew her sword.

"Wait," assured Yugi. "We've seen this before. This is an ally's work. Just who, we aren't sure, but it's a friend."

The card flew up to them, and spewed flame onto the floor. A frightening shape of a female Fiend in royal clothing with batlike wings appeared, awash in fire…

"It's Infernalqueen Archfiend!" exclaimed Clive. "One of Peter's Monsters."

Infernalqueen opened her large eyes (which again were deep, sea green) and chuckled an evil chuckle.

"Um… your highness," asked Clive. "Can you help us find Peter?"

"Find him?" cackled the queen. "Why he's just ahead. But you'll have to work hard if you want to save him!

"Listen people, I don't like you… But you've got spunk, and that I like.

So I'll give you advice. Peter's in trouble, and it's gonna take more than words and powerful artifacts to get him out of this one.

"In the last duel, a bond was needed to succeed – but now a far deeper bond is going to be needed. This can't be done alone, by any of you.

"And remember this – even the Archfiends know the value of friendship. We'd be nothing if we didn't support our backs. That's one of the reasons Peter chose us for his deck. We're a team – inseparable and _unbreakable_ remember that, all of you.

"Good luck… you're gonna need it!"

She turned into fire, and vanished back into her card, which also vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the Bastion, Anastasia closed her eyes.

"There," she croaked. "That's all I can do…"

She fell over, and into a deep slumber.

Dane held her.

_Rest now, child, _he thought._ Let's hope what you did was not in vain…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and the others continued down the crystal hallway.

They saw a large archway up ahead, and a figure standing in front of it.

They moved forward, and saw that the figure was…

"PETER!" they all yelled at once.

It was Peter, holding his Duel Disk in hand. He looked at them, and gave a sinister smile.

"Peter, are you all right?" urged Yugi.

"All right?" chuckled Peter. "I'm better than all right. I haven't felt this good in years!"

They all drew backwards. That wasn't Peter's voice. It was almost… feminine.

Peter looked at them, and his eyes started to glow with a red light.

"Let's get down to business, shall we Yugi?" smiled Peter. "If you want to save Siegfried, you'll follow me…"

"Peter, what's happened to you?" gasped Clive.

Peter didn't answer. He turned, and entered the archway.

Now feeling more afraid than ever, his five friends followed. They entered a huge chamber made of crystal, with crystal clusters surrounding the walls. A dark, evil looking mirror was at one end, and a dias that was about two-hundred feet in circumference was in the middle.

Peter walked up on the dais, so that his back was to the dark mirror.

"Now then, Yugi," he said, "if you'll kindly get up here, I'll explain everything."

"Peter," stammered Yugi, walking up to the platform, "what did that fiend do to…"

As he stepped on the dais, two things happened. First, he felt a shock like mild electricity run through him. Then, the entrance they had gone through sealed off, leaving no exit from the room. A wall of crystal now blocked it off.

Then colors swirled in the mirror, and Saurius's face appeared.

"Hello Yugi," he smiled. "You seem to have found Peter… Unfortunately, he isn't quite on your side anymore."

"What have you done to him?" demanded Yugi.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," chuckled Saurius. "But if you and your friends ever want to leave this chamber, you and he are going to have to duel… for the greatest stakes imaginable!"

"What?" gasped Yugi, starting to panic.

"You already may have known that I've stolen several cards from your old friend Anastasia, Yugi," explained Saurius. "I've also stolen her magical technology. Remember the Pain Splitter?"

Yugi shuddered. "How could I forget?"

"Well," continued Saurius. "I've enchanted the magic of this chamber with similar properties. All dueling here is done to the death!"

"WHAT?" gasped Yugi. "No! I refuse! Never!"

"You don't have a choice Yugi," laughed Saurius. "I took a precaution, and started the spell the moment you stepped on that platform. The first move of this duel is yours, but if you don't start in fifteen minutes, both you AND Peter die!

"But to prove to you that I'm a bigger man than Anastasia, this version of the Pain Splitter won't cause you any extra pain when you lose Life Points, other than what happens from a direct attack. But whoever loses dies, just like the old version."

"This is madness, Saurius!" shouted Yugi. "You're leaving me with no way out!"

"You want a way out?" shrugged Saurius. "Okay, I'll give you a way out… If you can convince Peter to forfeit before either of your Life Points hit zero, the system will shut down, and nobody will die. But I'm not counting on that happening.

"So, you have fifteen minutes to decide, Yugi, starting now. I hope you have a watch…"

He laughed, and the image on the mirror vanished.

"So Yugi," chuckled "Peter", "ready to lose everything?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You…" cursed Siegfried. "You sadistic, cruel, evil… THING! What do you get off forcing Yugi into this! What right do you have to…"

"Why shouldn't I, Kaiba?" snapped Saurius. "I have nothing to lose at this point, and so much to gain…"

"How did you enslave Peter's mind?" shouted Siegfried. "I demand to know!"

Saurius chuckled.

"There's no fooling you, Kaiba," he smiled. "As you said, I have no power to force a person to serve me… But let me explain with a similar scenario…

"Say a person's body is a car… And his soul is the driver. The driver controls the car, right?

"But say a carjacker were to force his way into the car, tie up and gag the driver, and take the wheel himself? Another person would be in control, while the true owner could only watch helplessly as his vessel was controlled by another.

"That's sort of what Peter's predicament is right now… only much, much worse. If Yugi wins, he and his friends will be wrought with anguish over the fact that Peter had to die… And even better – for me – if Peter wins, Yugi will be out of my way, and I'll have a powerful duelist in my service forever…"

He gave a strange look. He gestured, and a white orb appeared in his hand.

"General Bezelbub!" he shouted into it. "Will you stop fooling around up there and do what I told you to do?"

"Um, yes master," said a voice from the sphere.

It vanished.

"So hard to find good help these days…" muttered Saurius.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Yami," asked Yugi, "what has he done to Peter?"

"Hard to tell," replied Yami. "I'll take a quick look into his mind… maybe I can uncover something…"

The Spirit concentrated.

"YUGI!" he gasped. "It's worse than I thought!"

"What?"

"There's some sort of demon inside Peter's soul chambers!" replied Yami. "Shaped just like Change of Heart! She's grabbed onto Peter's soul, and she's slowly consuming him!

"Yugi, this is dire. We have no choice but to duel for now. In the meantime, I'll try to figure out a way to drive that demon out of his body."

"Okay, we'll try to do our best," said Yugi.

He turned towards Peter.

"Okay, whatever you are," cursed Yugi. "I'm going to make you run screaming out of that body!"

"That's easier said than done fool!" laughed "Peter."

"Yug', be careful!" shouted Clive, as they activated their Disks.

Yugi made his draws.

"Like the master said," said "Peter", "the first move is yours…"

"Fine," said Yugi. "Then I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!"

He threw a card down, and the armored elf with his longsword appeared in front of him. He looked up in surprise at his opponent. (1,400/1,200)

"Is that the best you can do, Yugi?" chuckled "Peter", drawing. "I know your Guardian's defensive properties, so I have just the right Monster… I summon The Bistro Butcher, in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a fiendish laugh echoed over the crystal chamber. A tall gremlin in a chef's outfit with blue skin and pointed ears appeared, with a hook for a right hand, carrying a cleaver in his left. (1,800/1,000)

"Bistro Butcher, turn that elf into chop suey!" yelled "Peter".

The Butcher cackled and ran forward, slashing Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with his cleaver. He groaned, and burst into green and brown pixels. Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"I know The Bistro Butcher's limitation, fiend," scowled Yugi. "When he does damage to me, I get to draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

"Indeed," replied his opponent. "Now I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

He slid the cards into slots, and they appeared behind The Butcher.

Yugi drew.

"I'll also play a card facedown," he said, putting it into a slot.

The card appeared.

"Now I'll summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he announced.

He put the card down, and the sorcerer in the bulky, black robe appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"This will take care of your Butcher," shouted Yugi. "Attack!"

Skilled Dark Magician's staff glowed. He prepared to fire…

"Hee, hee," giggled "Peter". "You walked right into a Trap, Yugi! Activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

One of his facedown card lifted, and a shield of energy appeared around The Bistro Butcher! Skilled Dark Magician screamed, and he was annihilated.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,125.

"See Yugi?" laughed the thing in Peter's body. "So long as I hold onto Peter's soul, I can access all of his memories, and duel just like him!"

"Make your move…" snarled Yugi.

He spoke to Yami.

"Any luck yet?"

"Still working on it," said Yami. "This creature has secured herself there tightly…"

"Peter" drew.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he laughed, throwing a card into a slot. "Say goodbye to your facedown card!"

Yugi's facedown card lifted up and blew away.

"Magic Jammer, huh?" said "Peter". "Pity. Bistro Butcher, attack directly with fiend cleaver!"

The fiendish chef laughed and ran forward, striking Yugi in the gut with his weapon! Yugi fell backwards, and his Life Points fell to 5,325.

"Your Butcher just hurt me again!" scowled Yugi, getting up. "That means I get to draw two more cards!"

He made two more draws…

"As if!" laughed "Peter".

His other facedown card lifted up.

"My Null and Void Trap will send them right to the Graveyard!"

Yugi cringed, and discarded them.

"Man, Yugi's getting creamed!" gasped Mary.

"Peter, please, fight it!" shouted Clive. "Don't let the bastard in there win!"

"Quiet all of you!" snarled "Peter". "This is MY body now! And I think it's Yugi's turn."

_I've got to fight back, _thought Yugi._ I can't save Peter if I'm dead…_

He drew.

"I'll place a card facedown," he said. "And then summon Flame Swordmistress in Defense Mode."

He placed the two cards. Flame Swordmistress appeared in a kneeling position. (1,600/1,500)

Then his facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

"Peter" drew.

"Now to blast you again!" he laughed. "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and the large golden lamp appeared in front of him. The huge, green genie floated out and gave a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"Bistro Butcher," ordered Peter, "attack Flame Swordmistress!"

The evil Butcher ran forward.

"Not so fast, demon!" yelled Yugi. "I'm going to try to _blast_ you out of Peter's body! I activate… Magic Cylinder!"

His facedown card lifted, and two Cylinders appeared in the air. Energy flowed out of The Butcher, collecting in one Cylinder, and then shooting out the other, striking Peter!

But he didn't even flinch.

"Sorry Yugi," he chuckled, as his Life Points went down to 6,200, "but being in this body not only lets me control it, but triples its strength and endurance! That direct damage… it almost felt good!

"And now… La Jinn, destroy his Flame Swordmistress!"

La Jinn cast his powerful spell, and Flame Swordmistress screamed before vanishing into fiery pixels.

"What's Yugi gonna do?" gasped Amber. "Jade, do you know any way to get rid of that thing?"

"Exorcisms are the work of holy men, not warriors," said Jade. "But I fear the evil presence inside of Peter is getting stronger by the minute… this demon is tightening its grip…

"If anyone can do it, Yugi can…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My Change of Heart demon is working like a charm," smiled Mordent. "Yugi thinks he can find a way out, but that isn't going to happen…"

"Indeed," laughed Saurius. "This almost completely makes up for the memory imp incident!"

"Just you wait," scowled Siegfried. "Yugi will destroy that demon!"

Saurius chuckled.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," laughed Saurius. "We've taken precautions, and we assure you, Yugi simply _can't_ drive the demon out.

"The only person who can combat the demon that has invaded Peter's mind is her victim, Kaiba. But Peter is already too weak to do so… He won't stand a chance. Frankly, I doubt his soul can even get an arm free right now!

"So simply enjoy the show!"

Siegfried paused.

_Could Saurius be right?_ he thought

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi drew.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

The hidden Monster appeared.

"That all?" laughed "Peter", drawing. He looked at his card.

"Well get ready for some heat…"

He flicked his Field slot open.

"I play… **Pandemonium**!"

He slid the card in, and the air became hazy. The crystal walls and clusters of the chamber glowed cherry red, and flames started to burn all over the place. Fierce images of Fiends formed out of the crystals, and their eyes glowed.

"Eek…" shrieked Amber.

"Never actually been in the middle of Pandemonium before, have you, Yugi?" asked "Peter". "And now, Bistro Butcher, attack his facedown Monster!"

The Butcher leapt to attack… And Mystical Elf appeared on the card! (800/2,000)

She caught the weapon in her hands, and forced him back. "Peter's" Life Points fell to 6,000.

"Ugh," he muttered. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll start mine," said Yugi.

He drew.

_This will help,_ he thought.

"I Tribute my Mystical Elf to bring forth the mighty Machine King!" he announced, switching cards.

Mystical Elf vanished, and the huge robot appeared in front of him (2,200/2,000) – (2,300/2,000)

"Machine King," ordered Yugi, "attack La Jinn with jet punch attack!"

Machine King raised his arms, and his fists flew like rockets, striking La Jinn and causing the genie to burst into a cloud of green vapor! "Peter's" Life Points dropped to 5,500.

The two fists retracted back to Machine King's arms.

"I end my turn," said Yugi.

Peter snarled an inhuman snarl.

"Peter, please!" shouted Clive. "Snap out of it, buddy!"

"Peter" ignored him as he drew.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" he cackled. "Now I'll Tribute my Butcher to summon my Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" he shouted.

He switched cards, and a lightning storm erupted on the field! The Bistro Butcher vanished, and the huge, hulking, skeletal, horned, Archfiend appeared in all his glory! (2,500/1,200)

"Go my Archfiend!" shouted "Peter". "Attack Machine King with Archfiend Lightning!"

Furious lightning raged around the Archfiend, and he blasted forth his bolts! Machine King overloaded, and burst in a series of explosions!

Yugi's Life Points fell to 5,125.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed the thing with Peter's face. "I just sent your robot to the junkyard! Make your move if you dare!"

Yugi drew.

"I summon Big Shield Gardna, in Defense Mode!" he yelled.

He put a card down, and the hulking barbarian appeared, crouching behind his huge shield. (100/2,600)

"And that will end my turn," he said.

"Yami," he said inside himself. "Anything yet?"

"I'm trying Yugi," said the Spirit. "I'm trying as hard as I can… but this thing's defenses are tougher than anything I've ever seen."

"What are we going to do?" moaned Yugi.

"Don't give up yet," responded Yami. "I have a few more tricks left to try…"

"I draw," said "Peter", drawing a card, "and by the way Yugi, I can tell that your other self is trying to drive me out… You can tell him that I think his weak attempts are pathetic!"

Yugi gasped.

"Now I'll play Pot of Greed," he said, placing the card in the slot, "and we all know what that does…"

The laughing jar appeared, and spat out two cards. He drew two.

"Excellent," he smiled. "Your Shield may be big, but it soon won't be big enough! I'll first summon Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode…"

A bonfire erupted on the field, and the cackling Infernalqueen stepped out, shielding herself with her wings. (900/1,500)

Yugi flinched. It was Infernalqueen who gave them advice just a little while ago… It must have been from a different source…

"And now," smiled "Peter", "I equip Skull Archfiend of Lightning with Dark Energy!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the huge hand with a black ball appeared. It hurled the ball at the Archfiend. (2,800/1,200)

"Now, Skull Archfiend of Lightning, shatter his Shield!"

The lightning storm powered up again. Big Shield Gardna's shield was blown to bits, and he exploded into pixels.

"Your move, Yugi," he said with a grin.

Yugi drew.

_Well this will be ironic,_ he thought.

"I play Brain Control!" he shouted, fitting a card into a slot.

The huge brain appeared.

"And I'll use it to seize your Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

"Not so fast, Yugi!" laughed "Peter".

The skeletal clock appeared over the Archfiend's head.

"Don't you know what happens when Archfiends are targeted by card effects?" he said. "If this spinner lands on a one, three, or six, your Spell Card will fail!"

He laughed, as the bony pointer started to spin.

"Ugh…" moaned Mary.

"Come on…" begged Amber.

The spinner slowed as it approached the one…

Moved _past_ the one…

And landed on the two!

"A two?" shouted "Peter."

"Two bad," snarled Yugi, as the brain grabbed the Archfiend. "You may possess Peter's body, but you have none of his luck.

"Now I'll Tribute your Skull Archfiend of Lightning for my Summoned Skull!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning vanished, and his lesser form, which was almost his twin, appeared in his place. (2,500/1,200)

"Peter" snarled. "You threw away my Archfiend for his inferior version!"

"He was never 'your' Archfiend to begin with!" shouted Yugi. "Summoned Skull, attack Infernalqueen with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skull powered up a wave of lightning and shot it forth. Infernalqueen shrieked, and burst into flames.

"Very good Yugi," chuckled "Peter", but this is far from over… It's my draw…"

He drew.

"I set one card facedown, and I summon Desrook Archfiend in Defense Mode," he said.

His facedown card appeared, and then the blocky, tentacled demon appeared in a beam of light. (1,100/1,800)

"And I end my turn," he said.

"Fine," snarled Yugi, drawing.

_At least this won't lower his Life Points…_

"Summoned Skull," he shouted, "attack Desrook!"

Summoned Skull powered up again.

"I activate my Trap!" smiled "Peter". "Archfiend's Curse!"

"No!" gasped Yugi, as the Trap lifted.

"I just pay 1,000 of my Life Points…" said "Peter".

"His Life Points went down to 4,500.

"…and your Skull's Attack drops down to 1,250, too weak to pierce Desrook's Defense!"

The lightning bounced harmlessly off Desrook Archfiend, and Yugi's Life Points dropped to 4,550.

"The score is almost tied!" gasped Mary.

"Even worse," moaned Clive. "That creep is being too liberal with Life Points. It obviously doesn't care WHAT happens to Peter!"

"PETER!" he shouted. "I _know_ you're in there. Try to break free! You have to!"

"Quiet you!" shouted "Peter". "Peter is mine forever! Now where were we?"

"Make your move…" snarled Yugi.

"Ah yes," said "Peter", drawing. "Hmm."

He chose a card.

"I Tribute Desrook Archfiend for Mefist the Infernal General!" 

He switched cards. Desrook Archfiend vanished, and the fiendish General astride his demonic horse appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Attack that sorry excuse for a Fiend!" shouted "Peter". "Fiendish forward charge!"

Mefist charged forward and drove his lance deep into Summoned Skull's torso. The Fiend moaned and burst. Yugi's Life Points fell to 3,975.

"And now…" chuckled "Peter".

Mefist reached forward with his lance and speared one of the cards in Yugi's hand, throwing it into the discard pile.

"Hope that wasn't something you wanted, Yugi," he grinned.

Yugi sneered. He drew.

"I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the two twin elves leapt into view. (1,900/900)

"Attack Mefist!" he ordered. "Dual magic attack!"

The twins raised their arms and blasted forth their bolts. Mefist was thrown off his horse, and they both burst.

Peter's Life Points fell to 4,400.

"Lucky draw, Yugi," smiled "Peter", "but I will prevail…"

He drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he said with a smile, fitting the card into a slot.

They both drew until they each had six cards.

"Now, I'll summon Vilepawn Archfiend to the field in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the ground rumbled. The skeletal Archfiend with his slim sword and large claw appeared before him. (1,200/500)

"And now," laughed "Peter", "I play Falling Down!"

He fit the Spell Card into the slot, and Vilepawn leapt up. Gemini Elf screamed as he grabbed them and dragged them over to "Peter's" side.

"You're completely defenseless," chuckled "Peter". "And now that my Vilepawn has hold of your elves, they have to obey me. Gemini Elf, attack your master!"

Tears formed in the two elves eyes. They raised their hands and shot forth their spell, engulfing Yugi with energy!

Yugi cringed and fell to his knees. His Life Points fell to 2,075.

"That was a low blow!" shouted Mary. "Get out of there and fight like a man, you monster!"

"Peter" cruelly laughed. "It's your move, Yugi…"

Yugi drew, and Peter's Life Points fell to 3,600 due to the effects of Falling Down.

"PETER!" shouted Yugi. "I know you can hear me! Didn't you just see that? This creature is taking too many risks! You're not going to survive if this keeps up! For the love of all that's holy, try to fight back!"

"Peter" laughed again. "Hear that, Peter?" he chuckled. "He's telling you to fight back? Why don't you try?"

He paused.

"Can't, can you? Oh well… Better make your move, Yugi…"

Yugi slapped a card onto his Disk.

"I know the limitations of Peter's Falling Down card, you beast," he snarled. "It only continues to work so long as there's an Archfiend on your side of the field. So I summon Skilled White Magician in Attack Mode!"

The sorcerer of Light appeared, brandishing his shining staff.

"Skilled White Magician," yelled Yugi, "demolish the Vilepawn!"

The Spellcaster fired his bright spell, and Vilepawn let go of Gemini Elf; he moaned, cracks formed over him, and he shattered to pieces.

"And now I get my Monster back!" said Yugi.

Gemini Elf leapt back over to his side.

"Now, let's see if I can drive you out of Peter's body the _hard_ way!" sneered Yugi. "Gemini Elf…"

_Forgive me Peter…_

"…attack directly!"

Gemini Elf cast forth their spell, and it struck Peter! When the smoke cleared, steam was rising from him…

"Peter?" pleaded Clive.

"Please?" begged Mary.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled the thing in Peter's body. "Didn't hurt…"

His Life Points fell down to 1,700.

"No…" cried Amber.

_What else can I do?_ thought Yugi.

"Yugi?" said Yami. "I have something to tell you…"

"Is it good news?" asked Yugi.

"Afraid not," said Yami. "It's horrible news."

"What?" asked Yugi, fearfully.

"Yugi," said Yami, sadly, "I've tried every trick I know… but the thing inside Peter is just too strong. I can't get in, I can't force it out. I don't see any way to free him from it. And it gets even worse…"

"Worse?" asked Yugi. "How can this get worse?"

"Yugi, this Change of Heart demon is gnawing on Peter's soul, devouring him. Already, Peter is almost half gone! I predict that in another half-hour, there won't be enough of Peter left to save!

"Yugi, there's only one thing left to do, although I prayed it wouldn't have to come to this… we must win this duel."

"WHAT?" shouted Yugi. "But if he's defeated…"

"I know Yugi," sighed Yami. "But like I said, we have no options left. Death is better than oblivion…

"We can't save Peter's life now Yugi…

"But if we win the duel before it's too late, we can at least save his soul…"

Tears formed in Yugi's eyes. His fist clenched. Under his breath, he cursed Saurius.

He looked at the form of his friend, who was now possessed by a foul thing from Hades…

"I end my turn…" he said.


	49. Mind Haxorz

_**Throughout Duelist Labyrinth, throughout the City of Souls, and throughout Duelatopia up to this point, my own death has never been my greatest fear.**_

_**Not by a long shot.**_

_**Far more frightening over all these disasters was the possibility that a close friend of mine, who was dragged into this pretty much because they followed me, would perish.**_

_**Deep in my heart, I believed. I believed that we could succeed as a team, and that we'd all go home safely in the end…**_

_**But now…**_

_**Peter's soul is slowly being consumed by a demon that has possessed his body. Everything I've tried has failed to drive the foul thing out. Yami has tried all of his tricks as well, and now even he has given up. **_

_**And he believes there is only one option remaining. If I win this duel and deal a lethal blow, I can at least save Peter's soul from the horrible fate that he'd otherwise suffer. **_

_**I know it's the only way now… Even though I hate it… And I'll hate myself forever after.**_

_**I promise you Peter, you will be avenged…**_

_**And your memory will live with us forever…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Mind Haxorz**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Clive slowly assessed the situation.

Yugi had Skilled White Magician (1,700/1,900) and Gemini Elf (1,900/900) on the field, and 2,075 Life Points remaining.

Peter – or rather a demon who had usurped his body – had 1,700 Life Points remaining, and it was his turn.

"Ha, ha, ha!" gloated the fiend in Peter's body as he drew. "You'll never defeat me, Yugi! You're just too concerned about Peter getting hurt!"

"That's where you're wrong, you slut," said Yugi softly.

"Huh?" said the fiend.

"I won't let you turn Peter's soul into some sort of snack," snarled Yugi. "If I have to kill him to spare him that fate, I will do it, do you hear me?"

Clive and the others gasped.

"No…" gasped Clive, almost crying.

Jade put her hand on his shoulder.

"There, there, Clive," she said. "Peter may want it this way…"

"Touching," gloated "Peter", looking at the card, "but to that you have to win this duel, and I'm still willing to bet that I can beat you…"

Clive suddenly looked up. He felt under his shirt…

"So," said "Peter", "I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend to the field in Defense Mode…"

He set the card, and a column of foul water rose up on the field. When it subsided, the sinister bishop appeared grasping his skull-topped staff. (300/1,400)

"And I'll end by placing two cards facedown," he said, fitting two cards into slots.

They materialized behind Darkbishop.

"Do your worst."

"Peter, wait…" muttered Clive.

He stepped onto the platform.

"Clive, get away from there!" shouted Yugi.

"You heard him!" sneered "Peter". "You're in my personal space. Beat it!"

"Look," pleaded Clive. "I just want to make a peace offering… it's something I want Peter to have. At least let me do that, okay?"

"Well, I'm not heartless," snapped the demon, "so fine. But make it quick!"

Clive slowly lifted something off of his neck…

Yugi saw it clearly. It was Clive's half of the Griggle card, the one he and Peter had split.

"Here," he sighed. He put it around Peter's neck.

"Peter," sighed Clive, "if you can hear me, just remember that I was with you all the way. You have both halves now. Both parts of our friendship are with you…"

He turned and walked off the pedestal.

"Humph," sneered "Peter". "That almost made me want to throw up."

He turned to Yugi.

"Well, make your move!" he ordered.

As Yugi drew, an odd look came over "Peter's" face. He reached under his clothes and pulled out Peter's own half of the Griggle.

A fiendish smile came over his face. He put the two halves together. An aura of golden light surrounded the card, and it bonded back together.

"Heh," he chuckled. "Pathetic little toy."

Meanwhile Yugi looked at the card he had just drawn.

_Darkbishop Archfiend has a weak Defense, _he thought._ If I destroyed him with Skilled White Magician, an attack with Gemini Elf would win me the duel!_

"I'll also play two cards facedown," he said, putting them into slots.

The cards appeared.

"And also a Monster facedown in Defense," he said.

He set the card, and the facedown Monster appeared.

"Skilled White Magician, destroy his Darkbishop!"

The Magician took aim and fired his scepter!

"Sorry Yugi," laughed "Peter", "but I activate Waboku!"

His Trap lifted, and the three priestesses appeared to block the blast.

He chuckled, as sweat started to run down his face.

"Okay, fine," said Yugi. "I end my turn."

Sweat started to bead on Peter's face in earnest. He wiped his brow and then drew.

"Perfect!" he smiled. "I summon Terrorking Archfiend in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a bonfire erupted! The mighty king of the Archfiends arose! (2,000/1,500)

"And now," yelled "Peter", as his other Trap Card lifted, "I activate Fool's Mate! I'll bet you're sorry you won that card back for me now, Yugi!"

"It isn't your card…" sneered Yugi.

"Yak, yak, yak," mocked Peter, wiping his brow again. "Well now I'm using it! I may have to discard my hand and cut my Life Points in half…"

He discarded what was left of his hand, and his Life Points fell to 850.

"…but it's an even trade off! First I can use it to summon Shadowknight Archfiend and Archfiend Soldier!"

A gust of wind appeared on the field, and the armored, winged, clawed Fiend knight with his powerful sword appeared. (2,000/1,600)

Then another bonfire erupted, and the ram-horned Soldier with his dark cloak and jagged sword appeared. (1,900/1,500)

"Now, say goodbye to your facedown cards!" he laughed.

Yugi's Enchanted Javelin and Mirror Force lifted up, and shattered.

"Pathetic," laughed "Peter". "Shadowknight, destroy his facedown Monster!"

Shadowknight lifted his sword and flew forward…

The Morphing Jar appeared on the card and laughed before Shadowknight smashed it to pieces.

"Huh?" said "Peter".

"You know the rules," sneered Yugi.

"Well thanks!" laughed "Peter". "You just restored my hand!"

He drew five cards. Yugi discarded his hand and drew another five.

"Now, Terrorking," chuckled "Peter", "obliterate his Gemini Elf!"

Terrorking roared and flew forward. The two elves screamed and held each other before he struck, wiping them out.

"Archfiend Soldier, attack his Skilled White Magician!"

Archfiend Soldier leapt forth and brought his sword down on the mage. He burst into pixels of bright light.

Yugi's Life Points were now at 1,775.

"Poor… ugh…" he started.

He held his head, as if a headache were forming.

"Poor Yugi!" he continued. "All out of Monsters. Won't be long now… Ooh…"

He held his head again. Sweat poured down his face heavily.

"I uh…" he said. "I end my turn. Make your move…"

"Now what's Yugi going to do?" sobbed Clive. "What can he summon that can defeat those three Monsters?"

Mary sighed. "I don't think there's anything," she said. "His Brown Recluse could take out one of them, but then it would be easily destroyed by one of the others, and then…"

The four spectators held their heads.

Yugi drew.

He looked at the six cards in his hand.

He looked at Peter… And then looked at them again.

"Forgive me…" he whispered.

"Ugh… Well?" said the demon, wiping his brow again. "Are you going to move or aren't you?"

"I'll move!" said Yugi, with tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm playing Cost Down!"

He slammed the Spell Card into a slot.

"I'll discard this…" he said.

He discarded his Polymerization.

"…and summon Dark Magician Girl"

He threw the card down, and an aura appeared on the field. The beautiful Dark Magician Girl appeared in a sparkle of magic. (2,000/1,700)

"And now…" wept Yugi, taking another card from his hand.

"YUGI, WAIT!" shouted Yami's voice.

"What?" asked Yugi, stopping short.

"Yugi, look at Peter…" said Yami.

Yugi looked. Peter was breathing heavily, and he was soaked with sweat.

"Something is happening, Yugi," said Yami. "Something new has occurred."

"But what?" asked Yugi.

"I have an idea as to what," answered Yami, "but maybe we don't have to attack this round. We have a card in our hand that can delay it for at least one round…"

Yugi looked at his three remaining cards.

"Okay," he said.

"I'll place a card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

He set the card, and it appeared behind Dark Magician Girl.

"Peter" slowly drew.

"_That's_ your big plan?" he laughed. "Pathetic! All I have… to do… is order my Shadowknight to attack in a kamikaze strike!"

He coughed a nasty cough.

"And then a direct attack from either of my two other Monsters will finish you!"

He coughed again. He wiped sweat from his brow.

"Shadowknight Archfiend…" he ordered.

Shadowknight raised his sword…

"NO! Stop!" he shouted.

Clive looked up in surprise.

"That was Peter's real voice!" he exclaimed.

Peter strained.

"Stop it, you," he said in the fiendish voice. "Shadowknight, attack…"

"DON'T ATTACK!" he shouted in his true voice.

The four Archfiends on his side of the field looked completely confused.

Peter fell to his knees.

"NO!" he shouted. "LET GO OF ME! LET GO!"

"Peter!" yelled Clive. "Can you hear me? Speak to me!"

"Yami, what's happening?" gasped Yugi.

"It's only a theory," said Yami, "but I believe the secret lies in that Griggle card…

"Listen… Clive and Peter split that card to remind each other of their friendship – somehow, magical energy resulting from their bond enchanted the two halves of the card in some way…

"Clive just gave the card to Peter because he thought he was going to die… But Peter wasn't in control – that demon was. The demon made a big mistake by taking the card and putting it together!"

"I don't follow…" said Yugi.

"This demon is Change of Heart," explained Yami. "And she basically stole a Griggle from Peter. What happens when Change of Heart steals a Griggle?"

"The true owner gains 3,000 Life Points…" pondered Yugi.

"Right," said Yami. "And since Peter was the intended owner, and Change of Heart stole it, Peter's soul gained some of his drained life energy… apparently enough to fight back!"

"Peter!" shouted Clive. "Fight it! We believe in you!"

"AARRRGGHH!" shouted Peter.

He grabbed what was left of his deck with his right hand and tore it out of the Disk, spilling the cards all over the floor!

The two Disks shut down. The four Archfiends and Dark Magician Girl vanished.

"HA!" laughed Yugi, pointing to the mirror. "Peter has thrown away his deck! That constitutes a forfeit, Saurius!"

Saurius didn't respond…

And at that, Peter collapsed on the floor. Yugi and the others went up to him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his chamber, Saurius turned to Mordent with furious eyes.

"What… happened…" he hissed.

"I… I don't know!" cried Mordent. "But… the demon is still there! I can feel it!"

"If your creation doesn't reestablish control," threatened Saurius, "you'll be sorry you ever came to this plane."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep inside everyone's mind is the personal seat of the soul. The most private place a person can have. Each one is decorated according to the whims and personalities of the person in question.

Peter's soul chamber reflected his artistic view on life. It resembled a classy museum, full of replicas of his favorite works of art.

But this museum now had a thief in its midst, who was struggling with the curator…

"Let go…" yelled Peter. "LET GO!"

He wrenched himself free of the demon that had been holding him in a foul embrace. For the first time he got a good look at her. She had blonde hair, and a white gown with a pendant shaped like a black heart. She had two wings, one of them like a bat's, one of them like a dove.

"So," grinned Change of Heart. "You still have some fight in you. Not for long…"

She flew forward to regain her hold…

"Not this time!" shouted Peter.

He gestured, and a wall of fire appeared between them. The demon was thrown back.

"You can't win, Peter," she smiled. "I'll catch you eventually…"

Peter folded his arms, and a large missile launcher appeared behind him.

"And will that be before or after," he warned, "I've turned you into paste?"

The missiles blasted out of the launcher and honed in on Change of Heart. She shrieked, but it wasn't enough to do much damage.

_Peter has a creative mind, _she thought._ His mental defenses are strong…_

"Give it up!" she threatened. "I'm nearly invincible. And you can't keep throwing things at me forever!"

_She's right… _thought Peter._ I might tire long before she does…_

"Maybe we're at a stalemate…" he said. "But I've got a preposition for you…"

He gestured, and a Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

"What?" laughed Change of Heart. "You have the gall to challenge a Duel Monster to duel? You can't possibly defeat me!"

"If you win, I'll surrender," proposed Peter. "I win, and I'll decide your punishment…"

"I'd be an idiot _not_ to accept!" laughed Change of Heart. "I can duel fair and square…"

She gestured and a Duel Disk of her own appeared on her arm.

"Once I build a deck full of fresh cards," she said, as her deck started to form, "you won't stand a chance!"

She plugged the deck into her holder.

"There," she smiled. "Forty of the most evil cards in existence! Oh, but wait! I can't leave your pathetic friends out of this…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, in the material plane, Clive and Yugi were trying to revive Peter, while Mary, Jade, and Amber were picking up his cards.

Then Peter started to glow…

"What?" said Clive.

Energy flowed out of Peter's body, and the five of them screamed…

They collapsed to the ground, and six wisps of energy were drawn into Peter's body…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi came to on his feet, and the first thing he saw was Yami standing beside him.

"Yami…" he said, looking around. "Where are we? The Louve?"

"No, Yugi," said Yami, slowly. "From the looks of things, we seem to have entered Peter's soul chambers… And since he lacks the power to do that himself, the demon that possessed him must be responsible…"

"But why would it…" started Yugi.

"Yugi!" shouted Mary's voice behind them.

They turned around, and saw Mary, Clive, Jade, and Amber, who had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Where are…" started Mary. "Huh?"

"_Two_ Yugis?" gasped Clive.

"Uh, guys…" stammered Yugi. "This is… uhm, uh… this is hard to explain…"

Jade opened her eyes in surprise.

"You!" she exclaimed, looking at Yami. "After I was freed from Remi's control and I wanted to kill myself… You were one who came to talk me out of it! You are the one who is tied to the Puzzle!"

"It's a long story," sighed Yami, "but we don't have time for introductions. We have bigger problems…"

"Where are we?" asked Amber. "This place is amazing!"

"We're inside Peter," explained Yami. "And unless I miss my guess, he's in a lot of trouble. A struggle is about to take place, and we'd best find him…"

He turned to an archway.

"I think we'll find him in there."

They quickly walked into the main chamber, and saw the two figures facing each other.

The demoness glanced at them.

"Well," she smiled, "you're finally here!"

"Guys?" said Peter.

"Change of Heart?" gasped Clive. "You did this to Peter?"

"Uh huh," she said with an evil grin. "And once I finish him off, the rest of you will be trapped here! This will be a banquet!"

"Listen you winged freak," shouted Clive, "you mess with Peter, you mess with all of us!"

"Get out of here and stay out!" shouted Mary, rolling up her sleeves.

Jade drew her sword. "I'll give you one fair warning, you vile thing…" she said.

"No…" said Yami, holding his hand.

"What?" they all said.

"You cannot defeat this creature," said Yami. "None of us can. Peter is the lord of this domain, and only he is authorized to deal with intruders. Much as I hate to say it, all that we can do is watch."

He turned to Peter.

"Peter," he said, "this might be the most challenging fight of your life. Believe in yourself, and you can defeat her."

"Blah, blah, blah," mocked Change of Heart. "Let's get this started already."

"Fine!" said Peter. "It's time to duel!" 

Their Disks flipped into position, and the Life Point meters set to 8,000 apiece.

"I'll start this show if you don't mind," laughed Change of Heart, making her draws.

"So," she continued, picking a card, "you claim to like art, Peter? Well I'm fond of it too! And I'll prove it by summoning The Portrait's Secret, in Attack Mode!"

She placed a card down, and a large painting appeared in front of her. Then a ghastly face and clawed arms protruded from the painting! (1,200/1,300).

"Your move," she chuckled.

"You think I'm scared of that?" scowled Peter. "I've seen Picassos that were scarier!"

He drew.

"Here's an opening move you might recognize," he said. "I summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode!"

He placed the card down, and the demonic chef appeared, bearing his hook and cleaver.

(1,800/1,000)

"Bistro Butcher," ordered Peter, "dismantle her twisted mantelpiece!"

The Butcher charged forward and swung his cleaver. The ghostly form was shattered, and then the painting itself was smashed to bits.

Change of Heart's Life Points fell to 7,500.

"All right!" cheered Clive. "Way to put that bimbo in her place!"

"You may get first blood," laughed Change of Heart, "but due to your Butcher's effect, I get to draw two cards…"

She made her draws.

"And now that it's my turn again, I'll draw again…"

She drew.

"I'll place one card facedown…"

She fit the card in a slot, and it appeared in front of her.

"And then I'll summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams in Attack Mode!"

She put the card down, and a man sleeping in a bed appeared in front of her. Then a gaseous form floated out of the sleeping figure, forming into a demonic shape holding a nasty sword! (1,300/1,800)

"And it's your move again," she smiled.

Peter drew.

_Now that's an obvious Trap if I've ever seen one,_ he thought.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he said, placing the card into the slot.

The wicked jar appeared in front of him, and two cards popped out of the top. Peter made two more draws.

_Hey… _he thought._ The card I won from Orin!_

_I promised him I'd put this to good use, and now's the time!_

"I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon, to blow away your Trap!" he shouted, throwing another card into a slot.

A Mirror Force card lifted up, and shattered.

"So," he mocked, "trying to pull a Mirror Force on me, huh?"

"It was worth a shot," grumbled Change of Heart.

"Yeah?" smiled Peter. "Well now I'll play the Field Spell, Pandemonium!"

He fit a card into his own field slot, and the darkness vanished. Flames appeared around the room, and the artwork around him turned into sinister depictions of Fiends.

"Now, I summon the mighty Lobstrocity!" exclaimed Peter, placing a card down.

A wave of water erupted on the field, and the lobster-like, crustacean Fiend with his two mighty pincers leapt into view. (1,700/1,500) 

"Bistro Butcher," shouted Clive, "destroy her Ghost!"

The Bistro Butcher leapt forth, and swung his cleaver through The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams! It burst, and then the bed shattered into pixels!

Change of Heart's Life Points fell to 7,000.

"Well then," laughed Change of Heart. "Now I get to draw two more cards…"

She made two draws.

"Don't expect to keep all of them!" said Peter. "Lobstrocity, attack directly with crush claw!"

Lobstrocity flew forth, and grabbed Change of Heart around the waist with its pincer! She shrieked as it squeezed! Her Life Points fell to 5,300.

"And now, you lose a card from your hand," smiled Peter.

Lobstrocity snatched a card from her hand, and tossed it into the discard pile.

"Yes!" cheered Mary. "He's winning!"

"Don't celebrate yet," said Yami. "This seems a bit too easy…"

Change of Heart drew. She chuckled.

"I'll summon this Monster in Defense Mode," she smiled. "The dreaded Shapeshifter!"

She set a card down, and a strange Monster appeared. It looked like a black, amorphous head with purple eyes and "veins" all over its body, surrounded by purple flames. (1,500/1,500)

"What?" asked Peter. "What the heck is that?"

"You'll see soon enough," said Change of Heart. "But first, I'm Equipping it with this, something that dear old Persephone used…"

She fit a card into a slot.

"R.S.V.P.," she said. "Now you have to attack it with the Monster I tell you to, and I'm telling you to attack it with Lobstrocity!

"And I'm also placing this card facedown…"

She fit a card in into a slot, and it appeared.

"…and now it's your turn."

Peter drew.

"I have to attack it with Lobstrocity?" he said. "Fine…"

"Peter, wait!" shouted Clive. "Don't!"

"Lobstrocity, attack her Shapeshifter!" shouted Peter.

Lobstrocity charged forward and struck the creature with its claw. Shapeshifter burst into black goo!

"Your Shapeshifter just splattered!" smiled Peter.

"Has it?" giggled Change of Heart.

The black goo started to fly back together…

"Huh?" said Peter. "It's reforming?"

"Not only is it reforming," smiled Change of Heart, "it's coming back better!"

The goo formed into a Monster that had the same black color, the same purple veins and eyes, but it was shaped differently. It was now shaped just like Lobstrocity!

(1,700/1,500)

"Because you destroyed it with Lobstrocity," explained Change of Heart, "it comes back, having adapted Lobstrocity's Attack and Defense Scores, and its effects!"

"Yeah?" snarled Peter. "Well, I can finish it with my other Monster! Bistro Butcher, destroy it again!"

"Activate Waboku!" shouted Change of Heart, as her Trap Card lifted.

The Bistro Butcher was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Okay, fine," cursed Peter. "I end my turn."

Change of Heart chuckled as she drew.

"Now then," she said, "I'll shift Shapeshifter into Attack Mode…"

She turned the card, and Shapeshifter rose to attack position.

"And, since my Shapeshifter is still a Dark Monster, I'll Equip it with Sword of Dark Destruction!"

She fit a card into a slot, and a wicked sword appeared in the Fiend's claw. Its stats changed to (2,100/1,300)

"Shapeshifter," ordered Change of Heart, "turn that shellfish into bouillabaisse!"

Shapeshifter swung the sword, and chopped Lobstrocity in half! The two halves turned to water and splashed on the ground.

Peter's Life Points fell to 7,600.

_Sigh, _thought Peter._ Sorry, Orin…_

"And don't forget the effect…" chuckled Change of Heart.

Shapeshifter grabbed a card out of Peter's hand and threw it into his discard slot.

_Crud, _thought Peter._ So much for summoning Mazera DeVille now…_

"This is bad…" gasped Amber.

"Peter's beaten worse," muttered Clive.

Peter drew.

_Yes!_ he thought.

"I'll Tribute my Bistro Butcher…" he said.

He switched cards.

"…and summon Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

Lightning erupted around The Bistro Butcher, and he was consumed! The fierce, bony demon arose, with electricity flashing from his hide! (2,500/1,200)

"Yes!" shouted Clive. "Take out that thing!"

"Skull Archfiend of Lightning," shouted Peter, "attack Shapeshifter with Archfiend lightning!"

A fierce storm erupted, and the Archfiend blasted forth his lightning bolts! Shapeshifter moaned, and exploded into black residue!

Change of Heart's Life Points fell to 4,900…

But she seemed to be happy.

"Thank you, Peter," she said. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do. All this time, I've been leading you like a lamb to the slaughter!"

"Just make your move!" said Peter.

"Oh, I will," she said, drawing. "You see, the Monster I'm about to summon can only be summoned by removing three Fiends in my Graveyard from play… and you so generously sent three of them there!

"So, I'll remove The Portrait's Secret, The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, and Shapeshifter from play, to bring forth an evil force unlike any you've ever seen!"

She threw a card on her Disk, and a black flame erupted in front of her…

"I summon the dreaded DARK NECROFEAR!" she exclaimed.

A spooky shape took form in the flame. It was a vaguely female form, with blue skin, pointed ears, and a bald head. Her hands had long fingernails with sharp points. She wore an iron brassiere and a kilt. (2,200/2,800)

"Yeek!" gasped Amber. "That Monster is creepy!"

"Yes," said Jade. "This creature must have a powerful effect considering the conditions linked to summoning her…"

"Yugi," warned Yami. "There's something very familiar about this Dark Necrofear…"

"I think I've heard of her too," agreed Yugi. "But from where?"

"It's your move, Peter," smiled Change of Heart with an evil smile.

Peter drew.

"You must not be able to do math well, Change of Heart," he said. "My Skull Archfiend of Lightning is three-hundred Attack Points stronger than that thing."

"Attack Points aren't everything," smiled Change of Heart.

"We'll see about that," said Peter. "Skull Archfiend of Lightning, obliterate her Dark Necrofear!"

"Peter, wait!" shouted Yami.

Skull Archfiend of Lightning powered up his storm, and shot the energy forward! Dark Necrofear screamed, and was blown to pieces.

Change of Heart smiled as her Life Points fell to 4,600.

"That was exactly what I wanted you to do, Peter," she chuckled. "Now we'll see whose luck is better…"

"What do you…" started Peter.

And then he noticed that the Bone Roulette appeared over Skull Archfiend's head.

"What?" gasped Peter. "That means my Archfiend is being targeted by a card effect! But from where?"

"You'll see…" smiled Change of Heart.

The Bone Roulette started to spin, as Peter started to sweat.

"Come on," muttered Clive.

"Don't let him down," moaned Mary.

The pointer slowed… and landed on the four!

"No!" gasped Yugi. "That means he loses!"

"Indeed," said Change of Heart.

Then, Skull Archfiend of Lightning lifted his wings, and flew over to Change of Heart's side!

"Wha!" gasped Peter.

Then he noticed that Skull Archfiend of Lightning's eyes were the creepy feminine ones of Dark Necrofear.

"Dark Necrofear's evil is not so easily vanquished," explained Change of Heart. "When she is destroyed, her ghost possesses one Monster on the field and brings it under my control!"

She laughed.

"I'd summon a Monster now if I were you…"

Peter looked at his hand.

"I don't have any!" he shuddered.

"Then it's my move," she said, drawing.

"I'll summon Kuriboh, in Defense Mode," she said.

She put a card down, and the small, furry Fiend appeared, giving a squeak. (300/200)

"And now my slave," laughed Change of Heart, "attack your former master directly!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning howled, and the lightning storm once again erupted. He shot forth his storm, and Peter screamed as it struck him!

His Life Points fell to 5,100.

"No!" moaned Clive. "What's he gonna do?"

"He'll think of something," said Yami. "I believe in him…"

"Make your move, Peter," laughed Change of Heart.

Peter drew. He looked at Infernalqueen Archfiend.

_She wouldn't stand a chance against my Skull,_ he thought.

_Wait a minute, _he thought, looking at his hand of cards_. I remember something about Dark Necrofear…_

_Before Remi summoned his Castle last year, I saw a Dark Necrofear card at a vendor's booth at the convention. A merchant offered to sell it to me, so I looked at it. I was tempted, but the thought of removing three of my Monsters from play struck me the wrong way…_

_But if I can remember just how that Monster worked…_

_Oh yeah… the answer is right in front of me!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'll place this card facedown," he said, putting a card into a slot.

The facedown card materialized.

"And I'll summon Infernalqueen Archfiend in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and a bonfire erupted on his side of the field. The fiendish queen appeared in the flames, and covered herself with her wings. (900/1,500)

"Now," said Peter, "I'll play my Archfiend's Favor card!"

He plugged the card into the slot, and energy flowed into him from Infernalqueen Archfiend, Skull Archfiend of Lightning, and Kuriboh.

"With three Fiends on the field, I gain 1,500 Life Points!" he exclaimed.

His Life Point went up to 6,600.

"Think that will save you?" laughed Change of Heart.

"I do," said Peter. "It's your move."

"Then I draw!" laughed Change of Heart.

"And I activate… Dust Tornado!" shouted Peter.

His Trap Card lifted, and a tornado surrounded Skull Archfiend of Lightning.

"Ghost of Dark Necrofear, be gone!" yelled Peter.

An image of Dark Necrofear appeared, and then screamed, and then burst!

Skull Archfiend of Lightning flew back to Peter's side.

"How did you know that would work?" demanded Change of Heart.

"He did his homework," said Yami. "He knew that when Dark Necrofear is destroyed, her card turns into an Equip Spell Card. So at that point, she can be destroyed by any method that destroys a Spell Card, like Dust Tornado!"

Change of Heart sneered.

"Yes!" cheered Clive. "Go Peter!"

"I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn," said Change of Heart.

She put the card down, and the hidden Monster appeared.

"My move," scowled Peter, drawing.

"I'll shift Infernalqueen into Attack Mode, and use her effect on herself."

Infernalqueen rose up to attack, and was shrouded in flames. She cackled, and her Attack went up to 1,900.

"Infernalqueen, destroy her Kuriboh with cross-the-board capture!"

Infernalqueen rushed forward leaving a trail of fire, and incinerated the little Fiend!

"Now, Skull Archfiend of Lightning, destroy her facedown mystery Monster!"

The Skull Archfiend shot forth his lightning bolt, and a strange Monster appeared on the card. It was a reptilian humanoid, with green scales, and horns on its head and every joint. It cringed as it was blown away.

"Thanks again, Peter," smiled Change of Heart. "You just destroyed my Des Feral Imp! And when it's flipped, I get to take any card from my Graveyard, add it to my deck, and reshuffle!"

A card flipped out of her discard pile.

"And I'm choosing the card you made me discard with Lobstrocity!" she laughed, putting it into her deck.

The Disk reshuffled her deck.

"Fine," said Peter. "It's your move…"

The demoness drew.

"Heh, heh, heh," she chuckled.

"Recognize this card, Peter?" she said, holding it up.

"The Bistro Butcher?" asked Peter.

"Uh huh," said Change of Heart, "but I have a better way to use it."

She fit a Spell Card into a slot.

"I'm using Polymerization to fuse The Bistro Butcher with my Succubus Knight!"

The Bistro Butcher appeared on her side of the field, followed by an evil-looking woman with six arms in a red dress. A vortex appeared behind them, and they were sucked into it.

"Together," laughed Change of Heart, "they form a creature taken straight out of urban legends… _**Bloody Mary**_!

A hideous Monster appeared on her side of the field. On the surface, it looked like a tall, teenage girl in a lavish prom dress. But the dress was torn and caked with blood, as was her hair. She carried a large axe, which was also stained with blood. She grinned an evil grin. (2,900/1,900)

Mary gasped.

"That's the Monster that that mad scientist Jezebel used against me in New York!" she shrieked.

"That's impressive," smiled Peter. "But it won't work. Your Fusion Monster can't attack this round, and on my turn, Infernalqueen will increase Skull Archfiend of Lightning's attack to 3,500, more than enough to take her down!"

"Oh?" laughed Change of Heart, choosing another card. "I play the Spell Card Quick Attack!"

She threw it into the slot.

"You _can_ attack this round!" gasped Peter.

"Exactly!" smiled Change of Heart. "Bloody Mary, attack Infernalqueen Archfiend with maniacal axe attack!"

Bloody Mary cackled with glee and charged forward, striking Infernalqueen in the skull with her weapon! Infernalqueen groaned, and vanished in a burst of fire. Peter's Life Points went down to 5,600.

"And, since summoning Bloody Mary was a special summon," continued Change of Heart, "I'll also summon a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, ending my turn."

She placed a card down, and another hidden Monster appeared.

"Hang on Peter," urged Amber. "You can still beat her!"

Peter drew.

"I'll simply shift Skull Archfiend of Lightning to Defense Mode," he said.

Skull Archfiend of Lightning knelt and folded his wings.

Change of Heart drew.

"Ah, perfect," she smiled. "I'll summon Wall of Illusion, in Defense Mode!"

She placed a card down, and a strange Monster materialized. It looked like a wall made of a thin membrane, with an evil woman's head in the center. (1,000/1,850)

Change of Heart chuckled. "Even if you summoned a Monster that could defeat this creature's Defense, any Monster that strikes Wall of Illusion is returned to the owner's hand!

"And now, Bloody Mary, destroy his Skull!"

Bloody Mary laughed in delight; she ran up and buried her axe in the bony demon's skull and he slumped to the ground before vanishing.

"Heh, heh," laughed Change of Heart. "Your move!"

Peter drew.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he said, plugging the card into the slot.

The graceful angel flew into his deck, and he made three draws.

_Perfect, _he thought._ I'll just get rid of these…_

He discarded Warrior of Zera and Archfiend's Roar.

"I'll place one card facedown," he said, setting a card into a slot.

"And I'll summon Archfiend Soldier in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the demonic general appeared, kneeling on his sword. (1,900/1,500)

"That will end my turn," he said.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Change of Heart, drawing. "You think that will help you? Bloody Mary, destroy his Soldier!"

Bloody Mary cackled and leapt forward…

"Hold on, babe," laughed Peter, "did you forget I had THIS?"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Archfiend's Curse!" gasped Change of Heart.

"I may have to spend some Life Points…" said Peter.

His Life Points fell to 4,600.

"…but Bloody Mary's Attack drops to 1,450, which is just weak enough for my Archfiend's Defense to repel!"

Archfiend Soldier leveled a punch at Bloody Mary's face, and she shrieked. She backed up, holding her eye. Change of Heart's Life Points dropped slightly, to 6,050.

"Be careful, Peter!" warned Yami. "She's still in the lead!"

"Make your move," snarled the demoness.

Peter drew.

"I'll summon Terrorking Archfiend in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and a roar echoed over the field. The huge king of the Archfiends appeared in an aura of black flames! (2,000/1,500)

"And I'll switch Archfiend Soldier into Attack Mode as well," he continued.

Archfiend Soldier stood up, and lifted his sword.

"Now, Terrorking, destroy Bloody Mary!" he yelled. "Charging checkmate attack!"

Terrorking flew forward and punched Bloody Mary! She screamed and was blasted out of existence.

Change of Heart's Life Points fell to 5,500.

"Now, Archfiend Soldier, attack her facedown Monster!"

Archfiend Soldier charged forward…

And Witch of the Black Forest appeared on the card.

"No!" shouted Mary, as the Soldier cut her down.

"You're too gullible, Peter," laughed Change of Heart.

A card slid out of her deck, and she took it.

"I'll use the Witch's effect to retrieve the Monster I put in there with Des Feral Imp, a very evil creature of great power! And you'll see it soon…"

"Yeah, yeah," sighed Peter. "I end my turn."

She drew.

_Perfect, _she thought. _Nobleman of Crossout! Now I have just what I need for the perfect combo!_

"I'll Tribute my Wall of Illusion for a creature who'll scare you silly!" she laughed.

Wall of Illusion vanished.

"I summon the mighty _**Inferno Hammer**_!"

A frightening form arose out of a dark shadow. It looked like a hulking form made of red, ropy muscles. In its belly was a glowing green stone. Its head was a bare skull. In its hands, it held a huge, stone hammer. Its empty eyes glared at Peter. (2,400/0)

"What is THAT?" gasped Mary.

"It does not look good," said Jade.

"Inferno Hammer," commanded Change of Heart, "demolish Archfiend Soldier with malicious maul!"

The immense creature moaned, and lumbered forward, smashing Archfiend Soldier flat with his huge hammer!

Peter's Life Points fell to 4,100.

"And wait until you see Inferno Hammer's special effect!" laughed Change of Heart. "When it destroys one Monster, it can force another one into facedown Defense Mode!"

Inferno Hammer pointed its weapon at Terrorking, and the stone in its belly glowed brightly…

"For someone who once was reading my memory," snarled Peter, you sure have a poor one yourself…"

The Bone Roulette appeared over Terrorking's head.

"Didn't you remember that the major Archfiends can nullify card effects?" asked Peter.

"Oh, no…" gasped Change of Heart.

The Bone Roulette started to spin.

"Come on…" urged Clive.

"Don't let him down this time," pleaded Mary.

The Roulette spinner slowed…

And landed on a five!

"Yes!" cheered Clive.

"That means Terrorking wins!" shouted Peter. "And your Inferno Hammer… loses."

Terrorking pointed at Inferno Hammer, and a beam of energy blaster from his hand. Inferno Hammer groaned, and then he exploded!

Change of Heart's Life Points fell to 4,900.

"ARGH!" shouted Change of Heart.

"Bet that _really _ruined your plans, huh?" mocked Clive.

"Talk about stupid," said Yami, shaking his head. "If you had any sense, you would have attacked Terrorking with Inferno Hammer. If you had, Archfiend Soldier would have had no ability to resist the effect."

"You be quiet!" snarled Change of Heart.

"Any other dumb move you'd like to make?" asked Peter.

"Just move!" shouted Change of Heart.

"Gladly," said Peter, drawing.

"I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed.

He placed a card down, and the foul wave of water appeared, bringing with it the fiendish bishop. (300/1,400)

"Now, Terrorking," ordered Peter, "attack her Life Points directly!"

Terrorking Archfiend roared, and charged at Change of Heart, socking her in the face! She tumbled over and fell on her rump. Her Life Points fell to 2,900.

"Yes!" cheered Clive.

"Go Peter!" shouted Mary.

"Good going, Peter," complimented Yami. "Just don't get cocky…"

"Make your move, gorgeous," said Peter, sarcastically.

Change of Heart looked at her hand.

_I have a card that can ruin Peter, _she said,_ but I need the right card to use it…_

She drew.

"Well," she said, "I'll play my own Pot of Greed, to refresh my hand…"

She plugged the card into the slot, and the green jar appeared before her. Two cards flew out.

She made two draws.

"Heh, heh," she laughed. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

"Think she got a good card…" moaned Amber.

"_Two_ good cards, actually," smiled Change of Heart. "I'll first play a Spell Card… the mighty Hammer Shot!"

"Oh no," gasped Yami. "That destroys the Monster on the field with the highest Attack Score!"

"You're so right!" she said, plugging it into the slot. "So say goodbye to Terrorking Archfiend!"

A huge hammer slammed down upon Terrorking Archfiend, flattening him!

Peter sneered, as his Life Points fell down to 3,600.

"Now," said Change of Heart, "I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back my Kuriboh…"

She fit the card into the slot, and the tiny, furry Fiend reappeared. (300/200)

"Huh?" said Peter.

"And now," continued Change of Heart, "I'll Tribute my Kuriboh to summon the dreaded _Puppet Master_!"

Kuriboh vanished, and a cackling laughter echoed over the field. A hideous clown dressed in red, with a sunken, skull-like face appeared, hovering over Change of Heart's side of the field. (00/00)

"What good will _that_ do you?" asked Peter, although he knew that this thing had to be quite deadly if it had no Attack and Defense points and required a Tribute.

"Simple," said Change of Heart. "So long as I summon Puppet Master in Attack Mode and pay 1,000 Life Points when I do…"

Her Life Points fell to 1,900.

"…I can resurrect _three_ Monsters from my Graveyard!"

Puppet Master waved his hands, and three strings dropped from his fingers into the ground. The ground opened, and three forms rose up: Bloody Mary (2,900/1,900), Inferno Hammer (2,400/0), and Dark Necrofear (2,200/2,800)

The four Fiends glared at Peter with evil eyes. Peter gulped…

"But if it's any consolation to you," smiled Change of Heart, "I can't attack with any of them this round. So you have one round to live. I end my turn."

"No…" moaned Mary, almost crying. "He's gonna lose…"

"Yugi…" gasped Clive. "I mean Yugis… What can Peter do?"

"Have faith everyone," said Yami. "So long as Peter doesn't panic, he can still defeat this creature…"

Peter looked at his hand and noticed a Spell Card.

_I could win with this, _he thought,_ but I don't meet the requirements to use it right now! My next draw had best be my best ever…_

His hand shook as he drew.

"I'll place a card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

Change of Heart chuckled as she drew.

"Well, lucky me," she smiled. "I'll Tribute my Puppet Master to summon the dreaded Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

A haunting laughter was heard, as Puppet Master vanished and a huge shape arose. It was a hulking fiend in royal robes with a skull-like design on the front and a horned helmet. He clutched a golden wine goblet in his claw. (2,450/1,600)

"Now then," smiled Change of Heart. "Who to use first? Well, on the off chance that your facedown card is Sakuretsu Armor… Dark Necrofear, attack his Darkbishop with doom gaze!"

Dark Necrofear's eyes opened wide, and she shot a beam of blackness at the Archfiend…

"I can't watch…" moaned Clive.

A huge explosion ensued at the point of impact…

And when the smoke cleared, Peter's Trap Card had lifted, and the three Waboku were standing in front of Darkbishop.

"Humph," said Change of Heart. "A desperate move if I've ever seen one. So what now, Peter? You've managed to last one more round, but next round, my army of Fiends will destroy you!"

"We'll see," snarled Peter.

_Come on deck, _he thought, reaching for it_. I need you now…_

He whipped out a card.

"I play Falling Down!" he shouted, throwing it into a slot.

Darkbishop raised his staff, and it glowed.

"And I'll use it to take control of your Dark Necrofear!"

Dark Necrofear's eyes glazed over, and she walked over to Peter's side.

"How does it feel, Change of Heart?" asked Peter. "To have the power of brainwashing used against you for a change?"

"Heh, heh," laughed Change of Heart. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! So take Dark Necrofear, you fool! She's the weakest of my Monsters!"

"Attack Points aren't everything, as you once said," scowled Peter. "I'm not going to keep Dark Necrofear…"

He slid another Spell Card into his Disk.

"I'm going to play this Ritual Card… Contract With The Dark Master! For this Ritual, I need to sacrifice eight level stars worth of Monsters, and since Dark Necrofear is an eighth-level Monster, she's all I need!"

A swarm of dark ribbons rose up from the floor and started to entwine Dark Necrofear, slowly wrapping her up. After about a minute, she was bound in a tight cocoon.

"I'm using this card to summon a Fiend more powerful than any you'll ever summon…"

The cocoon burst.

"Meet **Dark Master Zorc**!" he exclaimed.

A huge creature walked forth, resembling a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie with huge claws, red wings, and wiry hair. His eyes glowed, and he howled in bloodlust. (2,700/1,500)

"Well, a lot of good that will do you," chuckled Change of Heart. "Bloody Mary will destroy him!"

"Search your mind, idiot," snarled Peter, "and you might find out this guy's effect from my memories! I'm going to activate it right now!"

A huge grandfather clock emerged from the ground behind Peter. It had fiendish gargoyles surrounding it, and a face with six numbers. The pointer was sharp as a dagger.

"What's going on?" gasped Change of Heart.

"I'll tell you," smiled Peter. "The Demon Roulette is going to go for a spin. If it lands on a one or a two, all of your Monsters will be wiped out. Three, four, or five, and I can destroy one Monster. A six, and both of my Monsters will be destroyed, and you'll win.

"So, feeling lucky?"

Change of Heart started to perspire.

"Demon Roulette, spin now!" shouted Peter.

The pointer on the clock started to spin…

"Come on Zorc…" pleaded Clive.

"Don't let Peter down…" begged Mary.

Everyone's heart nearly stopped as the pointer slowed as it approached the six…

Went _past_ the six…

And stopped on the one! The clock let out a chilling chime!

"Yes!" shouted Clive.

"NOOOO!" shouted Change of Heart.

"Dark Master Zorc," yelled Peter, "obliterate her nightmares!"

Zorc let loose a beam of dark energy! Inferno Hammer, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Bloody Mary screamed, and burst into fragments!

Change of Heart's Life Points fell down to a mere 213.

"And now," yelled Peter, "Dark Master Zorc, attack her directly with unholy blight!"

Zorc blasted forth his beam again, and it struck Change of Heart, throwing her against the wall, and tearing her robe to shreds!

Peter's friends cheered.

"How… how could I have lost…" she moaned.

"Prepare to lose a lot more, demon," said Peter, reaching for the cards in his deck and his discard pile. "We had a deal. We agreed that if you lost, I'd decide your punishment. You wanted to turn me and my friends into lunch… so turnabout is fair play…"

He threw five cards down on his Disk…

Terrorking Archfiend, Infernalqueen Archfiend, Shadowknight Archfiend, Desrook Archfiend, and Darkbishop Archfiend appeared.

"Get her," snarled Peter.

The five Archfiends flew at Change of Heart and the demoness screamed. Everyone except Peter, Yami, and Jade looked away as she was torn apart…

And then, for everyone except Peter, the world went dark.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They woke up. They were back in the crystal chamber where Yugi had dueled Peter.

"Peter?" asked Clive.

Peter slowly sat up.

"I'm okay…" he said slowly. "She's gone."

"Thank goodness!" yelled Mary, hugging him.

"Here's the rest of your deck back, Peter," said Amber. "We picked it up carefully…"

"Thanks," he said, starting to reconstruct his physical deck.

He looked at the Griggle around his neck, which had split into two pieces again.

"Thank goodness for this thing," he sighed. "That creature would have finished you Yugi!"

"No Peter," sighed Yugi. "If you hadn't broken free of Change of Heart when you did, you'd have died for sure…"

"Huh?" asked Peter. "But she had you dead to rights…"

"If you recall, Peter," explained Yugi. "Your side had Shadowknight Archfiend, Terrorking Archfiend, and Archfiend Soldier, and no facedown cards… you had 850 Life Points left. I had Dark Magician Girl, and one facedown card. I had 1,775 left. She was planning to wipe out my Dark Magician Girl in a suicide attack and finish me with a direct attack. But that wouldn't have happened…"

He withdrew a card from his Disk.

"This was my facedown card."

He held it up. It was Negate Attack.

"Her attack would have failed," continued Yugi, picking two cards off the ground, "and I had these two cards in my hand, which I would have played on my next turn…"

He held up Sage's Stone and Dedication Through Light And Darkness.

"I would have used Sage's Stone to summon Dark Magician, and then used Dedication Through Light And Darkness to swap him for Dark Magician of Chaos, who had 2,800 Attack points. Your Archfiend Soldier only has 1,900 Attack points. I would have attacked, and then…"

Peter shivered.

"Well, she's gone now," he sighed. "And nothing can stop us from this point!"

An opening appeared in the far side of the wall.

"Come on people!" yelled Peter. "Let's rescue Siegfried!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his dark chamber, Saurius held Mordent by the neck.

"You have failed me again, Mordent…" he sneered.

"Master, please!" gasped Mordent. "Give me another chance!"

"Hmm," muttered Saurius, thinking about it.

"No," he said, breaking the henchman's neck.

"I guess you really aren't a people-person, horn-head," laughed Siegfried.

"You've insulted me for too long, mortal," said Saurius. "Sleeeeeep…"

He waved his hand, and Siegfried fell into a deep slumber.

"Silence at last," said Saurius. "Yugi will be here soon. Best prepare…"

He walked over to a large briefcase…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Bastion of the Hopeful, Dane shook Anastasia gently.

"Wake up child, wake up," he urged.

Anastasia's eyes opened a little.

"Peter…" she whimpered. "Is he…"

"He did it," assured Dane. "He and Yugi triumphed."

Anastasia sat up.

"I should be happy," she moaned, picking up her cards. "But now Yugi has to face something even worse…"

She dropped the cards.

"And I don't even have enough energy to manifest a Kuriboh. I can't help him any more… If only I was better at this…"

She closed her eyes again.

Oh, said Dane. She's right. Yugi is going to struggle in the next conflict, and he needs all the help he can get! I've got to do something!

He rubbed his chin. A look came over his face.

Oh, I don't believe I'm doing this! I'm going to get in so much trouble…

A cup filled with golden liquid appeared in his hand. He put it to Anastasia's lips.

"Here child," he said, "drink."

The liquid drained down her throat.

Anastasia's eyes flicked open.

"Dane!" she exclaimed, getting up._ "Delicious! _What was that stuff? I haven't felt this… this full of energy since… I _never_ have!"

"It was ambrosia, child," exclaimed Dane. "The distilled joy of the souls of Heaven. Angels live on it… Souls who reside in the Bastion aren't supposed to even have a taste of it…"

"Why…" asked Anastasia. "Why did you give it to me?"

"I wasn't supposed to!" said Dane. "I'll get in trouble if anyone finds out. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Yugi needs you!"

He picked a card up off the ground.

"Now take this, and give him the best message yet!"

Anastasia took the card and concentrated…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi and his friends were running down a dark hallway.

"We're getting close," urged Yugi. "I can feel it!"

Then a beam of light struck down in front of them. They stopped short.

Heavenly music started to play. Another card appeared in front of them…

"Look," said Mary, "it's happening again…"

A huge, beautiful form materialized before them. She was dressed in a silvery gown and had beautiful feathered wings. She opened her big green eyes and looked at them. They all gasped.

"Guardian Angel Joan!" gasped Yugi.

"Yugi," proclaimed the powerful Fairy. "You and your friends have survived every challenge so far in these forsaken tunnels, and now you must weather one more challenge if Siegfried is to be saved.

"Remember this: Siegfried gave you to me not only because you saved his life once, but because he respected you as a duelist and a friend. I will be with you the whole way in this next trial. Do not lose sight of the lesson you were taught since day one: have faith in yourself and your deck, and you will triumph in this den of vile darkness."

"I won't fail him," assured Yugi.

"I hope that you will not fail yourself," answered Joan. "Myself and all your other Monsters will stand behind you. Believe, and the Heart of the Cards will guide you.

"Farwell, and good luck…"

She vanished in a twinkling of light.

"Well, I'm inspired," smiled Clive.

"Let's go," said Yugi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius was standing before the unconscious Siegfried.

"So," he said slapping him. "Not able to insult me now, are you? Not able to make any more wisecracks, are you…"

He reached up with a long claw.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" shouted Mary's voice.

The six Defenders charged into the chamber.

"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" snarled Clive.

Saurius reared up.

"That certainly would not be _you_ Clifford!" he laughed.

"Release Siegfried, NOW, Saurius," demanded Yugi, "or so help me…"

"Yugi, you are so impulsive," smiled Saurius. "This is my lair, and _I'm _the only one who makes demands here…"

Siegfried started to wake up…

"Yugi…" he moaned.

Saurius raised his hand, and it and Siegfried glowed with green light! Siegfried screamed, and he fell out of his shackles.

He went limp.

"What did you do to him?" shouted Yugi.

"A little trick," said Saurius.

He held up his hand, and a white globe appeared in it.

"I have Siegfried's soul here in the palm of my hand, Yugi, and unless you want me to scatter it to the four winds, you'll do as I say…"

"Saurius, you rotten…" snarled Yugi.

"Don't insult me," ordered Saurius. "You're going to have to wager your own soul in another duel, Yugi. Win, and I'll give this back to Siegfried. Lose, and I claim yours as well."

Yugi's eyes narrowed.

"Fine," he scowled. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Oh, I won't be dueling you," said Saurius. "I have someone else in mind."

"Coward!" shouted Jade. "You are afraid to face Yugi directly!"

"We'll see about that," said Saurius.

He placed a large steel briefcase in front of him.

"What?" exclaimed Yugi. "Another memory imp?"

"Yes!" smiled Saurius. "And I promise you, this one will be a hundred times more deadly than that one that Mordent brought you.

"Prepare for one of the deadliest duels you ever faced!"

The briefcase started to wobble…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHAPESHIFTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description: **When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it during your next Standby Phase. Its ATK, DEF, and effect becomes that of the Monster that destroyed it. This effect can only be used once.


	50. Spirit's Invitation

_**My friends and I have confronted the lion in his den.**_

_**And the lion's den is where the lion is the most powerful.**_

_**Saurius has ripped Siegfried's soul from his body, and has threatened to obliterate it – my only chance to save it is to wager my own in another duel.**_

_**But Saurius is too much of a coward to face me on his own. He's put before me another memory imp, and if I have any hope of rescuing Siegfried and ending this nightmare, I have to defeat it. **_

_**Who will it be? Marik? Remi? Siegfried's uncle? It's bound to be someone far more deadly than Rebecca Hawkins this time…**_

_**But I must prevail. Good must conquer evil.**_

_**I won't fail you Siegfried…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Spirit's Invitation**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

On the streets of Duelatopia, a clock stuck exactly midnight. Twelve hours had past since the infernal army had made its offensive.

Storm clouds continued to thunder over the city. Most of the guests of the tournament shivered with fright in their hotel rooms. Only a few hardy – or foolhardy – souls dared to venture onto the streets.

They didn't know it, but brave heroes were trying their hardest to stem the dark tide that plagued the city.

One set of heroes was working above ground, trying to fight off Saurius's henchmen and undo the damage he had already done.

And another set of heroes was in the beast's lair, with the intent of rescuing the ruler of the island.

Both tasks were far from easy…

Yugi stood firm, as the briefcase in front of him started to shake. Saurius folded his hands and ginned, as the comatose form of Siegfried lay slumped beside him. He grasped the globe that held Siegfried's soul in his right hand.

"Who do you think it could be this time?" wondered Peter.

"My bet is on Marik," shuddered Mary, in fear. "Do you think the imp is powerful enough to duplicate one of the God Cards?"

"That is impossible," said Jade. "No one could have the power to imitate such an artifact."

"Maybe Bakura," shivered Clive. "That nasty evil spirit gave Yugi's dad a whole lot of trouble… Not to mention the trouble he gave us…"

The clasps on the briefcase popped open…

"We'll find out in a second!" gasped Peter.

A blue cloud floated out of the chest, one that looked full of… ones and zeroes.

"Behold!" proclaimed Saurius, as the cloud started to take form.

A high-pitched chuckle echoed over the chamber, as a small shape began to form out of the binary symbols…

The form looked up, and its eyes glowed red for a moment.

"Huh?" said Peter, surprised.

The figure before Yugi was a young boy, who looked no older than ten years old. He had dyed, light green hair, and was dressed neatly in a white schoolboy uniform, the kind that rich boys often wore.

"Hello Yugi," he smiled. "Remember me?"

"Oh… my… God…" gasped Yugi, shivering.

He paused.

"_Noah?"_

"Yug', what is this?" frowned Clive, sounding doubtful. "This is just another kid!"

"Appearances can deceive Clive," moaned Yugi. "This is a thousand times more dangerous than Rebecca ever was!"

"I see your dad told you about me," grinned the imp. "I am glad to be remembered…"

"Who the heck is this kid, Yugi?" questioned Amber.

Yugi sighed. "Remember when we were talking about that virtual world that my parents and Mary's father were trapped in? This 'kid' was responsible…"

"Yes," smiled the imp. "Why don't you tell them? I've got nowhere to go…"

Yugi cringed.

"Seto Kaiba and his brother Mokuba were adopted by a billionaire tycoon named Gozaburo Kaiba when Seto was ten," explained Yugi. "Gozaburo was a cruel slavedriver who demanded perfection, and worked Seto's fingers to the bone – until Seto managed to overthrow him and take over KaibaCorp from him…

"But Seto didn't know that Gozaburo had a true son named Noah, a spoiled rotten kid who had been given everything; that was the primary reason Gozaburo was so tough with Seto.

"Before Seto was adopted, Noah's body was killed when he was run over by a truck. The only way to save his son was to download his mind into a supercomputer – an isolated prison where Gozaburo eventually neglected him.

"Noah gradually became more powerful, able to manipulate cyberspace with godlike power, and six years after that, he teamed up with the Big Five, and imprisoned Seto, my parents, Mary's father, and their friends in his virtual world, in a mad attempt to prove to his father that he was better than Seto was. My father defeated him, and with some help from Mokuba, Noah had a change of heart. He helped them escape, but it cost him his life…"

"So sad," sighed "Noah". "But now I do whatever Saurius commands. Your father may have beaten me, Yugi, but I'm willing to bet you aren't half as good as he is!"

"You aren't Noah," scowled Yugi. "You're an inferior duplicate."

"Really?" smiled the imp. "You're forgetting that I have all of the real Noah's intelligence, and he had the memory capacity of a hundred hard drives!"

"You forget something," frowned Yugi. "Noah was also _insane._ He couldn't think like normal people could. And that brought about his downfall."

Noah raised his arm, and a Dueling Disk with a deck appeared on it.

"Big deal!" he mocked. "Might I add, I've made some vast improvements to the original Noah's deck! I think I'm even _better _than the original! And might I add, your father only _barely_ beat me the first time. He had an advantage, you know… he was using both his own, AND Kaiba's deck, while you have to use only your own!"

"He had a severe _disadvantage_ too," mentioned Yugi. "He started with only 400 Life Points, while Noah started at over 7,000! I don't have that disadvantage now!"

"Ahem," interrupted Saurius, "are we going to spend all this time arguing, or are we going to get this started? I'm not a patient man…"

"Yes, master," answered Noah. "But first, a change of venue…"

Noah raised his arm, and the ground rumbled. Four stone platforms arose, one under him, one under Yugi, one under Saurius and Siegfried, and one under Yugi's supporters. Then explosions started to rock the room! Amber screamed as boiling magma started to flow into the room, filling up every inch of floor space except the platforms!

"Intimidating, isn't it?" laughed Noah. "Like the fires of Hell itself!"

"You don't scare me…" snarled Yugi, shuffling his deck.

"Don't let this creepazoid freak you out, Yugi!" shouted Mary.

"Show him the way it's done!" yelled Clive.

Yugi paused.

"Everyone," he said, softly. "Maybe it would be best if you all kept quiet this time…"

"Huh?" asked Peter. "But Yugi…"

Noah laughed out loud.

"I know what you're afraid of, Yugi!" he cackled. "You're afraid I'm going to take offense at your pep squad's comments and turn them to stone, aren't you? Well, just to prove I'm the bigger man than the real Noah was, let me put that fear to rest. Your little friends can scream their heads off all they like. I won't hurt them…

"At least… not yet…"

"Not yet?" asked Yugi.

"Well…" shrugged Noah. "Who knows what I'll do to them after I defeat you?"

"Enough talk!" ordered Saurius. "We don't have all night…"

The two Disks flipped into position… The Life meters set to 8,000 apiece…

"Get ready, Yugi," smiled Noah, as they made their draws, "because you're about to log on to the deadliest website of all! It's time to duel!"

Yugi looked at his opening hand.

_Well, what do you know? _he thought._ I got Guardian Angel Joan on my first draw! She could make this duel!_

"I'll start things off, if you don't mind…" said Noah, making a draw. "And I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

He set a card down, and it appeared, hovering over the lava.

"Now let's see what you've got," he said.

Yugi drew.

"All right, you virus," he scowled, placing a card down, "I summon Flame Swordmistress!"

A war cry echoed over the lava pit, and the furious female Warrior appeared swinging her bronze saber! (1,600/1,500)

"ATTACK!" shouted Yugi.

Flame Swordmistress's blade burned with fire and she charged forth!

A small bird with a red crest appeared on the facedown card… Flame Swordmistress cut it in half.

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Noah. "Good work, Yugi! Unfortunately, that Monster you just destroyed was an Ashinigray…"

"What is _that?"_ asked Yugi.

"A Monster with two powerful effects," explained Noah. "First, when it's flipped, like you just did to it, you have to discard one card from your hand!"

Yugi growled and looked at his hand.

_Wait, _he thought,_ maybe I can turn this to my advantage…_

He picked out Guardian Angel Joan.

_If I discard her, I can bring her back later without any Tributes when I draw Monster Reborn…_

He discarded the card.

"Also," continued Noah, leafing through his deck, "when it's destroyed in battle, I get to search my deck for another one, and summon it in facedown Defense Mode!"

He placed the card down, and another facedown Monster appeared.

"That's… not good…" gulped Mary.

Noah's Disk reshuffled his deck.

"Then it's your turn," sneered Yugi.

Noah drew.

"Here we go," he smiled. "First I'll flip my second Ashinigray into Attack Mode…"

The card flipped over, and the small yellow bird with a red crest appeared. (500/500)

"…which, if you'll remember correctly," he continued, "makes you discard one of your cards!"

Yugi grimaced, and discarded his Diffusion-Wave Motion card.

"Now," said Noah, "I'll Tribute this weak Monster to summon my Millennium Shield in Defense Mode!"

The Ashinigray vanished in puff of smoke, and the solid, heavy shield with the Eye of Horus on the front appeared. (0/3,000)

"Aw, nuts," groaned Clive. "Yugi will never get past that!"

"Well, he can… try…" shrugged Amber.

"He'll have to do more than try!" exclaimed Peter.

"Your move again, Yugi," said Noah, with a wicked grin. "Starting to feel the heat?"

He waved his hand, and the lava spurted up in front of him. Flame Swordmistress drew back in fright.

"If you're trying to intimidate me," frowned Yugi, drawing, "you're doing a lousy job."

He placed a card down.

"I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in Attack Mode!"

The armored elf appeared, holding his broadsword aloft. (1,400/1,200)

"And thanks to my Swordmistress," continued Yugi, "he gains a boost to his Attack!"

(1,700/1,200)

"He'll have to get a much better boost than _that _to crack my Shield," laughed Noah.

"Well you can't attack with your Shield," frowned Yugi. "So move."

Noah drew.

"Okay, Yugi," he stated, "I'll play two powerful Continuous Spell Cards… first, Infinite Cards!"

He slid the card into a slot, and it appeared on the field.

"Which, as you know, lets us hold as many cards in our hands as we desire!"

"What's with this guy?" said Mary, snidely. "His strategy is no different than that other imp!"

"Well excuuuuse me!" sneered Noah. "I assure you, Mary, my strategy is much better than that upstart. After all, I'm about three thousand years older than it was… give or take a decade. Anyway now I'm playing the other card… The powerful **Spring of Rebirth**!"

He threw the card into a slot, and a loud rumbling was heard…

A large structure rose into view behind him. It was a huge fountain, consisting of a basin of water, with a tall crystalline mound in the middle, topped by an angelic statue.

"What the Hell is that?" asked Peter. "Jade, you ever see this card?"

"Um… no," said Jade. "But I doubt it is good news."

"Clever," smiled Noah. "The strategy behind this incredibly powerful Spell Card will come to light soon. For now, I end my turn."

Yugi drew.

_That fountain worries me, _he thought._ Something is familiar about it…_

"I summon Kuriboh in Defense Mode," he said, putting a card down.

The tiny furry Fiend appeared on the card. (300/200)

"And," continued Yugi, "I'll place these two cards facedown… and end my turn."

He fit the cards into slots, and they appeared behind his Monsters.

As Noah drew, the lava erupted again. Yugi's three Monsters cringed again.

"Your Monsters seem a little scared, Yugi," stated Noah. "Can it be the boiling lava?"

He added the card to his hand.

"Or is that they know I'm going to wipe all three of them out right now?"

"What?" said Yugi, somewhat shocked. "You're going to use Raigeki?"

"Puh-lease, Yugi!" sighed Noah. "Raigeki is a cheesy card that only crude amateurs use! I'm going to do it in a much better way…"

He placed a Monster Card down.

"I summon Asura Priest in Attack Mode!"

A beam of light fell from the heavens, and a strange Monster appeared over the field. He looked like some sort of Hindu god, with three faces on his head, and six arms. He had grey skin, black hair tied back in a ponytail, and wore a long white breechcloth. (1,700/1,200)

"Asura Priest," ordered Noah, "attack Flame Swordmistress with Daggers of Demise!"

Long daggers appeared in all six of Asura Priest's hands, and he hurled them at the Swordmistress! She shrieked as they stabbed into her, and she collapsed, vanishing into fiery pixels.

"Now that she's gone," continued Noah, "your Celtic Guardian loses his bonus…"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's Attack Score fell back to 1,400.

"Now Asura Priest," he yelled, "attack the Guardian!"

To everyone's shock, the daggers reappeared in Asura Priest's hands, and he hurled them, impaling Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! He fell over, and burst.

"Your Monster can attack twice?" gasped Yugi.

"He can attack as many times in a turn as I want him to!" laughed Noah. "Now Asura, finish off his dustbunny!"

A single dagger appeared in the creature's hand, and he threw it, making short work of Kuriboh.

"Too bad you can't gain extra lives in _this_ video game," chuckled Noah.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"Now then," said Noah. "I end my turn…"

Asura Priest vanished in a sparkle of light.

"What?" asked Clive. "Where did he go?"

Noah removed the card from his Disk.

"He's right here, Clive," he answered. "See, Asura Priest is a Spirit Monster, so he returns to my hand after I end my turn! And that's when Spring of Rebirth kicks in…"

Water flowed from the statue into the basin, and Noah glowed.

"Spring of Rebirth adds 500 points to my Life Points every time a Monster returns to my hand, so it's perfect for Spirits!"

His Life Points rose to 8,500.

"Spirit Monsters?" exclaimed Mary. "What on Earth…"

"I have heard of these creatures before…" said Jade. "Maximillion Pegasus got the idea for these special Monsters while on a journey to India… They have various powers, and come in all wakes of life, from Fairies, to Beasts, to Fiends… but they share one thing in common: They all return to the owner's hand at the conclusion of his turn, making them very difficult to destroy…"

"Exactly," smiled Saurius. "With his army of Spirits, my pawn will decimate you… while he only gets stronger!"

"We'll see about that," growled Yugi.

He drew…

_This will slow him down…_ he thought.

"I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the two twin elves appeared. They shuddered in fright… (1,900/900)

"My elves are too strong for your Asura Priest," sneered Yugi.

Noah drew.

"Then I'll use someone who's strong enough!" he laughed. "But first, I'll play Card of Sanctity!"

He plugged the card into the slot, and a bright light appeared over the cavern. Noah drew two cards, and Yugi drew four.

"And now I'll summon a new Spirit Monster," he announced. "The mighty Susa Soldier!"

He threw a card down, and lightning struck the playing field in front of him. A tall man in oriental armor, with white hair styled in a bowl-cut and holding a bronze sword appeared. Lightning coursed and danced over him. (2,000/1,600)

"Susa Soldier," he shouted, "attack with Spiritual Thunder!"

Susa Soldier slammed his sword down, and lightning shot forward. Gemini Elf screamed, and they were obliterated.

Yugi's Life Points fell again to 7,550.

"A two-thousand Attack Score with no Tribute?" exclaimed Clive.

"Well," sighed Noah. "Susa Soldier has a handicap… he only does half the normal damage – an even trade-off because his Attack is so high. But he can still get rid of most other non-Tribute Monsters!

"I end my turn…"

Susa Soldier vanished, and Noah retrieved it. Spring of Rebirth cascaded again, and his Life Points went up to 9,000.

"So Yugi," he smiled. "Now what?"

Yugi drew.

"I'll place two cards facedown on the field," he said, fitting two cards into slots, "and then summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!"

The facedown cards appeared, next to his other two, and then Grepher appeared. He hesitated for a minute, and then raised his greatsword. (1,700/1,600)

"That ends my turn," he said.

Noah drew.

"Talk about _stupid_," he mocked, putting a card down. "Did you forget about my Susa Soldier already?"

Susa Soldier reappeared. (2,000/1,600)

"Attack!" shouted Noah.

"Noah, wait!" shouted Saurius.

It was too late…

"Activate… Kunai With Chain!" yelled Yugi.

A Trap Card lifted, and the long chain with a bladed boomerang shot forth! It ensnared Susa Soldier and Grepher's Attack Score went up to 2,200!

Grepher gave a yank on the chain, and the Spirit was reeled in, his sword falling into the magma! Grepher brought his sword down on the Soldier, and he was blown into sparkling pixels!

"Actually, I didn't forget," said Yugi, grinning. "And I may not know much about Spirits, but I know that they can't be special summoned. So now that I sent your Susa Soldier to the Graveyard, he's _staying_ there!"

"You imbecile!" shouted Saurius, as Noah's Life Points fell to 8,800. "Don't you know a Trap when you see one?"

"I'm sorry master!" gulped Noah. "It was… a mistake…"

"Well no more 'mistakes'!" shouted Saurius. "Because if you lose this duel, so help me, you'll spend the next thousand years picking up scrap metal in the dark side of Malbolge!"

Noah gulped…

"Now, it's my turn…" stated Yugi.

He sighed.

_Any other Monsters I summon here will just be easy prey for his Asura Priest,_ he thought.

"I'll pass this turn," he sighed.

"Good," snickered Noah, drawing. "Then I'll wipe out your Warrior's Kunai with Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He threw the card into the slot, and a fierce wind erupted. The Kunai With Chain crumbled, reducing Grepher's Attack back to 1,700.

"Now here comes another Spirit! I Tribute my Millennium Shield to summon a Beast-Warrior known as Great Long Nose!"

He switched cards on his Disk, and the Shield burst into pixels. A huge, hulking form appeared. It was a large, muscular ogre dressed in white furs. It had long, tangled white hair, a white beard, a red face, and – naturally – a very long, pointed nose. (1,900/1,700)

"Great Long Nose, attack Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Great Long Nose roared and raised a huge club! He charged, and smashed Grepher with it. The Warrior flew backwards, and then vanished.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,350.

"A bit crude," sighed Noah, "but it got the job done. Now, you're all probably thinking to yourselves something like, 'Boy did he make a stupid move! The Shield is gone, and when that Spirit goes back to his hand, he'll be completely defenseless!'"

"Yeah, I was thinking something like that," mentioned Clive.

"Actually, I made a smart move," said Noah. "When Great Long Nose damages your Life Points, you have to skip your next Battle Phase! So I'm completely safe!"

"Crud," sighed Clive.

"So, my turn is over," chuckled Noah. "Return!"

Great Long Nose vanished, and Noah added the card back to his hand. Spring of Rebirth activated again, raising his Life Points to 9,300.

"Wait," exclaimed Mary. "Now I get it…"

"Get what?" asked Peter.

"I know why Noah played Infinite Cards. Listen. Usually when you summon a Monster, your hand decreases in size. But Noah's Monsters are Spirits – when he uses them, the size of his hand _doesn't_ decrease. So he needs Infinite Cards to keep the cards he needs!"

_Brilliant, _thought Noah_. Yugi's little girlfriend is pretty bright. I'm almost sorry for what I'm going to do to her once I crush Yugi…_

…_almost._

Yugi drew.

_Nothing I can do now but defend,_ he thought.

"I summon Celtic Swordgirl in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the small elven maiden appeared, and knelt in Defense. She shivered and looked around, terrified. (1,000/800)

:"Look at that poor thing," said Clive. "She's scared to death!"

"That's all I can do," said Yugi.

Noah drew.

"I summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode!" he called.

He put the card down, and a huge statue crashed down on his side of the field. It was an enormous head with two outstretched palms. (300/2,000)

"Not a Spirit," he said, offhand, "but an effective wall."

_And come next turn, I'll put a serious hurt on Yugi's Life Points!_

"Your turn again," he said.

Yugi drew.

_Not bad,_ he thought.

"I Tribute my Celtic Swordgirl to summon Dark Magician Girl!" he said, switching cards.

Celtic Swordgirl vanished in a golden sparkle, and a magical circle appeared in mid air. Dark Magician Girl spun out of the circle, but her usual smile was absent. She looked a little more serious in these grim surroundings. (2,000/1,700)

"Nice try, Yugi," smiled Noah, "but your pixie princess isn't strong enough to destroy my Statue!"

"Not yet she isn't," warned Yugi. "I end my turn."

Noah drew. And then he grinned from ear to ear.

"Now to make you feel the burn, Yugi!" he laughed.

The lava erupted again, and Dark Magician Girl drew back with a squeal.

"I play a powerful Spell Card…" he exclaimed. "Creature Swap!"

"Oh no!" gasped Yugi.

Noah plugged it into a slot. "Now this forces us to trade Monsters!" he exclaimed.

Two large hands reached down, and lifted up Dark Magician Girl and Stone Statue of the Aztecs. The hands delivered them to the opposite sides of the field.

"Bet that hurts, huh Yugi?" mocked Noah. "Now that I have one of your best Monsters…"

Yugi looked at Dark Magician Girl. As much as it hurt him, it was apparently hurting her a lot more. Tears were flowing down her cheeks…

"Now then," smiled Noah, taking a card from his hand, "part two of my brilliant plan… I summon the dreaded Otohime!"

He put a card down, and an odd sorceress appeared. She had long brown hair with braids tied in loops, and wore a green halter and a white skirt. She was barefoot, and had strange tattoos on her limbs. (0/100)

"What?" muttered Yugi. "'Dreaded'? What can she do?"

"When she's summoned, Otohime can switch an opposing Monster from Attack Mode to Defense Mode, or vice-versa!" exclaimed Noah.

Otohime raised her arms, and chanted…

"So she's going to bring the Stone Statue into Attack Mode, where its Score is a mere 300 points!"

Stone Statue of the Aztecs rolled into Attack Mode…

"But don't worry… be happy…" chuckled Noah. "I'm not going to attack with Dark Magician Girl. I have a better idea…"

He placed a Spell Card into a slot.

"I play a card known as Squaring the Circle!" he shouted.

A circle of light formed around Otohime and Dark Magician Girl, followed by a square of light.

"This allows me to make an extra summon in a turn," explained Noah, "so long as it's a Tribute summon in which I Tribute a Spirit. So, I'll Tribute Otohime and Dark Magician Girl…"

The two Spellcasters vanished…

"…to summon the mighty **Yamata Dragon!**"

A huge shape appeared on the field. It was a horrifying Monster resembling eight snaky heads, writhing around in a chaotic mass! (2,600/3,100)

"Ya!" screamed Peter. "That has got to be the _ugliest_ Duel Monster I have ever seen! And coming from someone who uses Fiends, that's saying a lot…"

"Do you mind?" shouted Clive. "That thing's about to wipe out 2,300 of Yugi's Life Points!"

"Yes!" yelled Saurius. "Destroy!"

"Now Yamata Dragon," ordered Noah, "attack the Stone Statue with eight-headed flame attack!"

The abomination belched flames from its eight jaws…

"That's exactly what I was waiting for, Noah…" smiled Yugi.

"What?" he said in surprise.

Then he noticed that Yugi was pointing to two of the facedown cards in front of him.

"A Trap?" he gasped.

"No, _two _Traps!" exclaimed Yugi. "I was waiting for you to summon a powerful Monster!"

He hit two buttons, and they both lifted.

"First, Negate Attack will stop your Dragon's flame dead in its tracks!"

A dome of energy formed around the Stone Statue, and the flames were halted.

"Then, Enchanted Javelin will convert the Attack Score of your Monster into a boost for my Life Points!"

The flames turned into glowing energy, and flowed into Yugi! His Life Points flew up to 10,150!

"Well demon," mocked Yugi. "It seems you wasted three powerful cards… just to help me…"

"All right Yugi!" shouted Peter.

"Put that brat in his place!" yelled Clive.

Saurius was beside himself with anger.

"How could you make such a stupid mistake!" he yelled.

"I didn't know!" gasped Noah. "I thought those cards were throwaways! How could I have known he planned ahead like… that?"

"Do… better…" growled Saurius.

Noah scowled.

"I end my turn," he said, "and you know what that means…"

Yamata Dragon vanished, returning to Noah's hand. Spring of Rebirth spouted again, and his Life Points went up to 9,800.

"My turn now," said Yugi, drawing.

"And I Tribute Stone Statue of the Aztecs to summon Queen Machine!"

He put the card down, and Stone Statue eroded into dust. From the dust, the beautiful female android arose, giving off her radiant glow. (2,200/2,000)

"Queen Machine," shouted Yugi, "attack that digital demon's Life Points directly with silicon sorcery!"

Queen Machine put her hands together, and a crackling ball of black energy formed in them. She threw it forward, and the energy erupted around Noah! He gasped and fell to his knees. Queen Machine giggled.

Noah's Life Points fell to 7,600.

"All right!" cheered Mary. "He just clobbered him!"

"He still has a way to go…" mumbled Amber.

Noah angrily drew.

"I play the powerful card known as Selfish Greed!" he exclaimed.

He threw the card into a slot, and a tall jar appeared in front of him. It looked like the Pot of Greed, only black, and far more evil.

"Now I can remove as many Monsters as I want in my Graveyard from play," explained Noah, "and draw one card for each one I remove. And I'll remove… ALL of them!"

"What?" exclaimed Amber. "He doesn't even care about his own Monsters! He's… erasing them!"

"What do you expect from a demon?" said Jade.

Visions of both Ashinigray, Millennium Shield, Susa Soldier, Otohime, and Stone Statue of the Aztecs were sucked into the evil jar, and it exploded. Noah drew six cards.

There it is, he thought. My emergency back-up plan… but I won't put it on the field now…

"Now," he said, picking a Spell Card, "I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the god of healing appeared behind him. His Life points went up to 8,600.

"Then I'll place a card facedown…" he said.

He placed a card facedown, and it appeared in front of him.

"…and now I summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, in Defense Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a bulky robot that seemed to be made of heavy, iron gears and sprockets materialized on his side. (800/2,200)

"Heh, heh," he chuckled. "That's all for me…"

Yugi drew.

_Hmm,_ he thought.

"Okay, you glitch, I'm setting a card facedown, and ending my turn," he said.

His facedown card appeared behind Queen Machine, next to his other facedown card.

"Be careful, this time," snarled Saurius.

"Don't worry…" replied Noah, drawing. "I've got it covered…"

"I activate Dust Tornado, to destroy one of your Trap Cards!"

The whirlwind blew across the field, and the Trap on Yugi's right lifted up and shattered.

"Reverse of Reverse?" laughed Noah. "Pathetic…"

He picked another card from his hand.

"This Spell Card I'm about to play should seem familiar to you," he chuckled. "After all, both Siegfried and his uncle loved it! I play… Shrink!"

He threw the card into a slot, and Queen Machine screamed as she was reduced to half her size.

"Not only have I reduced your robot to toddler size, but I've downgraded her Attack power to half!"

(1,100/2,000)

"Now I summon the mighty Maharaghi in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a strange Monster appeared hovering over the air. It looked more or less like a clay jug with a thick bottleneck, and strange runes carved over it. (1,200/1,700)

"When Maharaghi is summoned," continued Noah, "I get to look at the top card on my deck and decide whether or not to put it on the top or bottom of my deck."

He took the card off the top of his deck and looked at it.

"Think I'll keep this on the top of my deck," he said, putting it back.

"And now, since the danger is minimal, Maharaghi, attack Queen Machine with smash attack!"

Maharaghi spun and flew towards Queen Machine, ramming into her! She exploded. Yugi's Life Points fell slightly, to 10,050.

"No Trap?" asked Noah. "I guess you were bluffing. I end my turn…"

Maharaghi vanished and returned to Noah's hand, and Spring of Rebirth increased his Life Points to 9,100.

"Man, this is going to be a long duel," sighed Peter.

Yugi drew.

"I summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and Mystical Elf appeared in her praying position. (800/2,000)

"Make your move," he dared.

"Oh, I'll move," chuckled Noah, drawing. "First, I'll play a Spell Card called Different Dimension Jaunt!"

He placed the card in the slot.

"This handy card removes one of your Monsters from play until the end of my turn, so say goodbye to your Elf!"

Mystical Elf opened her eyes. A black hole opened behind her, and she screamed as she was sucked into it!

Yugi gasped.

"Gone, but not forgotten," sighed Noah. "Now that the path is clear, I'll summon Fushi No Tori in Attack Mode!"

He put a card down, and a large birdlike creature made of fire appeared, hovering over the field. It shrieked! (1,200/0)

"Attack Yugi directly!" shouted Noah. "attack with Spiritual Flames!"

Fushi No Tori opened its beak and blew a gout of fire at Yugi! He screamed and fell over, his clothes charred.

His Life Points fell to 8,850.

"You just lost 1,200 Life Points," laughed Noah, "and just to make sure they don't go to waste, any Life Points you lose to Fushi No Tori are added to mine…"

Noah's Life Points went up to 10,300.

"GEEZE!" shouted Clive. "As if this guy needed any _more _Life Points?"

"Now my turn ends," smiled Noah, "meaning that you get your Mystical Elf back…"

The black hole opened, and Mystical Elf was unceremoniously spat out.

"…and my Spirit Monster returns to my hand."

Fushi No Tori vanished, and Noah's Life Points increased further, to 10,800.

"Why don't you just give up, Yugi?" laughed Saurius. "You can't win this one!"

"Never!" gasped Yugi. "I'll fight to my last card!"

He drew.

"I'll summon Tengu Warrior in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the birdfaced, gi-wearing Winged Beast appeared, holding his katana high. (1,800/800)

"You're not getting anywhere…" laughed Noah, drawing.

"We'll soon see," said Yugi.

"I play my Pot of Greed," said Noah, fitting the card into the slot.

He drew two cards, and added them to his already large hand.

"Now I'll play… Delinquent Duo!"

He fit the card into a slot.

"This will cost me a thousand Life Points," he said, "as his Life Points went down to 9,800, but I have them to spare. Now watch this…"

Two ugly imps appeared, one with the number 1 on its forehead, and the other with the number 2.

"Go, imp #1!" shouted Noah.

The first imp reached forward and snatched a card out of Yugi's hand and shoved it into the discard pile!

_My Alligator's Sword…_ thought Yugi.

"Now you have to give a card to imp #2," said Noah.

"Fine," said Yugi, taking his Double Spell card.

The second imp snatched it and threw it into the Graveyard. The two imps cackled and vanished.

"Now I'll summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode," continued Noah, placing a card down.

The bulky android in the football jersey materialized, and assumed a crouching position. (1,000/2,100)

"Make your move," said Noah.

Yugi drew.

"Actually," he said, "I choose to end my turn without making any move."

"Well, suit yourself," shrugged Noah, drawing. "Now, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"

He drew his sleeve back.

"Nothing up my sleeve… presto!"

He threw a card down.

"I summon Inaba White Rabbit in Attack Mode!"

A strange form appeared on the field. It looked like a green basin of some sort, with a long staff jutting out of it, with strange pipes at the top. Clutching onto the staff was a cute white rabbit. (700/500)

"What?" sneered Mary. "That's weak!"

"Yeah, this little guy may not be as tough as Jade's Usagi," smiled Noah, "but he hides a secret power! Inaba White Rabbit, attack with Punishing Pogo!"

Flames poured out of the pipes on the top of the staff. The Rabbit rammed the staff into the basin, and then shot out of it like a rocket and flew around in a chaotic pattern!

"What?" asked Yugi. "Huh?"

Inaba White Rabbit landed with a crash on Yugi's back, and he fell on his gut!

"How did you do that?" gasped Yugi, as his Life Points fell to 8,150.

"Inaba White Rabbit's enchanted pogo lets him hippity-hop over all your Monsters and attack you directly!" smiled Noah. "Now, I'll end my turn. Return, my Spirit!"

Inaba White Rabbit vanished from the field, and Noah's Life Points rose to 10,300.

Yugi snarled as he drew.

"I'll set a card facedown," he growled, "and that will be all."

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

"Very well," said Noah, drawing.

"I activate my own Dust Tornado!" shouted Yugi, as his Trap Card lifted. "Say goodbye to your ability to renew your Life Points, Noah!"

Another whirlwind erupted over the field, and Spring of Rebirth crumbled and fell into a heap.

"No!" shouted Noah.

"Yes!" cheered Mary. "He finally got rid of that blasted fountain!"

"Don't worry Noah," assured Saurius. "You still have Life Points to spare…"

"True," he said.

He looked at his hand.

_Yes! _he thought._ I just drew Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi… and I have Yata-Garasu as well. A plan is starting to form…_

_Yugi will likely Tribute both his Monsters next turn for a powerful one… but if I destroy it with Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, he'll have to discard his entire hand! If I strike with Yata-Garasu then, he'll be caught in the inescapable Yata-Lock, and he'll have no choice but to surrender!_

_It will be a great pleasure seeing Yugi lose hope and surrender his soul… _

He took the Yata-Garasu card from his hand.

"I'll start by placing this Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said.

He put the card down, and the facedown Monster appeared.

"Then," he said, grinning, "a card facedown…"

He slid the card into the slot, and it appeared behind his three Monsters.

"And finally…" he said, taking a third card.

_Just in case…_ he thought.

"…I'll play another Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

He slid the card into the slot, and again, the deity of healing appeared behind him. His Life Points went up to 11,300.

"_Eleven-thousand, three hundred?"_ gasped Clive. "How on earth is Yugi _ever_ going to get them down to zero? He'll be decked out first!"

"He can do it," said Jade. "I have faith that he can defeat this creature…"

"Come on Yugi!" shouted Mary. "Crash this jerk's files for good!"

Yugi drew. He smiled.

"I Tribute my Tengu Warrior…" he said.

Tengu Warrior vanished.

"…and my Mystical Elf…" he continued.

Mystical Elf vanished.

"…to summon my mighty DARK MAGICIAN!"

In a puff of black magic, the powerful Spellcaster appeared. The lava around him spurted up in fiery fountains! (2,500/2,100)

"Well," said Mary, smugly. "About time!"

"Dark Magician," shouted Yugi, "obliterate his facedown Monster!"

Dark Magician aimed an shot forth his dark spell…

"Activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Noah.

The Trap Card lifted, and Dark Magician's blast was absorbed into the vortex.

"Darn," growled Yugi. "I end my turn…"

"Good," smiled Noah, drawing. "And now it's over Yugi!"

He hit his Disk.

"I'll first flip Yata-Garasu into Attack Mode!"

The facedown Monster flipped, and a small purple bird appeared, and chirped. (200/100)

"NO!" screamed Mary. "Not that!"

"Don't worry, Mary," assured Clive. "It will never get past his Dark Magician…"

"I beg to differ Clive…" smiled Noah. "I'm Tributing my Gear Golem and my Battle Footballer to summon the most powerful Spirit in existence!"

He threw a card down! A fiery pit opened beneath Gear Golem the Moving Fortress and Battle Footballer, and they were consumed by it!

The boiling lava churned and burst in violent explosions as a huge shape appeared out of the flaming pit. It was a giant man wearing a kilt and no shirt, with flames for hair, and fire surrounding his fists. Tattoos similar to those worn by Otohime adorned his body, and he had an evil grin on his face!

"Meet the incredible Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi!" screamed Noah.

(2,800/2,900)

"YES!" shouted Saurius. "Finish him!"

"Bye, bye, Yugi!" laughed Noah. "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, attack his Dark Magician with Fist of Flame!"

"NO!" screamed Mary.

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi roared, and his fist became enshrouded with blazing fire. He leapt forth…

Yugi chuckled.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Noah," he smiled. "Have you forgotten about the facedown card that I've had on the field this whole time?"

The card started to lift.

"What?" gasped Noah.

"Activate… Mirror Force!" shouted Yugi.

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi screamed as the flames engulfed him. He and Yata-Garasu were incinerated!

"What? HOW!" shouted Noah, as his Life Points fell to 10,525.

"Believe it or not, Noah," grinned Yugi, "I knew all about the Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi/Yata-Garasu combo, and I figured you try that move eventually. So I placed Mirror Force early, and saved it for just that occasion…

"I must say, it was a close call. If your Dust Tornado had destroyed the Mirror Force card and not the Reverse of Reverse card that I set as a decoy, you would have won. But luck was with me and not you. I guess with all your brilliance, a simple 50/50 chance turned out badly for you…

"And now that your two most powerful Spirits are gone, I'm safe from them, because as I've said before, once they're in the Graveyard, you can't get them back!"

"Do something you imbecile!" shouted Saurius.

"I can't!" gasped Noah.

"Then it's my move!" exclaimed Yugi, drawing. "And I summon Skilled White Magician in Attack Mode!"

He slapped the card down, and the robed sorcerer of light appeared, brandishing his staff! (1,700/1,900)

Noah started to sweat…

"Dark Magician," shouted Yugi. "Attack his Life Points with dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician twirled his staff and fired, hitting Noah squarely!

"Skilled White Magician, attack with white magic attack!"

Skilled White Magician shot forth his brilliant beam, and Noah was thrown backwards!

His eyes almost popped out of his head as he struggled to get up. His Life points plummeted to 6,325.

"Looks like you've got a worm in your system," mocked Yugi. "It's your move…"

"YES!" shouted Peter. "Go Yugi!"

"Download a can of hurt on that brat's ass!" yelled Clive.

Noah slowly got up and drew.

_Useless! _he thought._ But I've got to block with something…_

"I'll summon a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn…" he stuttered, placing a card down.

The facedown Monster appeared.

Yugi drew.

"I'll place one card facedown," he said.

He slid the card into a slot. It appeared.

"Now I'll summon Beaver Warrior in Attack Mode!" he announced.

He slapped the card down, and the small armored rodent appeared, brandishing his swortsword! (1,200/1,500)

"Dark Magician, attack his facedown Monster!"

Dark Magician fired his spell. Inaba White Rabbit appeared clutching his pogo on his basin. The contraption caught on fire, and the Rabbit shrieked! The whole structure burst!

"Inaba White Rabbit is no more," said Yugi. "Now, Skilled White Magician, Beaver Warrior, ATTACK!"

The Spellcaster and Beast-Warrior charged forth. Noah screamed as Skilled White Magician Blasted him, and Beaver Warrior stabbed him.

His Life Points fell to 3,425.

"Your move again," smiled Yugi.

Saurius gave Noah the eye… He shivered as he drew…

"I'll place a card facedown…" he muttered, fitting it into a slot. "And set another Monster facedown in Defense Mode…"

He played the two cards, and they appeared, one behind the other.

Yugi drew.

"I'll Tribute both Skilled White Magician AND Beaver Warrior…" he said.

The two Monsters faded into sparkles of light.

"To summon the mighty BUSTER BLADER!"

In a flash of light, the mighty armored swordsman arose, holding his huge blade! (2,600/2,300)

"Dark Magician," shouted Yugi, "destroy his facedown Monster!"

Dark Magician aimed…

"I'm real sorry," laughed Noah, hitting his Disk, "but I'll stop your Magician where he stand with Shadow Spell!"

The Trap Card started to lift.

"Will you now?" smiled Yugi, hitting his own Disk. "I'll stop your Trap with Trap Jammer!"

His card lifted, and Noah's Trap shattered!

Dark Magician cast forth his spell again, and the large firebird appeared over the card, and was blown into flaming pixels!

"So much for your Fushi No Tori," frowned Yugi. "Buster Blader, attack his Life Points directly with blade buster attack!"

Buster Blader charged across the boiling lava, and struck Noah with his mighty lance! Noah screamed and fell over, his Life Points falling to 825.

"Yes!" shouted Amber. "You're on a roll, Yugi!"

Noah drew.

_No choice… _he thought._ I have to use my emergency back-up plan… and this other card will help too…_

"Okay Yugi," he sneered. "I'm placing two cards facedown, and ending my turn."

He fit the cards into slots, and they appeared in front of him.

"Make your move," he grunted.

_No Monsters? _thought Yugi._ He must have something big planned…_

He drew.

_Perfect!_

"I play… Polymerization!" he shouted.

Dark Magician and Buster Blader nodded to each other, and they walked towards each other. A burst of dark energy erupted on Yugi's side of the field, and the lava spurted around him!

"I combine the mighty spellcasting ability of Dark Magician with the supreme fighting prowess of Buster Blader to form the mightiest creature my deck can produce!"

A tall form appeared on the field. He looked like Dark Magician in elaborate, violet armor with sharp edges, carrying a powerful sword. His eyes glowed with feral light, and a dark aura surrounded him.

"I summon... _**Dark Paladin**_!"

(2,900/2,400)

"But I can't attack with him this turn," said Yugi, "so make your move…"

Noah drew.

_Lovely, _he thought._ NOW I get this card! But using it now would be wasting it!_

"I don't have any moves to make, Yugi…" sighed Noah. "Attack me if you dare…"

"I will!" shouted Yugi, whipping a card out. "Dark Paladin, attack him directly with dark blade of fury attack!"

Noah braced himself, as Dark Paladin closed in. The armored Spellcaster slashed across Noah's chest, sending him skidding backwards…

Noah's Life Points fell to zero…

"YES!" shouted Mary. "He won!"

"You the man, Yugi!" yelled Peter.

"This duel is over, demon!" shouted Yugi.

"Strange…" said Noah, softly. "It doesn't seem over to me…"

"What do you mean?" accused Yugi. "Your Life Points are all gone!"

Noah pointed downward. Everyone looked…

"Don't celebrate yet," warned Noah. "You see, I wasn't being completely honest when I said you couldn't gain extra lives in this video game… well, _you _can't…"

One of his Trap Cards had activated. It had a picture of the words "1-UP!" written in gold on a black background.

"Confused?" smiled Noah. "This a very powerful and rare Trap called Extra Life! You know what an extra life is, don't you? A valuable commodity in any video game!

"Let me explain how this complex Trap works… It can only be triggered if your Life Points are reduced to zero, and you have at least one Life Point-restoring Spell Card in your Graveyard…

"When those conditions are met, the Trap lets you continue the duel, and lets you reuse up to three of those Spell Cards. And as you remember, I have two Dian Keto the Cure Master cards in my Graveyard!"

The two healing cards floated up behind him and then burst into fragments. His Life Points went up to 2,000.

"So you see, Yugi," he continued. "It isn't over yet…"

"You're only prolonging the inevitable," sneered Yugi. "Make your move."

"Gladly," smiled Noah.

"This is your last chance…" frowned Saurius.

"Don't worry, master," assured Noah. "I can finish Yugi…"

"First, I draw," said Noah, drawing. "Then, I activate my other Trap…"

His other card lifted.

"Reckless Greed!" he exclaimed. "I may have to skip my next two draw phases, but I get to make two draws now…"

He made two draws.

"Perfect," he chuckled. "Time to say goodbye to your Dark Paladin! I'll destroy him by playing the Spell Card… Fissure!"

He threw a card into a slot.

"Not so fast, Noah!" yelled Yugi.

He discarded a card from his hand. Dark Paladin waved his sword, and obliterated the Spell Card.

"My Dark Paladin can destroy Spell Cards!" exclaimed Yugi.

"Really?" smiled Noah. "Well, let's see if he can do it twice! I play Smashing Ground!"

He threw another card into a slot.

Yugi discarded another card, and Dark Paladin swung his sword, destroying the second card.

"Actually, he can do it twice," frowned Yugi.

Noah was visibly angry.

He threw another card into a slot.

"I'll rot your Dark Paladin by equipping him with Ekibyo Drakmord!" he shouted.

"Will you now?" sneered Yugi.

He discarded another card, and the Equip Card shattered.

"Humph," said Noah. "Fine. In that case, I'll play my final Dian Keto…"

He slid the card into a slot…

"You never learn, do you, Noah?" snarled Yugi, discarding his last card.

The healing card burst.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Noah. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Oh, I learn Yugi… I learn very fast! In case you haven't forgotten, I'm a genius."

"What's up with this guy?" frowned Peter. "He's nutty as a fruitcake!"

"No…" said Jade. "I think Yugi just made a grave error!"

"Listen to the armored bimbo, Yugi!" laughed Noah. "I knew all about Dark Paladin's ability to destroy Spell Cards. I played those four Spell Cards _hoping_ you'd use his ability to destroy them! Now, take a good look at yourself – you have no more cards in your hand, and nothing else to discard!"

Yugi's eyes opened wide.

_He's right!_ he thought.

"Thus," explained Noah, "you're powerless to stop me from playing the Spell Card I was intending to play all along! It's a little thing that will let me summon the creature that the real Noah used as his Deckmaster all those years ago…"

He held up a card, and flipped it so Yugi could see it.

"Ta-da!" he exclaimed. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"No…" gasped Yugi. "Not that…"

"Yes that…" giggled Noah, as he plugged it into the slot.

A huge bubble of lava appeared behind him…

"I play the Ritual Card… SHINATO'S ARK!"

A huge explosion of lava burst forth, and a giant wooden ship with sails depicting Japanese letters arose from the molten rock!

"Argh!" screamed Clive. "That's the Ritual that Persephone used against me!"

"And she used it against Yugi too!" gasped Mary. "But now Yugi doesn't have Dark Flare Knight!"

"This ship will let me sail away with victory!" shouted Noah, taking two cards from his hand. "And to complete the ceremony, I sacrifice Great Long Nose and Maharaghi!"

The hulking ogre and the large clay pot appeared before him. The two Spirits were drawn into the huge Ark, and the Ark started to disintegrate.

"I'd abandon ship if I were you," laughed Noah, "because here comes the mightiest creature _my_ deck can produce! The almighty _Shinato, King of a Higher Plane!_

A blinding light filled the cavern, and the immense form of Shinato appeared, alighting in front of Noah and glaring at Yugi and his Dark Paladin! (3,300/3,000)

"What do you think, Yugi?" laughed Noah.

Yugi snarled.

"I thought Persephone was a hypocrite for using that Monster…" he scowled. "But you… A vile thing like you has no right whatsoever to use a Fairy that powerful! The mere thought of him in the hands of someone like you sickens me!"

"Actually, Yugi," chuckled Saurius, "I find it grandly ironic. Beings such as this were responsible for denying me the power that was rightfully mine… But now this grand celestial being is my slave to do with as I please.

"Still, the sight of him makes me sick, so finish Yugi quickly, Noah."

"You got it!" exclaimed Noah. "Shinato, obliterate Dark Paladin with Divine Ring!"

Shinato gestured, and six violet orbs bearing Kanji symbols appeared. They spun around in a circle, and shot forward! Dark Paladin was thrown back, and blasted into particles!

Yugi's Life Points fell to 7,750.

"Okay," moaned Clive. "Exactly when did we lose control here?"

"People, Yugi needs support," said Jade. "In case you did not notice, he discarded all of the cards in his hand… Likely another part of Noah's strategy. If he does not draw something that will block that Fairy's attack on his next draw, he'll be at the mercy of Shinato and anything else Noah summons on his next turn!"

_Deck, don't fail me now…_ thought Yugi.

He drew.

"I summon Brown Recluse in Attack Mode!" he said.

He put the card down, and the huge, brown spider appeared, clicking its mandibles.

It drew back at the sight of the huge Fairy. (2,300/0)

"Well, maybe you aren't a total moron," smiled Noah. "You obviously know that Shinato would have done more damage if he destroyed that Spider while it was in Defense Mode."

"I've faced this Monster before," frowned Yugi.

"Have you now?" smiled Noah, drawing. "Well then, I'll summon an old friend back. You remember my Asura Priest, don't you?"

He placed a card down, and the three-faced, six-armed Fairy returned. (1,700/1,200)

"Now, feel the wrath of Shinato!" he shouted. "Squash that spider!"

Shinato cast forth his mighty Divine Ring, and Brown Recluse was annihilated.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,750.

"Now my Asura Priest," commanded Noah, "attack Yugi directly with Daggers of Demise!"

Six daggers appeared in the Priest's hands, and he hurled them forward. Yugi screamed as they dug into his flesh and he fell over.

He got up, bleeding from six wounds. His Life Points had fallen to 5,050.

"Well, I end my turn," smiled Noah, "and therefore…"

Asura Priest vanished, and Noah picked up the card.

Yugi drew.

"I summon Luster Dragon in Attack Mode!" he yelled.

He threw the card down, and a sparkling purple light appeared over his side of the field. The huge dragon made of sapphire appeared in all his glory. (1,900/1,600)

"See this Monster?" accused Yugi.

He pointed to Siegfried's comatose form.

"I won this from him, and I keep in my deck to remind me of him. It represents the bond we share, a bond of friendship. Something a vile thing like you could never comprehend!"

"Touching," shrugged Noah. "Too bad that your little bond is far too weak to threaten Shinato!"

"Friends mean nothing, Yugi," growled Saurius. "I had a friend once… long ago… I once knew what it was like to know friendship. I would have offered her anything to join my cause… Instead, the little tattletale betrayed me, for her own personal gain…"

He clenched his fist in anger.

Yugi looked at him.

"That's not true," frowned Yugi. "Shanalla turned you in because she couldn't support a friend who had turned to evil and had committed unforgivable crimes. And I can assure you, her heart mourned for you for years after it happened."

He turned to his supporters.

"I love Mary, Clive, Peter, Jade, and Amber," he said. "I would support them all that I could. But if any of them committed the vile crimes that you did, while it would pain me to do so, I would have no choice but to do as Shanalla did. And I can only hope that they would do the same should I ever turn as monstrous as you."

"I'm getting a headache from all these speeches!" growled Noah.

He started to reach for another card in his hand.

Then he stopped.

"Y'know something Yugi?" he mused. "I _could_ summon Asura Priest again and seriously hurt you, but I think I'll have some fun and just finish you off with Shinato. After all, there's no rush…"

Shinato raised his arms and cast forth the destructive ring again, blowing Luster Dragon into shards! Yugi shielded his face as the pixels flew past him.

His Life Points fell to 3,650.

"Nice," smiled Saurius. "But don't get cocky…"

"Your move again, Yugi…" he said. "That is, unless you want to give up now, which I highly recommend…"

"Never!" shouted Yugi, drawing.

He gave the card a strange look.

"I'll place this Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said, "and that's all I can do..."

The hidden Monster appeared.

"Make your move," he sneered.

"You're going to run out of Monsters soon," warned Noah, making a draw.

He added the card to his hand.

"And you know something Yugi?" he sighed. "I changed my mind. I summon Asura Priest again!"

He put the card down, and Asura Priest appeared for the third time.

"Now, Shinato…" started Noah.

Shinato raised his arm.

"Wait…" said Noah, stopping. "Know what? I think I'll have Asura Priest attack first! How tough can that Monster's Defense be? Asura Priest, attack!"

The daggers appeared in Asura Priest's hands, and he hurled them, impaling the card…

The Morphing Jar appeared and laughed, before shattering.

"A Morphing Jar?" mused Noah.

"Now you must discard your whole hand," stated Yugi, "and we must both draw five cards…"

"Big deal!" muttered Noah, throwing his huge hand of cards into the discard slot. "I don't need these cards anymore anyway…"

Both of them drew five cards.

"And now," he shouted, with his eyes gleaming, "Shinato, attack Yugi's Life Points directly!"

The Divine Ring appeared in Shinato's hands…

"No!" shouted Mary.

"Yugi!" yelled Clive.

"Don't!" gasped Peter.

"I can't watch…" gulped Amber.

The blast plowed into Yugi and he let out a bloodcurdling scream! He fell, sprawled on the floor with his clothes in tatters, and his cards fell out of his hands.

His Life Points were reduced to a mere 350.

"And that's my turn," smiled Noah, as Asura Priest returned to his hand. "But do us all a favor Yugi, and stay down. You can search your deck from now until Judgment Day, and you won't find anything that will help you."

Yugi slowly sat up… he gathered the five cards.

_It has to be here… _he thought, looking at them._ I don't have many cards left…_

_Damn…_

He looked at his deck tray. Only two cards of his deck remained from the long duel.

_Everything rides on the next draw, _he thought._ If it literally hit the bottom of the deck, I'm finished…_

He got up.

"Are you still trying to win?" laughed Noah, in amazement.

"I am," snarled Yugi. "So here goes!"

He drew.

The card shone in the dim, scarlet light of the lava-filled cave. The raging magma erupted again.

"Get ready, Noah," snarled Yugi, "because I'm about to render you hardware obsolete!"

He took the card he had just drawn.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "To bring back Dark Paladin!"

He threw the card into a slot, and the sword-wielding Spellcaster returned. (2,900/2,400)

"Ha!" laughed Noah. "A fat lot of good _that_ will do you! Shinato's already defeated that Monster, so how can… What?"

Dark Paladin's Attack Score started to go up…

"WHAT?" shouted Noah. "He's getting stronger?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Yugi. "Perhaps you forgot about Dark Paladin's other ability! Let me explain. He gains 500 extra Attack Points for every Dragon on the Field AND in both players' Graveyards!

"As you recall, you destroyed my Luster Dragon, sending it to my Graveyard. Also, when I just forced you to discard your hand, which you thought was no big deal, you were forced to discard your Yamata Dragon, which despite being a Spirit, is still considered a Dragon!

"With one Dragon in my Graveyard and one in yours, Dark Paladin's Attack Score is a powerful 3,900!"

"What? NO!" shouted Noah.

"And I'm not half done!" yelled Yugi. "I also play this Spell Card… the powerful Serial Spell!"

He threw another Spell Card into a slot.

"To play Serial Spell," explained Yugi, "I have to discard my entire hand…"

He discarded his cards.

"But it's worth it, because I get to replay the last Spell Card I just used… Monster Reborn! And I'll use it to revive the Monster you made me discard when I destroyed your Ashinigray!"

A beam of light fell on the field, and a large form materialized. A huge, beautiful woman with a perfect figure, a silvery bodysuit, and glorious wings arose, bathed in a radiant light.

"Arise, Guardian Angel Joan!" shouted Yugi.

(2,800/2,000)

"Before I attack," sneered Yugi, "I'll tell you about this Monster. Siegfried gave me this card as another sign of friendship, a token of thanks for saving his life.

"Now, both of his Monsters have aided me in this duel. His Dragon helped power up my Paladin, while his Angel will help finish you off!"

"No!" gasped Noah. "Wait! Maybe I was a bit hasty…"

"It can't be!" yelled Saurius.

"Dark Paladin," shouted Yugi. "Attack Shinato with dark sword of fury!"

Dark Paladin ran his finger along the blade of his sword, and magical runes danced over it. He gripped it in both hands, and made a great leap, bringing it down on the huge Fairy with a savage swipe! Shinato groaned, and then burst into golden fragments!

"Eek…" cried Noah, cringing in fear.

"It seems you are just like the real Noah," said Yugi. "Nothing but a cowardly little boy when things go against you. Guardian Angel Joan, finish this demon with searing light of Heaven attack!"

A determined look appeared on Joan's face. A ball of light appeared in her hands, and she hurled it forward! Noah screamed, as his Life points fell to zero.

"NO!" yelled Saurius. "He couldn't have lost!"

"He did…" exclaimed Yugi, as the Eye appeared on his forehead and the Puzzle started to glow.

"Noah's been defeated…"

The memory imp screamed. The thing with Noah Kaiba's face exploded.

"Your imp is… deleted."

The lava cooled into hard rock. Guardian Angel Joan and Dark Paladin waved to Yugi before they vanished.

Yugi's friends ran up to him and hugged him.

"All right!" gasped Yugi, exhausted. "Lay off… I'm feeling the love…"

They all turned to Saurius.

"Now you fiend," warned Yugi. "Keep your word and let Siegfried's soul go!"

Saurius bore his teeth. He looked at them with an expression of pure hate.

And then, he smiled. It was a smile that they didn't like at all…

He held up the globe containing Siegfried's soul.

"Certainly, Yugi," he smiled. "I'm a man of my word… so Siegfried gets his soul back…"

The orb vanished. Siegfried slowly woke up and opened his eyes.

"Y-Yugi?" he moaned.

"Now then…" said Yugi.

Saurius pointed a claw towards Siegfried.

"Unfortunately, Yugi," he sneered. "I never told you that I'd let him keep his life…"

To the horror of everyone there, the demon shot forth a beam of evil energy, hitting Siegfried point-blank! Siegfried screamed in agony and fell flat on his face!

Saurius let out a cruel laugh.

"YOU MONSTER!" yelled Jade.

She drew her sword and leapt at the beast. But Saurius was ready. He leveled a mighty punch which sent her flying backwards.

Saurius laughed again.

"Let this serve as a demonstration of my power, Yugi!" he shouted. "And I'm giving you an ultimatum! You have seventy-two hours to find the Mandate and deliver it to me… Fail to do so, and after that time, I'll start killing the guests and staff of Duelatopia at a rate of one every ten minutes! Siegfried's Duel Monsters paradise will be turned into a charnel house!

"Seventy-two hours… not a second more…"

He held up a deck of cards.

"And I'll just keep Kaiba's deck as a souvenir…"

And then, he vanished.

All of them ran up to the prone form of Siegfried.

"No…" cried Yugi. "That maniac… He had nothing to gain from doing that… he only did it out of sadistic fun…"

He lifted up Siegfried in his arms.

Siegfried's eyes opened a little…

"Siegfried…" he begged, with tears running down his cheeks. "Please come back to us…"

"Yugi…" whispered Siegfried. "Private files… favorite… Monster… You have to… save the… Mandate…"

He closed his eyes and went limp.

"Siegfried, please…" pleaded Mary. "Don't leave us…"

But it was too late.

Siegfried Kaiba had fallen…

…and he would never rise…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ASHINIGRAY**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** Flip: Your opponent discards one card from his hand. When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon one "Ashinigray" from your deck in facedown Defense Position.

_Note: "Ashinigray" was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode "Isolated in Cyberspace (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SQUARING THE CIRCLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A summoning circle inside a rune-covered square.

**Card Description: **You may make a second Normal Summon this turn. The second Normal Summon must be used to Normal Summon a Spirit Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DIFFERENT DIMENSION JAUNT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **D.D. Warrior Lady before a glowing portal.

**Card Description: **Select one face-up Monster your opponent controls and remove it from play. Return it to the field in the same battle position during the End Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EXTRA LIFE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **The words "1-Up!" in video game style.

**Card Description: **Activate when your Life Points are reduced to zero, and your Graveyard contains at least 1 Spell Card whose effect includes increasing the owner's Life Points. The duel is not ended at this time. Take up to three Spell Cards from your Graveyard whose effect includes increasing the owner's Life Points and activate them. If the effects of these cards successfully raise your Life Points above zero, you may continue the duel. If not, you lose the duel. Afterwards, remove the selected cards and this card from play.


	51. Swarm of Locusts

_**My name is Bo Schermet, and I'm the national Duel Monsters champion of Switzerland. I earned the nickname Little Bo Peep, due to the unique nature of my deck.**_

_**I came to Duelatopia in hopes of winning… I failed in that regard, but who would have thought I would find love instead?**_

_**We met, and we dueled. He defeated me with his Final Countdown card. I must say it was an unpleasant way to lose, but he was so sweet afterwards… And something about those big aquamarine eyes and his great hair… I was smitten with him at first sight.**_

_**Now, Hell has come to this island, literally. My new beau is in a world of trouble. I may have failed to go all the way in the tournament, but I can still duel. **_

_**If I win this duel, he'll be saved from a horrible fate…**_

_**If I lose, I'll share his fate, but hopefully we'll be together…**_

_**Either way, I'm willing to face the challenge before me. Love conquers all…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Swarm of Locusts**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The six members of the Defenders sobbed for quite some time. Their good friend had been brutally murdered by a lunatic, and there had been nothing they could have done to prevent it. The sheer cruelty of what they had seen was almost too much for them…

They had no way of knowing that, hours earlier, another disaster was about to occur, on the streets above them.

At around nine-thirty, around the time when Yugi and Jade's duel with Dread and Despair was nearing an end, Little Bo Peep was franticly searching the streets of the hotel strip.

She shouldn't have been out here. The Centurions had warned every guest to stay in their hotel rooms. And Duke had stayed with her to comfort her.

But food had run out, and the mini-bar was empty. Duke went out anyway, in hopes of finding something that was edible.

That was two hours ago, and he hadn't come back.

Fearing the worst, Bo had strapped her Dueling Disk on her arm and ventured outside. She knew something was up when the dull black color of the gem had turned back to orange for some reason.

The sky outside was covered with angry clouds, and thunder rumbled. Strange sounds shrieked from alleys and side streets.

"Duke?" she called out. "Duke? Where are you?"

Then she heard a yell. It was Duke. She recognized that voice.

She ran in the direction, down an alley and into a large back-alley. And there she stopped at a horrifying sight.

Duke was dueling – just who, she couldn't see, due to the shadows. But that wasn't the worst of it. He apparently had been afflicted with his own Final Countdown device!

"Your move, mortal," said a voice that sounded like it had bees in its throat.

Duke drew a card, sweat running down his face.

"I Tribute my Spikebot and my Yaranzo to summon Orgoth the Relentless!" he shouted.

His two Monsters vanished, and the hulking armored barbarian appeared.

"Orgoth, direct attack!" he shouted.

The Warrior charged.

"Activate… Negate Attack!" exclaimed the opponent.

"No!" gasped Duke.

The opponent chuckled.

"That about wraps things up, mortal," he said. "Since you don't have any more moves to make, I'll make mine…"

There was a pause.

"I'll simply draw… and end my turn…"

The mechanism on Duke started to beep furiously, and then it exploded! Duke screamed and was thrown backwards.

"NO!" shouted Bo.

"Seems like I'm the winner," gloated the figure, stepping out of the shadows. "You thought you could win using Final Countdown, never knowing that I could redirect a Spell Card with Mystical Ref Panel…"

Duke struggled to get up.

Bo saw the figure clearly, and her first thought was one of incredible disgust…

The creature combined the worst aspects of man and insect. His head resembled that of a giant fly, with sharp mandibles. He had insectile claws in place of hands, his arms were covered with disgusting hairs, and the puce-colored nobleman's suit he wore was stained with brown filth. Large wings like that of a fly grew from his back. A cloud of flies (which obviously didn't bother him) swarmed around him, and he had a stink that Bo could liken to an arson attack on a condemned slaughterhouse.

"Now then," said the creature. "I'll just take what I came for…"

He reached at the quivering form of Duke Devlin Jr. with his claw…

"LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU CREEP!" shouted Bo.

The two of them looked up, noticing her for the first time.

"Bo, no!" shouted Duke. "Run! Get out of her before he does to you what he did to me!"

"I said stay away from him you… whatever the Hell you are!" shouted Bo.

"Take his advice," growled the creature. "This doesn't concern you anyway. I defeated him fair and square… so now he owes me his soul."

"WHAT?" gasped Bo. "Duke?"

"It's… true…" moaned Duke.

"How could you have made such a dumb bet?" she screamed.

"He didn't leave me much choice…" groaned Duke.

"He had a choice," stated the creature. "He could have died, or he could have dueled for my stakes. Actually, I think he took the stupider option… he had no idea what he was up against…"

"That's monstrous…" gasped Bo.

"You'd best be on your way while you have a chance, girl…" said the demon.

He reached for Duke again. Bo looked on in fear.

Then she looked at her Disk…

"WAIT!" she cried.

"Now what?" snapped the creature.

"You like collecting souls, Mr… say, do you even have a name?" asked Bo.

"Bezelbub," proclaimed the creature. _"General_ Bezelbub, Lord of the Flies and head of the armies of Lord Saurius."

He said it as if it were the most important thing in the world.

"Well I have a wager for you…" proposed Bo.

She lifted her Disk.

"…double or nothing!"

Bezelbub chuckled.

"Well," he snickered, "that certainly IS amusing…"

"Bo, don't!" gasped Duke. "You weren't able to beat me… I wasn't able to beat him! Do the math…"

"I've got to try, Duke…" muttered Bo, with a tear falling down her eye.

"Well, Bo was it?" asked Bezelbub.

"Little Bo Peep," answered Bo.

"Cute," said the General. "I do have urgent business to attend to, but I still have time… And just by looking at you, I can see that you're as pure as new-fallen snow.

"I would love to enslave a soul such as yours.

"So I accept your challenge… double or nothing. After all, I don't doubt my ability to defeat some shepherd girl dressed in lace!"

"Bo, please," begged Duke.

"Quiet!" snapped Bezelbub. "And just to make sure you don't go anywhere…"

A mass of slimy tentacles emerged from out of the ground, and wrapped around him, securing him in place.

Bo shivered in fear.

"Just let me make one request first!" she pleaded.

"What?" sneered Bezelbub.

"If I lose…" said Bo. "Promise you'll let the two of us stay together…"

Bezelbub laughed.

"Amusing," he chuckled. "I guess I can tell you… I keep the souls I collect sealed in blocks of amber. But since I'm such a nice guy, I have no problem letting you two share one… you can spend eternity gazing upon one another…

"And you'll spend most of the time wondering if your wager was worth it…

"Now shuffle, load, and prepare to lose!" ordered the fiend.

Bo started to gain courage.

"The only thing I'm going to lose is my lunch," sneered Bo, shuffling her deck. "No offense, but you-reeka!"

"Funny," answered the General, loading his deck. "I'd be angry if it weren't for the fact that you were far from the first one who commented on my aroma. Fact is, I've been insulted about it so often, I don't even care."

"Enough," exclaimed Bo. "Activate holo-imagers!"

The imagers shot out of her Disk, and the Disk flipped into position. General Bezelbub repeated the trick with his own enchanted Disk.

"LET'S DUEL!" they both shouted.

_Good luck Bo…_ thought Duke.

"Just to be fair," said Bezelbub, "I'll let you make the first move…"

"Fine," said Bo, making her draws.

_Hmmm,_ she thought.

"I play… Scapegoat!" she called out.

She threw the card into a slot, and the four puffy, colored, sheep appeared before her.

"Humph," mocked Bezelbub. "Have a bad first hand? Your mammalian herbivores won't last long…"

"We'll see," responded Bo. "I'll also place two cards facedown, and that will end my turn."

The General drew with his claw.

"I'll show you a _real_ Monster," he said. "I summon the mighty Insect Knight!"

He placed a card down, and a low hum droned over the field. A tall creature looking like a humanoid mantis with a brown exoskeleton carrying a small shield and a jagged sword flew into view. (1,900/1,500)

"Huh?" said Duke. "You didn't use that against me! It's as strong as Archfiend Soldier!"

"I'm full of surprises," answered Bezelbub. "Insect Knight, attack her Scapegoat with your mandiblade!"

Insect Knight raised his sword and flew forward!

"I activate… Waboku!" shouted Bo.

Her Trap Card flipped up, and the three priestesses appeared. Insect Knight was driven to a halt.

"What?" sneered Bezelbub. "You wasted a Waboku card to protect your tokens?"

"I'm full of surprises too," grinned Bo. "Is that your move?"

"Yes," said the demon.

"Then I'll draw," said Bo, drawing. "And I'll draw two more cards with my Pot of Greed…"

She placed the card into the slot, and made two more draws.

"Now I'll reveal my other facedown card," she exclaimed. "A powerful Spell Card called Lightning Vortex!"

The card lifted…

"I just discard this…" she said, discarding a card.

Lightning bolts started to strike her opponents side of the field!

"And say goodbye to your Insect Knight!"

Insect Knight was blown to bits!

A stench like burning garbage emitted from the spot where it was.

Bezelbub's Life Points fell to 7,025.

"Lucky move, girl…" he sneered.

"I'm not done," continued Bo, opening her Field slot. "Now I'll play this card – Gaia Power!"

She slid the card into the slot, and a small forest of trees sprouted up around the alley.

"This Field Spell Card raises the Attack Score of all Earth Monsters by 500 points, at a cost of 400 Defense, giving a boost to the attack of my four Scapegoats!"

(500/0 x4)

"Now, I'll switch them into Attack Mode…" she started.

The four sheep bore fangs and claws…

"And I'll attack you with them!"

The four sheep flew towards the vile creature and sank their teeth into his limbs! He shrieked in an attempt to swat them off.

His Life Points fell to 5,025.

"All right!" yelled Duke. "It's all good!"

"I hated telling my sheep to do that," laughed Bo. "I'm sure you taste plain awful!"

"Okay," snarled Bezelbub. "Maybe I underestimated you a tad. Just a tad, mind you. But now I get serious…"

He drew.

"I summon Humanoid Slime, in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a blue glob of slime appeared in the air. It formed into a vaguely humanoid shape with rubbery arms, wearing a golden breastplate. (800/2,000)

"Oh no," shuddered Duke. "Watch out, Bo, he's going to…"

"Uh, uh, uh!" warned the demon. "I'd keep quiet about how I use my cards if I were you, Duke. Remember, until the unlikely event that she wins this duel, you're mine. So unless you want me to seal your lips closed – and I will – you'll keep quiet about my strategy."

"Fine…" growled Duke.

"Now, Humanoid Slime, attack her Scapegoat!"

Humanoid Slime stretched forward and constricted around the blue Scapegoat, absorbing it! Bo's Life Points fell slightly, to 7,700.

"Now I'll play a card facedown as well," continued Bezelbub. "And it is your turn."

Bo drew.

_Yes! _she thought._ Now I can really damage his Life Points!_

"I summon my loyal sheepdog to the field," she said. "Milus Radiant!"

She put a card down, and the small, shaggy dog appeared. (300/250)

"This guy may not look like much," exclaimed Bo, "but he adds 500 to the Attack Score of all Earth Monsters on my side of the field, including himself! With the boost from Gaia Power, that makes his own Attack Score 1,300, and my three remaining Scapegoats 1,000!"

The scores changed.

"Now my Scapegoat," she ordered. "Splatter his Humanoid Slime!"

The red Scapegoat leapt forward…

"I don't think so," smiled Bezelbub. "I knew you'd try to attack my Slime. That's why I placed this special Trap…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Temporal Displacement!"

"What?" asked Bo. "What does that do?"

"It immediately shifts one of my Monsters from Attack to Defense Mode, or vice-versa!" answered Bezelbub. "So my Humanoid Slime, which has a weak Attack Score, is now shifted into Defense, where it's strong!"

Humanoid Slime shielded itself, and the Scapegoat crashed into it.

"And you lose 1,000 Life Points!" laughed the General.

Bo's score went down to 6,700.

"Ooh," grumbled Bo. "I end my turn. But your Slime still isn't strong enough to destroy them."

Bezelbub drew.

"Oh?" he responded. "I summon Worm Drake in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a hideous green and yellow worm appeared with a beady eye in its jaw, and a stinger on its tail. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,000)

"And since this creature is an Earth Monster," laughed the General, "as are most Monsters in my deck, your own Field Card works against you, so thank you, you fool!

"Now, I'll shift my Humanoid Slime back to Attack Mode…"

Humanoid Slime rose back to attack formation.

"Worm Drake, destroy her Milus Radiant!"

Worm Drake darted forward, and chomped down, devouring the small dog.

The Attack Scores of the three Scapegoats returned to 500.

"Humanoid Slime, take care of another sheep!" he yelled.

The Slime stretched forward again, absorbing the red Scapegoat.

Bo's Life Points fell again, to 5,800.

"Okay, it's my move now…" stuttered Bo.

She drew.

"I'll shift my two Scapegoats into Defense Mode," she said.

The two tokens backed up.

"And now I'll summon Mystical Sheep #2 in Defense Mode."

She put the card down, and her large, orange ram appeared, sitting in Defense. (800/1,000) –) (1,300/600)

"Very well," grinned Bezelbub, drawing.

"I summon The Wicked Worm Beast in Attack Mode!" he proclaimed, putting a card down.

The Monster that appeared was disgusting beyond belief. It looked like a mass of huge worms on legs, and a fanged mouth. (1,400/700) –) (1,900/300)

"Now, Wicked Worm Beast, destroy her Mystical Sheep with slime spray!" he commanded.

The creature spat a gout of ooze at Mystical Sheep, melting it into goo.

"Ga-ross!" yelled Bo.

"Humanoid Slime! Worm Drake! Destroy her Scapegoats!"

Bo could only watch as her last line of defense was devoured.

"Looks like you're out of Monsters," laughed the General. "I end my turn, and due to The Wicked Worm Beast's effect…"

The Wicked Worm Beast vanished.

"…it returns to my hand," he said, recovering it. "It is your move."

Bo drew.

"Now," she started, taking another card from her hand, "let me tell you a few qualities that a good shepherd must possess…"

"I don't have time to chat about shepherding," said Bezelbub, annoyed.

"Maybe you could learn something," she continued. "First good quality a shepherd must possess, she must have great concentration. She must be ever alert to guard her flock against wolves and other predators. The slightest slip might lead to disaster.

"Thus, I play a Spell Card… Gather Your Mind!"

She fit a card into a slot.

"What does that do?" asked Bezelbub.

"It lets me search my deck for another Gather Your Mind card," replied Bo, reaching for her deck.

"Ha!" laughed Bezelbub. "How is that supposed to help you?"

"It thins out my deck a bit, and lets me shuffle," sneered Bo, getting what she needed.

Her Disk reshuffled her deck.

"That leads us to another quality a good shepherd must have," she continued. "She must always know the value of her supplies. She can't always leave her flock alone, so she must always have enough food and water to make it through long watches.

"Thus, I place my Gather Your Mind card facedown…"

She did so.

"…and I play the Spell Card Emergency Provisions, to destroy it and my Gaia Power card."

A huge mouth appeared, and swallowed the two cards. The forest vanished.

"By destroying my two cards, I gain 1,000 Life Points apiece," she said.

Her Life Points went up to 7,800.

"And the third good quality," she continued, "things always come in threes you know, is find an isolated spot. This hides your flock and keeps them safe from poachers and rustlers. Thus I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense, and keep it hidden from you."

She placed a card down, and it appeared.

"I'm not impressed," snarled Bezelbub drawing. "This talk of sheep is boring me…"

He looked at his card.

"Perfect," he said. "I play Polymerization!"

He placed the card into the slot, and Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake melted into ooze. They merged together with a gurgling sound, and took shape into a huge, clawed creature that seemed to be made from more solid plasma, and combined the aspects of both Monsters.

"Meet my Humanoid Worm Drake!" exclaimed Bezelbub.

(2,200/2,000)

"Well THAT'S an original name," said Bo, sarcastically.

"Insult me all you like," snarled the General, "for while my Drake can't attack this round, my Wicked Worm Beast sure can!"

He put the card down, and The Wicked Worm Beast reappeared. (1,400/700)

"Attack her facedown Monster!" he commanded.

The Wicked Worm Beast shot forth its spray of slime…

Then a large hedgehog with golden quills appeared on the card! (1,000/1,800)

"Ha!" laughed Bo. "You just attacked my pet Thousand Needles! And since its Defense is stronger than Wicked Worm Beast's Attack…"

Thousand Needles shrugged off the slime, and then shot a volley of needles at The Wicked Worm Beast! It moaned, and burst into an explosion of ooze!

"…your Monster is destroyed. Now you lose 400 Life Points from the failed attack, and another 350 from your Worm's destruction!"

Bezelbub's Life Points fell to 4,375.

"Big deal!" growled Bezelbub. "On my next round my Drake will tear your little hedgehog to pieces. Your pathetic mammals are no match for my army of invertebrates!"

"You know what I do to worms and bugs?" sneered Duke. "I swat at them with a rolled up copy of _Sports Illustrated_!"

"You be quiet," snapped Bezelbub. "Aren't you in enough trouble?"

"Well it's my turn," said Bo.

She drew.

"Take this…" she cried. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

She threw the card into the slot and it appeared, throwing glowing swords forward! They crashed around the evil General.

"That won't stop me for long…" he warned.

"Well I have to end my turn," said Bo. "Do your worst."

"My worst, eh?" he exclaimed, drawing.

"Fine. I summon the terrible Neo Bug!"

He placed a card down, and a low drone erupted over the field. A huge Insect that looked like a cross between a scorpion and a wasp with a blue exoskeleton flew onto the field, clicking its huge mandibles. (1,800/1,700)

"Two turns to go," he offhandedly said.

Bo drew.

"Okay, Belzy," she exclaimed. "I Tribute my Thousand Needles to summon Ancient One of the Deep Forest!"

She switched cards on her Disk, and Thousand Needles vanished in a beam of light. A large form appeared; it looked like a large, white goat with a fluffy tail and sapphire-blue eyes. (1,800/1,900)

"Legend says that when a shepherd is in danger, Ancient One of the Deep Forest will hear her cries for help and come to her aid," explained Bo. "And it appears he has."

"Humph," mocked Bezelbub. "He comes in vain. He can't harm my Humanoid Worm Drake."

"Not yet, he can't," smiled Bo.

_Not yet? _thought the demon._ What does she mean by that? What sort of Equip could she have that would make it strong enough?_

He drew.

"Perfect," he chuckled. "I'm getting a little tired of bugs… maybe a few Plants will be a good change. I summon Vampire Orchis in Attack Mode."

He placed a card down, and a plant sprouted out of the ground. It quickly grew into a large tree, with an ugly face on its trunk. Two tentacles with fanged mouths reached down from its branches. (1,700/1,000)

"No!" shouted Duke. "Bo, watch out, he…"

"Quiet Duke!" ordered Bezelbub, "or you won't be able to talk at all!"

"Anyway," he continued, "when I summon Vampire Orchis to the field, I am also able to special summon this Monster from my hand…"

He put a card down.

"I summon Des Dendle!"

He put a card down, and a slimy creature apparently made of mold appeared next to Vampire Orchis. (300/2000)

"Now, Des Dendle, cover my Vampire Orchis!"

The mold-creature oozed onto the monstrous tree, covering it with a coating of green slime.

"Eeew," gasped Bo. "What's the point?"

"You'll find out soon," warned Bezelbub. "I'll play a card facedown and end my turn. One round to go."

The facedown card appeared.

Bo drew.

"I'll play my second Scapegoat card," she announced.

She fit the card into the slot, and four more sheep tokens appeared.

"Ancient One," she yelled, "attack his Vampire Orchis with billy goat ram!"

Ancient One of the Deep Forest charged towards the wicked tree…

Bezelbub's facedown card lifted up.

"You activated a powerful Trap, mortal," he laughed. "It's called Betrayal!"

"What?" stammered Bo.

A dark hole appeared on the field and Ancient One charged into it.

"This Trap is activated by an attack," grinned Bezelbub. "Now I can redirect your goat's attack right past your Scapegoats and into _you_!"

Ancient One of the Deep Forest charged out of the dark hole, and then rammed into Bo! She shrieked and fell over.

Her Life Points fell to 6,000.

"Such a pity," chuckled Bezelbub. "It seems I turned your spiritual savior against you. But betrayal is an essential part of the politics of Hell. We think nothing of betraying superiors, colleges, and even underlings to get ahead in the infernal armies. It's a practice that mortals could learn a lot from…"

"You're sick…" growled Bo, sitting up.

Ancient One of the Deep Forest bleated sadly.

"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault," said Bo in a soothing voice.

"Pathetic," mocked the General. "You speak to your Monsters as if they were real. All that Beast is is cardboard and ink… It doesn't care about you, and you're an idiot for caring about it."

"I almost pity you," sneered Bo. "Almost. A true duelist knows that she should respect her Monsters. Each one is a unique being with its own talents! They fight for your, and they willingly give up their lives for you… they deserve your respect!"

She glared at him.

"I end my turn, by the way."

"Then I'll draw," growled the General. "Respect, pathetic."

He looked at the card.

"I think I'll pass for this turn."

The Swords vanished.

"But next round, I'll be free to attack, so prepare..."

"Oh, don't worry," chuckled Bo, drawing. "I'm already prepared…"

She fit a Spell Card into a slot.

"You aren't the only one with powerful cards!" she cried. "I play Big March of the Animals!"

The card lifted, and her Scapegoats and Ancient One started to glow.

"What?" gasped Bezelbub. "What does that do?"

"Simple," explained Bo. "For every Beast I have on the field, Big March of the Animals increases my Beasts' Attack power by 200 for one round. That gives Ancient One of the Deep Forest an Attack Score of 2,900, which is more that enough to take down that gelatinous thing you call a Monster!"

"Oh, geeze…" stammered Bezelbub.

"Ancient One of the Deep Forest," yelled Bo. "Attack Humanoid Worm Drake!"

Ancient One charged, and rammed the Drake with his horns, and the vile thing burst in an explosion of blue slime!

"So much for your Drake…" said Bo.

"Yes!" cheered Duke. "Keep it up!"

Bezelbub's Life Points fell down to 3,675.

He was clearly angry.

"Your move, Mr. Lord of the Flies," mocked Bo.

Ancient One's Attack returned to his regular level.

"Gladly," smiled Bezelbub, drawing.

"And I'll refresh my hand by playing Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed.

He inserted the card, and drew two more.

And then he laughed. And his laugh was not very pleasant.

"You are far from the only one who knows how to use tokens, mortal," he laughed. "Allow me to show you a little trick…"

He placed a Monster Card down.

"First, I summon Gokibore in Attack Mode."

A small roach-like creature appeared, hovering in the air.

"Now, a Spell Card," he continued. "Multiplication of Ants. This allows me to transform one Insect Monster into two creatures called Army Ant Tokens."

He fit the card into the slot, and Gokibore split into two pools of slime. They formed into two large ants. (500/1,200 x2)

"Now, another Spell Card," he said. "This one is called Token Thanksgiving. It first destroys all tokens on the field, meaning my two Army Ants, and your four Scapegoats."

He fit the card into the slot, and all six of the tokens disintegrated.

"And that's far from all," he continued. "For every token I just destroyed, I gain 800 Life Points!"

His Life Points shot up to 8,475!

"And finally," he said, sliding another card into a slot. "I'll Equip my Vampire Orchis with this card… Vile Germs!"

A swarm of ugly bacteria appeared before Vampire Orchis, attaching to it and covering it with brown splotches.

"Ugh," groaned Duke. "Just when I thought it couldn't get uglier!"

"Vile Germs raises the Attack Power of any Plant by 300 points," smiled the demon. "Vampire Orchis, tear Ancient One of the Deep Forest apart with wicked tendrils!"

Vampire Orchis gave a shriek, and reached forward with its mouthed tendrils. Ancient One bleated, and was torn asunder.

"And that's not all," grinned Bezelbub. "When Vampire Orchis destroys a Monster while Equipped with Des Dendle, I can summon another token, known as a Wicked Plant Token!"

A bud formed off of Vampire Orchis and dropped to the ground. It grew into a hideous-looking bush with thorny vines. (800/800)

"Now then," sneered Bezelbub, "for someone who was so vocal a moment ago, you seem awfully quiet now…"

Bo was sweating heavily…

"Neo Bug!" he shouted. "Attack her Life Points directly!"

"No! Bo!" shouted Duke.

There was nothing he could do. The huge Insect flew forward and clamped its huge mandibles around Bo's waist and squeezed! She screamed!

"Wicked Plant," he commanded, "you attack as well!"

The nasty weed shot forth its vines and raked them across Bo's chest, ripping two gashes across her breasts! She shrieked and held the wound.

Her Life Points had fallen to 3,400.

"Make your move, dear," chuckled Bezelbub. "I predict you have but one round to live."

Bo's hand shook as she drew.

"I… I place one card facedown and end my turn," she stuttered, putting the card into a slot.

Bezelbub laughed out loud.

"You really expect me to fall for such an obvious Trap?" he laughed. "Well, I won't attack this round…"

He drew.

"I'll simply augment my forces, and summon Girochin Kugwata in Attack Mode…"

He put the card down, and a small Insect that looked like a mosquito appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"That's just what I wanted you to do Belzy," said Bo with a grin.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"NO!" shouted Bezelbub. "Not Torrential Tribute!"

A huge tidal wave appeared behind Bo, and a dome of energy surrounded her. The wave crashed down, obliterating Bezelbub's Monsters and drenching him.

His Life Points took a dive to 6,900.

"ARGH!" shouted Bezelbub, getting up. "I _hate_ water! I hate anything that _swims_!"

"I was your own fault," chuckled Bo. "Any other dumb moves you want to make?"

"NO!" he shouted.

"Then it's my draw!" she exclaimed, drawing.

"You've got him on the ropes Bo!" shouted Duke.

"Shut up!" yelled Bezelbub.

"I'll summon Mystical Sheep #1 in Attack Mode," said Bo.

She placed the card down, and another large sheep, this one with purple wool, appeared. (1,150/900)

"Attack his Life Points directly!" commanded Bo.

The Sheep charged, and rammed him with its horns, pushing him backwards! His Life points fell to 5,750.

"Your move," she smiled.

Bezelbub snarled as he drew.

_My Man-Eater Bug, _he said, looking at the card._ She's likely going to Tribute that Sheep for something more powerful on her next turn, and this will destroy it!_

"I'm placing a Monster facedown, and that will be all," he said.

The hidden Monster appeared.

Bo drew.

_Wow,_ she thought.

"I'm playing the Spell Card Change of Heart!" she exclaimed. "This will bring your mystery Monster over to my side!"

She played the card, and Change of Heart appeared. She dove into the facedown card, and it slid over to her side.

Bezelbub's eyes widened for a minute, but then he chuckled inside.

_Once she flips that Bug, it has to destroy something, _he thought._ Either itself or her Sheep. It should put a dent in her plans…_

"Now I'm going to treat you to a special sight," started Bo. "Tell me, have you ever heard of George Washington?"

Bezelbub growled.

"A mortal leader of pure and incorruptible morals," he grumbled. "He sickened me."

"True," continued Bo. "He had great morals. But while it was true that he could never tell a lie, he liked to tell… tall tales."

"Tall tales?" exclaimed Bezelbub, surprised.

"Yes, tall tales," explained Bo. "His favorite song was a little ditty called _Derby Ram_ which told the story of an enormous sheep! It went like this…

"_As I went out to Derby, upon a market day,_

_I spied the biggest ram, sir, that was ever fed on hay._

_The horns upon this ram, sir, they reached up to the moon,_

_A lad went up in April, and he didn't get down 'til June._

_The fleece upon this ram, sir, it reached up to the sky,_

_The eagles made their nests there, you could hear the young 'uns cry."_

"All right!" shouted the demon. "I have better things to do than listen to nursery rhymes! Is there a point to this?"

"Why yes," explained Bo, taking the card she had just drawn. "Prepare to meet the Derby Ram in all his glory! I Tribute my Mystical Sheep #1 and your facedown Monster to summon him!"

The Sheep and the facedown cards vanished in purple smoke, and a huge form started to take shape…

"May I present," pronounced Bo, "BEHEMOTH THE KING OF ALL ANIMALS!"

The creature which stood in front of Bo was beyond belief. It looked like a ram in basic outline – it had horns, a fleece of wool (which was purple), but it had sharp claws and razor-sharp teeth! It bellowed a great bleating roar! (2,700/1,500)

"Whoa, where'd you get that?" shouted Duke. "It's freakin' awesome!"

"And this lovable guy has a great effect," smiled Bo. "I can now recover two Beast Monsters from my Graveyard and add them to my hand."

Two cards slid out of her discard pile.

_Mystical Sheep #1 and Ancient One of the Deep Forest will be good for later,_ she thought.

"Now, my Derby Ram," commanded Bo, "run him down with Demolition Derby!"

Behemoth roared and charged forward, trampling the evil General! He screamed as he was knocked prone.

His Life Points fell to 3,050.

_Ugh, _he thought._ She managed to summon a very powerful Monster! If I don't do something fast, I'm going to lose to this… shepherd!_

He drew.

_Hmm, not bad…_ he thought.

"I play… Card of Sanctity!" he said.

He fit it into the slot, and a bright blue light lit up the sky.

"Now we must each draw until we have a full hand!" he exclaimed.

They both replenished their hands.

"I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense, and end my turn," he said.

"Fine," she smiled, putting a Monster Card on her Disk. "Mystical Sheep #1, return!"

The purple sheep, a David to the Goliath next to him, reappeared. (1,150/900)

"Behemoth, attack his facedown Monster!" she ordered.

Behemoth roared and charged at the facedown card.

"You fell for, just like I planned!" laughed Bezelbub.

As Behemoth struck the facedown Monster, a weird creature that looked like a coiled-up worm appeared. It leapt from the card, and coiled around Behemoth's head!

"Huh?" said Bo in surprise. "What's that?"

"It's a creature called Kiseitai," chuckled Bezelbub. "Now watch…"

Kiseitai's tail burrowed into Behemoth's skull!

"Yuck!" gasped Bo. "What have you done?"

"You will see on your next turn," said Bezelbub. "Now finish your current one."

"Fine," yelled Bo. "Mystical Sheep, attack him directly!"

Mystical Sheep charged and rammed into General Bezelbub again, knocking him over. His Life Points fell to 1,900.

"Your Life Points are in serious trouble!" laughed Bo.

"We will see," said the demon, wiping himself off. "My move?"

"Mmm!" approved Bo.

He drew.

"I'll place one card facedown, and summon Kamakiriman in Defense Mode!" he yelled.

He placed the cards. The facedown card appeared, and then a huge mantis with legs and scythe-like claws appeared in front of him, shielding itself with its claws. (1,150/1,400)

"Make your move," he dared.

Bo drew.

"Now you'll see what I did to your Behemoth," snarled the General. "Kiseitai is a parasitic Fiend that feeds off other creatures like a leech. Every time your turn starts, half of your Derby Ram's Attack Score will be added to my Life Points! And he has a _large_ Attack Score!"

His Life Points went up to 3,250.

"Yeah?" responded Bo. "Well he may have a leech on him, but he can still attack your Kamakiriman! Behemoth, attack!"

Behemoth charged…

"Activate Negate Attack!" shouted Bezelbub.

The Trap Card lifted, and Behemoth was halted by a vortex.

"Damn," muttered Bo. "It's your move."

"I'll be glad to make it," said Bezelbub, drawing.

He looked at his card.

"I'll simply put this card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He slid the card into a slot, and it appeared.

"Then it's my turn," said Bo, drawing.

"Then I'll take more Life Points!" laughed Bezelbub.

His Life Points went up to 4,600, as Behemoth howled.

"Be careful, Bo!" shouted Duke. "This is exactly how he beat me!"

_Nuts, _thought Bo._ I have to get rid of Behemoth… he's helping him too much. Well, fortunately I can…_

"I'll Tribute my Behemoth to summon back an old friend," she said.

She switched cards, and Behemoth the King of All Animals vanished in a puff or blue smoke, along with the Kiseitai. In his place arose Ancient One of the Deep Forest. (1,800/1,900)

"Ancient One," shouted Bo, "destroy his Kamakiriman!"

Ancient One of the Deep Forest charged, and smashed the bug-man to pieces!

"Your bug just went splat!" shouted Bo.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Bezelbub. "I wanted you to do that. By destroying my Monster, you triggered my Trap!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Revenge Sacrifice!" he shouted.

Two tentacles reached out of the Trap Card and pulled Ancient One into it!

"NO!" gasped Bo.

"Now I can Tribute your Monster for one of mine," laughed Bezelbub, placing a card down. "Meet my Dungeon Worm!"

The ground rumbled, and a huge earthworm-like creature with a circular, fanged mouth burst out of the ground. Even though it had no eyes, it seemed to glare at Bo. (1,800/1,500)

"All right," stuttered Bo, starting to perspire. "I'll shift Mystical Sheep into Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

She turned the card, and Mystical Sheep sat in Defense.

"Good," smiled the fiend, drawing.

"And I summon Gruesome Goo in Attack Mode!"

He put the card down, and a large, foul creature made of, well, goo, appeared. The amoeboid creature had two beady eyes, and a singly slimy claw. (1,300/700)

"Go my Goo!" he yelled. "Attack her Sheep!"

Gruesome Goo let out a gurgling sound and sloughed forward. Mystical Sheep baaed in horror as the thing enveloped it; in seconds, it was gone.

"Now, Dungeon Worm…" ordered Bezelbub, pointing.

Dungeon Worm roared, and dove, burrowing into the ground…

"Where'd it go?" said Bo, nervously.

"Look… down…" smiled Bezelbub.

"Down?" stammered Bo, looking down.

The pavement underneath her started to crack…

Then she screamed, as the worm burst up mouth first, swallowing her!

"BO!" shouted Duke.

"PTUH!" said the worm, giving a heave. It spit its victim out, and she fell flat on her face.

Her Life Points fell to 1,600.

_Another attack like that, _she thought,_ and I'm finished! _

She looked at her hand.

_Got to do something… she thought. I have a powerful Monster here, but summoning it is tricky…_

She drew.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" she said. "To give me more to work with…"

She drew three cards.

_Yes!_ she thought.

She made two discards.

"I'll play one card facedown," she started, "and then I'll play… Stray Lambs!"

The facedown card appeared, and then two white sheep appeared.

"More tokens?" smiled Bezelbub. "Pathetic…"

"Make your move," said Bo, nervously.

The demon made his draw.

"Well, just in case that facedown card is a Mirror Force, I'll summon Insect Soldiers of the Sky in Defense Mode."

He set the card down, and a huge dragonfly appeared. (1,000/800)

"Now, Dungeon Worm, devour her Lamb!"

Dungeon Worm burrowed underground again…

"Activate… Waboku!" shouted Bo.

The Trap lifted, and the three priestesses appeared. Dungeon Worm was forced backwards.

"Bet you didn't know I had two of those," mocked Bo.

"Figures," sneered Bezelbub. "But it only lasts one turn."

"One turn is all I require," said Bo, drawing.

She placed a card down.

"Because now I Tribute both Stay Lambs to summon Baarthanius the Shepherd!"

A beam of light fell on the field… the two Lambs were consumed…

An imposing form arose. The tall Spellcaster in his dusty-brown robe with a drawstring belt and his great beard appeared, carrying his crooked staff. His eyes pierced the darkness of the alley as he looked with determination at the demon in front of him! (2,000/1,900)

"Who is THAT?" gasped Bezelbub, feeling fear for the first time.

"A Spellcaster of great holy power," explained Bo. "And his curse will decimate your forces! Baarthanius, cast your curse on Insect Soldiers of the Sky!"

Baarthanius waved his staff and the dragonfly dropped to the ground. A light enveloped it, and it transformed into a brown sheep!

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the General.

"I've just rendered your bug useless," smiled Bo. "Now it can't attack, can't shield you from a direct attack, and can't be Tributed. And Baarthanius isn't done! Baarthanius, attack his Dungeon Worm with bright rainbow blast!"

The Spellcaster aimed, and fired a beam of multicolored light! The Worm roared, and was reduced to dust!

Bezelbub's Life Points were reduced to 4,400.

"How dare you humiliate me like this?" he yelled.

"I dare, all right," said Bo. "And as soon as you have no Monsters that can protect you, Baarthanius will go right for your Life Points!

"My turn is over…"

Bezelbub started to get nervous. He drew.

"I'll shift Gruesome Goo into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

"And now I'll summon Kuwagata in Defense Mode."

He put the card down, and a large beetle-man with an orange exoskeleton and a fanged face appeared. He knelt in Defense. (1,250/1,000)

"That's all I can do," he said.

"Lovely," said Bo, smiling sweetly.

_Yes! _she said._ My last Scapegoat card! All I have to do is play this, and on my next turn, I'll summon a Monster that will make the perfect combo!_

"I play my last Scapegoat," she said.

Four more sheep tokens appeared next to Baarthanius.

"Now, Baarthanius, cast your curse on Kuwagata!"

Baarthanius waved his staff, and Kuwagata roared! It was transformed into an orange sheep.

"Now, destroy Gruesome Goo!"

Baarthanius fired, and Gruesome Goo splattered into… gruesome goo.

"All right!" shouted Duke. "You're almost all clear, babe! Polish him off!"

"THAT DID IT!" shouted Bezelbub.

He threw his claw towards Duke, and a glob of slime hit him in the mouth, gluing it closed. Duke tried to move his arms, but they were held fast.

"I warned you…" sneered the demon.

"Your going to pay for that," snarled Bo. "It's your move… but I doubt anything you summon can defeat Baarthanius."

_If I lose to a flock of sheep, I'll be humiliated! _thought Bezelbub._ The rest of Saurius's army will have a field day with this!_

He drew.

_Yes!_

"I'm going to place this Equip on your Shepherd!" he said, plugging it into the slot. "It's called Crippling Contagion!"

Baarthanius gasped, and looked sick.

"What have you done?" said Bo.

"When a Monster is Equipped with Crippling Contagion, any effect it has is nullified! Thus, my two Monsters are restored…"

Insect Soldiers of the Sky and Kugwata returned to normal.

"…and he won't be able to do it again! Now make your move…"

"Fine," snarled Bo, drawing a card. "In that case, I'm going to Tribute my Scapegoats…"

"You can't Tribute Scapegoats!" snapped Bezelbub.

"Actually," explained Bo, "the Monster I'm about to summon can only be summoned by Tributing Scapegoats or Stray Lambs! So, as I was saying, I Tribute all of my Scapegoats…"

The four sheep tokens vanished.

"And I summon my **Flock of Noble Sheep**!"

Five small forms appeared in front of her. It was a group of ewes, dressed in armor, with large butterflies fluttering around them. (1,900/1,900)

Duke opened his eyes wide. Clearly, this Monster was new to him.

"And," added Bo, "for every token I used to summon them, Flock of Noble Sheep's Attack Score goes up by 100 points!"

(2,300/1,900)

"How cute," said Bezelbub, sarcastically.

"And you may have taken away my Shepherd's powers, but he can still attack! Baarthanius, attack his Insect Soldiers of the Sky!"

Baarthanius pointed his crook, and blew away the dragonfly.

"Flock of Noble Sheep, attack his Kugwata with pasture pummel!"

The flock flew forward and threw themselves on Kugwata, chewing the huge Insect to bits!

"You have no Monsters left, Belzy," smiled Bo. "We're almost done."

Bezelbub snarled and drew.

He looked at the card.

"Heh, heh," he chuckled. "HA, HA, HA, HA! This beast will win the duel for me!"

"What Monster did you just draw?" asked Bo, nervously.

"I'll show you in a minute," said Bezelbub, adding it to his hand. "The problem is, under normal conditions, I need to Tribute two Monsters to summon it…"

"Well I won't let you have that many out!" mocked Bo.

"Then I'll just have to special summon it," shrugged Bezelbub. "Watch…"

He took a card from his hand and placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Pinch Hopper in Attack Mode," he said.

A large grasshopper appeared on the field. (1,000/1,200)

"What good will that do you?" asked Bo.

"Now I'll use a Spell Card," continued Bezelbub, ignoring her. "Eradicating Aerosol!"

He placed the card into the slot, and a huge spray can appeared above him.

"This special Spell Card destroys all Insect Monsters on the field," he continued. "Pinch Hopper… begone!"

The Aerosol can sprayed a mist of poison on Pinch Hopper, and it melted into sludge.

Bezelbub's Life Points fell to 4,350.

"You might be wondering why I just destroyed my own Monster and took 250 points of damage," he said.

"Yeah, I was wondering…" muttered Bo.

"Well, when Pinch Hopper is sent to the Graveyard," explained Bezelbub, "I can special summon ANY Insect from my hand with no Tribute required!"

"Any… Insect?" stammered Bo.

"Yes… ANY insect…" chuckled Bezelbub.

He placed a card down.

"So prepare yourself, as I summon my **METAL ARMORED BUG**!"

A HUGE Insect, one almost the size of Behemoth, burst out of the ground. It was a gargantuan beetle, covered in a carapace of shiny steel! (2,800/1,500)

Bo drew back in fear.

"Scared?" mocked Bezelbub. "You should be. With the exception of Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, this is the most powerful creature in the Insect kingdom! My only choice now is, which of your two Monsters it should devour first!"

Sweat was running down Bo's face…

"Think I'll take out the stronger one first," laughed Bezelbub. "Metal Armored Bug, attack her Flock of Noble Sheep!"

The huge beetle clicked its mandibles and bore down on the five sheep… Duke looked away…

A huge clang was heard…

He looked…

To the surprise of Duke and Bezelbub, Baarthanius the Shepherd had run in front of the creature, and was now holding its massive jaws back with his staff! The Spellcaster and the Insect struggled, but eventually Baarthanius won, and Metal Armored Bug skidded back.

"Surprised?" smiled Bo.

"WHAT?" gasped Bezelbub. "HOW?"

"What do shepherds do, Bezelbub?" she asked. "They protect sheep! Your Crippling Contagion removed Baarthanius's effect, but NOT the effect of my Flock!

"Flock of Noble Sheep is a Monster that was designed to work with Baarthanius. So long as he's on the field, they can't be attacked! You just wasted your turn!"

"Grrr, it doesn't matter!" shouted Bezelbub. "Next round, I'll attack him, and it will be all over!"

_He's right, _thought Bo._ And there isn't a single Monster in my deck with enough Attack points to beat that thing. But there must be a way…_

She drew.

_Double Spell,_ she thought.

She paused.

_Oh, I just got the craziest idea!_

"I play… Double Spell!" she shouted.

She threw the card into a slot.

"By discarding one other Spell Card…" she continued.

She discarded her other Stray Lambs.

"…I can duplicate one Spell Card that you've used!"

"What?" gasped Bezelbub.

His compound eyes seemed to widen in horror…

"No… you wouldn't… you couldn't…"

"I would, I could, and I will!" said Bo, with a smile. "I'm duplicating your Eradicating Aerosol!"

The huge Aerosol can appeared behind her.

"So bye-bye Bug!" she yelled, as the can sprayed its poison.

Metal Armored Bug roared, and melted into slag.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" screamed Bezelbub, as his Life Points fell to 3,550.

"Well, let's see," said Bo. "I think I just defeated you! Baarthanius, attack with bright rainbow blast!"

Baarthanius pointed his crook, and fired his multicolored beam, striking the demon general. He screamed!

"ARGH! It burns!" he screamed. "IT BURNS!"

His Life Points fell to 1,550.

"Flock of Noble Sheep, finish him off!" shouted Bo.

The Flock flew forward and tore into the Lord of the Flies, tearing at his flesh! He howled, as his Life Points fell to zero.

He fell to his knees.

_The rest of the army is never going to let me live this down… _he thought._ I can't let anyone know…_

He glared at Bo.

The holograms vanished. Bo walked up to him.

"You lose, you… whatever you are," she snarled.

She pointed to Duke.

"Now let Duke go, and go back to wherever it is you came from."

Bezelbub looked up at her and sneered.

"You must have me confused with someone who actually plays fair, mortal," he growled.

He lunged at her!

"You may have won, but at least I'll get satisfaction!"

Bo screamed…

And then he stopped short.

"General Bezelbub!" shouted an angry voice.

Bezelbub waved his hand, and a white sphere appeared. Two red eyes appeared in it.

"Will you stop fooling around up there and do what I told you to do?" shouted the voice.

"Um, yes master," stammered Bezelbub.

He glared at Bo.

"You two just got very lucky…" he grumbled.

He turned tail and fled into the darkness.

The tentacles restraining Duke crumbled into dust. Bo ran up to him.

"Duke, are you hurt?" she gasped.

"Only my pride," he said.

They kissed deeply.

"You did good, babe," he said. "Thank goodness someone called him away…"

"Let's get out of this alley and back to the hotel," said Bo. "We can do without food for now… I lost my appetite anyway. God, what do you think is happening to this city?"

"We'll worry about that later baby," answered Duke. "For now, how about giving me the whole song?"

"Song?" asked Bo.

"You know," he said. "The one about that huge Monster you summoned. The one George Washington liked. It was interesting."

Bo smiled sweetly.

_As I went out to Derby, upon a market day,_

_I spied the biggest ram, sir, that ever was fed on hay._

_And if you don't believe me, or think that I would lie,_

_Well, you go down to Derby, and you'll see the same as I._

_The horns upon this ram, sir, they reached up to the moon,_

_A lad went up in April, and didn't get down 'til June._

_The fleece upon this ram, sir, it reached up to the sky,_

_The eagles made their nests there, you could hear the young 'uns cry._

_And all the boys of Derby, came begging for his eyes,_

_To kick around the streets, sir, 'cause they were of football size._

_And all the gals of Derby, came begging for his ears,_

_To make 'em leather aprons that would last 'em forty years._

_And all the men of Derby, came begging for his tail,_

_To ring St. George's passing bell from the top of Derby jail._

_It took all the boys of Derby, to carry off his bones,_

_Took all the maids of Derby, to roll away his stones._

_Now the butcher that killed this ram, sir, he was up to his thighs in blood,_

_The boy that held the basin, he was washed out in the flood._

_I tell you it's the truth sir, I've never been known to lie,_

_And if you go down to Derby, you can have a piece of the pie._

In the darkness that gripped Duelatopia, the song brightened the two duelists for a short time and lessoned the horror that was narrowly averted. They had no idea of the even greater horror that was happening right now… below… beneath the streets.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLOCK OF NOBLE SHEEP**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Tributing 3 or more "Sheep Tokens" and/or "Lamb Tokens". Increase the ATK of this card by 100 for each Token that is Tributed to summon it. If you control a "Baarthanius the Shepherd", this card cannot be targeted for an attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REVENGE SACRIFICE (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **A frightened woman running from two ghostly hands reaching out to grab her.

**Card Description: **Activate when a Monster you control is destroyed by battle. Tribute the attacking Monster and Special Summon from your hand a Level 5 or 6 Monster that can be Normal Summoned.

_Note: "Revenge Sacrifice" was first used by Krump in the original anime episode "Freeze Play (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TEMPORAL DISPLACEMENT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A warrior with a shield and a phantom of himself with a sword in front of him.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack against a face-up Monster you control. Change the battle position of your Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BETRAYAL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Gravekeeper's Spy handing a scroll to Don Zaloog while nervously peering over her shoulder.

**Card Description: **Activate when your opponent declares an attack. Change the attack into a direct attack against your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CRIPPLING CONTAGION (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Jinzo screaming as rust covers its armor.

**Card Description: **Equip only to an opponent's Monster. The Equipped Monster's effect is negated.


	52. Last Will

_**Several times over the aeons, they thought I had been destroyed…**_

_**But like the mythical phoenix, I arose from the ashes each time, stronger than before, ready to prey on the unsuspecting fools once again. My patience was infinite.**_

_**He thought his technology hid him. He thought his army protected him. He thought wrong. I hid right under his nose with my own army until the time came to strike, and strike I did. **_

_**Though his will proved unshakable against my interrogations, though foolish allies rushed to his aid, and though my servants disappointed me, the Chosen One has fallen, and the one whom is no doubt his heir will obey my ultimatum, lest he wants innocents to suffer.**_

_**Because my patience is running thin…**_

_**Yugi will find the Mandate, and he will deliver it… or the blood will flow like wine…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Last Will**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark recesses of Saurius's abandoned lair, the six Defenders sobbed…

But they knew that they couldn't sob forever. Duelatopia was in grave danger, and they had much to do.

Tenderly carrying Siegfried's body with them, they began the long trek back the way they came… hallway after hallway, room after room, until, just at the break of dawn, they ascended the steps into the restaurant that led to the forsaken lair.

They were greeted by an imposing sight when they reached the outside. A squad of Centurions, with Captain Descartes at the forefront, was gathered in the streets. The sky was overcast, and thunder was rumbling more than ever.

"Captain Descartes," explained Yugi, nervously, "we know this looks bad, but it wasn't us… you see…"

Captain Descartes removed his helmet slowly.

"We know it wasn't you, Yugi," he said sadly. "We finally managed to establish audio communication with the implants Siegfried had in him – they kicked in just before the duel you had with that… thing. Sadly, it was too late for us to do anything about it…"

He clenched his fist.

"That damned creature…" he cursed. The other Centurions bowed their heads.

"But anyway, the Duelatopian Centurions now await orders…" he continued.

"Uh… orders?" stammered Yugi.

Descartes raised an eyebrow.

"Siegfried never told you?" he asked. "He left orders that on account of his death, control of Duelatopia was to be transferred to you. Then to Miss Wheeler in the case of your death, and in case of _her _death…"

"Wait," said Yugi, pausing. "I need a minute to take this in…"

He held his head. Obviously there was even more to this than he previously believed.

"Someone take custody of Siegfried's body," he said.

"Will do," said a Centurion. He started to speak into his helmet. "We need a transport here, stat!"

"Then," stated Yugi. "We need to evacuate Duelatopia. Immediately. In about…"

He looked at his watch.

"…sixty-seven hours, a mass-murder is going to start that we'll never be able to stop!"

"Uh, we can't do that…" sighed Captain Descartes.

"Why not?" gasped Yugi.

"We already tried," said Descartes. "The boats aren't here, and our communications have all been… sabotaged. No phones, radios, or e-mail systems are working. Some sort of sabotage has cut us off from the outside world, and we can't fix it…"

"You can't fix it because what you are attempting to fix it with is science," muttered Jade, "and the thing that is sabotaging it is magic. The two do not mix well."

"Basically, we're stuck here until someone comes checking on us," said Descartes, fearfully, "and that could take weeks."

"One thing's for sure," sighed Mary, "Saurius has definitely trapped us."

Yugi paced back and forth.

"We have three choices," he mused.

"One, do nothing, and let everyone on Duelatopia perish…

"Two, find the Mandate and give it to him, and potentially doom the whole world…

"Three, find a way to fight him…"

"The third option is likely the best, because I'm not about to give up…"

"How?" exclaimed Clive. "That coward will never duel you!"

Yugi thought.

"We have one lead…" he said, wracking his brain. "The last thing that poor Siegfried said to us…

"Captain Descartes, do you know anything about Siegfried's 'private files'?"

Descartes thought for a minute.

"You know?" he said offhand. "I just might…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

With the six Defenders in tow, Captain Descartes opened the door to Siegfried's manor house. He unlocked the door that led down to the wine cellar.

"Why would Siegfried need a wine cellar?" asked Peter, as they entered the musty room. "He wasn't old enough to drink wine…"

"Check out the bottles," answered Descartes.

Peter picked one up.

Empty.

"Siegfried told me that he hoped everyone would figure ALL rich folk had wine cellars, and would never realize that he didn't need one," he explained.

He took a key from a special holster.

"He also told me that if anyone of you mentioned 'private files' after his death, I was to use this… right here."

He went up to a small, nearly invisible keyhole in the wall.

"Of course, I have no idea what it does…"

He fit the key into the keyhole.

Then the whole south wall lifted up! It revealed a shiny metal wall, with an elevator door. Next to it was a speaker and two panels.

Yugi slowly walked up to it.

One of the panels slid open, revealing the outline of a hand.

"**Hand print identification, please,"** said a computerized voice.

Yugi slowly placed his hand on the outline.

"**Yugi Mouto Jr. Confirmed,"** said the voice.

The second panel opened, revealing a screen.

"**Retina scan identification, please,"** it said.

"This thing isn't taking any chances," whispered Clive.

Yugi looked into the screen, and a green light went on.

"**Yugi Mouto Jr. Confirmed,"** it said.

It paused.

"**Voice identification, please," **it said.

"Yugi Mouto Jr.," said Yugi.

A beeping was heard.

"**Confirmed. Entrance approved."**

The elevator doors slid open.

"I go no further," said Captain Descartes. "What do I do while you're in there?"

"Try to prevent panic," stressed Yugi, as the six of them climbed in the elevator.

"Doesn't sound very reassuring," sighed Descartes, as the door slid shut.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Down.

Down, down, and down.

The elevator slowly went downward, towards a place where, for all Yugi knew, no one but Siegfried and whoever built it had ever been.

_You know, _thought Clive,_ that's the trouble with having super-secret rooms – you have to share the secret with whoever you hire to build them for you. Not everyone can find a cave located under their stately manor. Wonder who built this thing for Siegfried?_

_Heh, maybe he had robots build it for him…_

_Actually, that isn't as farfetched an idea as it sounds. Have robots build the secret room, and then erase the memory chips. Then nobody would know about it. It would be the perfect…_

And then the elevator came to a stop.

The Puzzle on Yugi's chest activated.

"Be careful everyone," he said. "It isn't that I don't trust Siegfried…"

The door opened, revealing a spacious room. A large, comfortable chair was positioned in front of a huge computer monitor, which was behind a keyboard.

Other large consoles with monitors were at the sides of the room, with odd controls.

Yugi went up to the main monitor, with his friends behind him. He sat in the chair.

The computer flashed on.

"**Welcome Yugi Mouto Jr.,"** it said. **"Please input password."**

"Password?" said Yugi. "Siegfried never gave us a password…"

Everyone thought for a minute.

"Hey, Yugi!" exclaimed Mary. "That other thing Siegfried said! He said 'favorite Monster'!"

"Of course!" said Yugi. "That must be the password!"

He took hold of the keyboard and typed in:

**BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON**

He hit the Enter key.

And then an alarm sounded!

"**Incorrect password!"** screamed the computer.

The elevator doors slammed shut, and then the numbers 1:00 appeared on the screen.

0:59

0:58

"Guys," said Peter, "something tells me that we have one minute to find the _right_ password!"

"But what?" gasped Yugi. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon was his favorite Monster! It couldn't have been anything else!"

0:40

0:39

"People, this is not the time to panic…" said Jade.

Yugi typed something else in.

_BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON_

He hit Enter.

**"Incorrect password!" **yelled the computer.

"NOW can we panic?" screamed Amber.

0:20

0:19

"Yugi!" yelled Mary. "The computer granted _you_ access to this place – maybe it wants your favorite Monster!"

"It's worth a shot…" stammered Yugi.

"Hurry!" shrieked Peter.

Yugi typed in:

**DARK MAGICAN**

"Whoops," he stammered. "Misspelled it…"

"YAAAHH!" screamed Clive.

Yugi sweat as he moved the cursor.

**DARK MAGICIAN**

_Please let this work…_ he thought.

He hit Enter.

"**Password approved,"** said the computer.

The alarms shut down. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, heart, resume beating," gasped Clive.

They looked at the stopped timer.

It read 0:07.

"People, do you have a feeling we've seen this somewhere before?" asked Amber.

The computer screen turned to static. They all watched with anticipation.

A familiar face appeared on it.

"Siegfried?" they all said at once.

"Hello Yugi," said Siegfried's image. "At least I hope this is you. If not, whoever is now in command of Duelatopia, listen, because this will be the last time we'll be able to talk face to face. Since you're listening to this recording, I assume that I'm either dead or my soul has been imprisoned. It doesn't matter, so long as this message gets out…

"…and the rest of the world is saved from my fate… and that of my uncle."

The Defenders gasped.

"Let me first say that this sanctum is one of the few places in Duelatopia where you are completely safe from Saurius and his minions. He can't invade this room, his minions can't come here, and he can't eavesdrop on this conversation. I'll get to the how and the why in a little bit.

"Now, I apologize for the deceptions, half-truths, and outright lies I had to tell you and your friends, Yugi. But I feared that if I came right out and told you, your judgment would have either been clouded by fear, or a determination to stop Saurius at a time when such a thing was impossible. It had to be done when the time was right. If any of your friends died – or worse – in the conflict thus far, let me say from the bottom of my heart that I am sorry, and their loved ones will be given all the compensation that KaibaCorp can afford… I take complete responsibility."

"Thank God it didn't come to that…" muttered Mary.

"Anyway," said Siegfried, "it's time I came clean, and told you the whole truth. It began not with me, but with my uncle, the illustrious Seto Kaiba. You may have thought him an egotistical, arrogant, greedy blowhard, and in many ways, that's what he was. I admit it. But there was another side of him you didn't know… A side of him that no-one knew…

"You see, he was one of the Chosen Ones tasked to protect the Mandate of Heaven…"

The six Defenders drew back in complete surprise!

Thoughts swum through Yugi's head. His father's old rival… one of the Archlords' Chosen? How? Why?

He had a feeling Siegfried was going to tell him…

"Let me tell you the whole story of how it happened, Yugi," said Siegfried. "My uncle told me this little 'fairy tale' many times when I was a child… I liked calling it 'The Devil Went Down To Domino'."

A quizzical look came upon the Defenders' faces.

"You know how it goes," said Siegfried with a smile. "The Devil went down to Domino, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind, and thought maybe he could make a deal…"

He chuckled.

"Enough jokes. It all began about thirty years ago, seven years after Battle City. My uncle was still somewhat of a skeptic, but not as much of one as he used to be. He had seen many wonders in his time, and had started to open his eyes more, almost – but not quite – beginning to wonder if his arrogance had been the reason for his downfall so many times. He started to get tired of trying to compete with your father, and almost started to wonder if the rivalry was worth the trouble.

"One day, he was walking through Domino Park – alone. He had gotten sick of his constant bodyguards and servants and wanted time to himself. Even his ever-present brother was getting on his nerves, and my dad was growing up anyway, and didn't need to tag along anymore. They both needed time to themselves.

"He came upon a pitiful sight – a woman about thirty years old, crying her eyes out.

"A bit of compassion came over him, and he asked the woman what was wrong. She told him a story which seemed too strange to believe – but too serious to ignore.

"The woman – whose name isn't important now – had long been abandoned by her deadbeat spouse and had two small children to care for. In her efforts to support them, she had become weighed down by tremendous debt. It seemed that soon creditors would take everything from her, including her children, something she would do anything to keep from happening.

"But out of the blue, a stranger had appeared. He offered to supply her with the money to pay off her debts, in exchange for 'compensation' to be paid once the debts were all paid. It seemed too good to be true, but the woman was willing to try anything. She accepted.

"She didn't expect him to be serious, but to her surprise, several checks came in the mail, and before long she was able to pay off all her debts with ease.

"It was then that the stranger came seeking his compensation. It was a horrible price he demanded – her soul.

"Because the way he had gotten her to agree to the bargain was… underhanded to say the least, the fiend agreed to give her one day before he collected. When my uncle found her, she had only one hour left. Now she was at the point of utter despair. The children she had sought to save – she would never see them again now…"

"That's terrible…" muttered Mary.

"Quite a vile creature…" said Jade.

Siegfried continued.

"My uncle paused for a minute, and then he asked something that at first sounded callous. He asked how much money the demon had given her. She answered: fifty million yen.

"Then my uncle sat by her and said he would wait until the creature came. Exactly why, he didn't say.

"An hour later, the park became enshrouded in darkness, and figure in a dark robe appeared. The woman drew back in fear. The demon ordered him to leave, telling him that this wasn't any of his business.

"Then my uncle stood between them. 'I think it is,' he said. 'You made a bargain with this woman? Explain.'

"'She agreed to pay me compensation once her debts were paid,' grinned the demon. 'Is it my fault she never asked what the compensation would be?'

"'Were all her debts paid?' asked my uncle, raising an eyebrow.

"'Yes!' snarled the demon, 'I made sure of it. And she owes me her soul.'

"'Might I ask where you got the money to give this woman to pay her debts?' asked my uncle.

"The demon frowned.

"'If you must know," he answered, 'the money came out of my own pocket. I often have use for your currency, mortal…'

"And then, my uncle laughed out loud.

"'In that case,' he laughed, 'all her debts are NOT paid, fool! She still owes YOU a debt of fifty million yen, and until that last debt is paid, she doesn't owe you any compensation at all!'

"The demon paused, as if dumbfounded…

"And then he howled in rage! He pounced, as if meaning to tear him apart, but then lightning flashed, and the fiend vanished, as if called back by some greater power.

"You see, Yugi, my uncle was a great duelist, but he was also a great businessman. Exploiting loopholes in contracts came second-nature to him."

"Ain't it the truth…" muttered Clive.

"He calmed the poor woman," continued Siegfried, "warned her never to give the creature anything if he came back, and even pulled some strings at KaibaCorp to get her a decent job.

"He didn't think much of it in the days that followed. He'd done a good deed for a change, and doing it made him feel a little better about himself…

"But two weeks after the encounter, he received a strange visitor, a beautiful woman who called herself Shanalla. The woman praised him, saying that due to his charitable actions and quick thinking, an innocent soul had been spared. Shanalla told him she needed someone for a task, and that she needed someone responsible…

"My uncle said that he was. She said it would require dedication and commitment… he said he could commit to anything. She said it was a job that entailed protecting all of humanity the way he had protected the woman.

"My uncle paused at this, but he said that perhaps it would give him a greater purpose…

"He agreed to the task. And Shanalla kissed him, passing on the secret of the Mandate."

Siegfried paused for a second. Then he continued.

"He never saw Shanalla again, but he honored his commitment. For years, my uncle kept watch over the small island where the Mandate was hidden – he bought the property with his own money and established a small security force there. Some people wondered why, but they figured all rich folk were eccentric.

"Three years ago, shortly after Anastasia's death, Saurius came to Earth. As one of the Chosen, my uncle had powers that allowed him to detect this threat, so he decided to shore up the defenses. He came out of retirement. Using his money and influence, he regained control of KaibaCorp. I won't tell you exactly how he did it, but he managed to become the head stockholder again. Like I told you, he was an excellent businessman. Since he knew of the dangerous position he was in, he drafted a new will, bequeathing all of his shares of stock to me in case of his death. I had already owned about fifteen percent of the company, so if I inherited my uncle's sixty percent, my control would be pretty much unquestioned. My father didn't object – he had no desire to run KaibaCorp anyway.

"My uncle started a full-scale project on the island. Originally, the resort was going to be just a vacation resort, that catered to _very_ rich people. He called it 'Utopia'. You'd have to be in Fortune 500 to afford a vacation there. Naturally, the place was going to have heavy security. It was a surprise to the top brass of the company – KaibaCorp is a gaming company, and this had nothing to do with games. But when Seto Kaiba told you to do something, you did it.

"But, ten months ago, he did some research, and discovered Saurius's weakness against the Millennium Items. Believing that the son of his old rival held the key to destroying Saurius, he changed plans, converting his resort into… Duelatopia! Certainly, you would be there by the time Saurius found out the location. He worked closely with myself, and for the resort's opening tournament, I would act as an emcee called the Master of Games.

"The project went along at lightning speed. We were ahead of schedule a month later. The top executives at KaibaCorp were relieved – at least Seto Kaiba was himself again and doing what he loved. Or so they thought.

"But, eight months ago, tragedy struck. A leak went out – maybe someone ratted out my uncle. Just who, I don't know. Saurius followed rumors that lead him to my uncle. The demon and a bunch of his thugs invaded his home and tried to grill him for information.

"My uncle wouldn't tell them anything, no matter what the fiend threatened. I could only watch the whole thing. I've got to give my uncle credit the way he stood up to that jerk. He actually spit in Saurius's eye – twice!

"Eventually, Saurius grew impatient, and decided he was wasting his time. He simply cast a lethal spell that burst an artery in Seto's head and left him to die.

"As the demon left, I cradled him with grief… and with his last ounce of strength, he kissed me… and I inherited the duties that had been bestowed upon him."

By this time, The six Defenders were softly crying again.

"To avoid suspicion," continued Siegfried, "I didn't advertise my uncle's death. I gave him a private funeral, and told everyone it was a natural stroke.

"I continued the project… And expanded on it."

He paused. A tear trickled down his face.

"Now, I've likely been murdered as well, but Yugi, you are the only one who can possibly defeat Saurius and put an end to his mad plans once and for all. Only I know how it can be done. Listen up and commit it to memory, because this tape will only play once.

"You may have found out by now, that in the past, Saurius has been defeated by holders of every Millennium Item except the Puzzle. If you defeat him in a Shadow Game, he will be destroyed for good, and his threat will be ended forever. But you cannot just duel him anywhere.

"Listen closely. The battle must take place in a room with a white carpet with blue walls with a view of the sky, to stimulate a battle taking place in Heaven itself. That's why I constructed my manor's dining room the way I did – it fits the description.

"Now, Saurius will not duel you willingly, so you must find a way to lure him there. Once there, this control room has a way to keep him there.

"In the drawer under the keyboard, you'll find a short manual…"

Yugi looked down, and opened the drawer. He took out a short manual booklet.

"When you and Saurius are in the dining room, some of your friends will have to be here. Using the controls in this room, they can activate a special trap that I've set up.

"Now let me explain. During the years that my uncle served as a Chosen One, he discovered many great things. On a trip to Egypt, a voice led him to an ancient temple hidden below the sands. In the temple, he found an immense gemstone, the size of a house! This gemstone radiated incredible holy power! If any but the most powerful demons were to get near it, they would be eradicated.

"My uncle experimented, and found ways to use pieces of the gemstone. First, the trap set up in the dining room. Several pieces of the gemstone are arranged in the room's walls, floor, and ceiling. When the trap is sprung, which your friends must do, Duelatopia's main power source will deliver a charge that will form a grid which will prevent Saurius from leaving. You'll have him at your mercy, and he'll have no choice but to duel you.

"Of course, luring him to the house is something you'll have to figure out how to do on your own. He might know that the dining room is the right type of arena.

"Of course, Saurius might well call for help when he's trapped, but I have that covered…

"You might know that KaibaCorp wasn't always a gaming company. Under my uncle's rotten stepfather, it was a military company. Gozaburo Kaiba was a terrible man, but my uncle was forced to use his old plans to create the Centurions' armor, weapons and other equipment…"

He smiled.

"But he made a few adjustments…

"Let me explain how the Centurions' stun-guns work," he explained. "The guns have levels from one to ten. Level one does about as much as a bee sting. Level ten would knock out a pro wrestler.

"The Centurions don't know this, but, hidden in the core of their weapons is a small shard of that holy gemstone. When the weapon is set to level _three,_ no more and no less, the gemstone's power is tapped, and it becomes a completely _different_ weapon!

"Why three, you ask? Three is a special number. The Bible is full of threes, the Holy Trinity being only one of them. Besides, Duel Monsters is full of threes. You can have three of each copy of a card in a deck, my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is made up of three dragons, there were three God Monsters, there are three Machines that make up the XYZ Dragon Cannon, three deities that make up Gate Guardian… well, I could go on and on.

"The important thing is, on level three, these weapons won't do much pain to a mortal, but they will vaporize one of Saurius's minions, and perhaps even cause Saurius pain…"

"That's right!" exclaimed Peter. "The Centurions' weapons couldn't scratch Saurius's soldiers, but Siegfried's weapon was able to burn Saurius because he knew what level to set it at!"

"Thus," continued Siegfried, "you'll have to tell the Centurions to guard the manor with their lives, and set their weapons to level three. They'll easily be able to hold off Saurius army.

"As for the duel itself Yugi, I know of a few cards that might help. My spies got a message of a Duel Monster that might be of use…

"Archlord Zerato."

Yugi frowned.

"You see Yugi," continued Siegfried, "Maximillion Pegasus was inspired to create this card after a dream he had where he saw Heaven. Archlord Zerato is the image of a _real_ Archlord, one of the ones who banished Saurius in the first place.

"In theory, when Saurius sees this Monster, he'll become so frightened at the sight of the image of one of the ones who condemned him, that he'll get sloppy and careless, and make foolish mistakes. Your victory will be assured.

"Unfortunately, of the millions of cards I have, Archlord Zerato is not one of them. Certainly, in an island full of duelists, someone must have one, though…

"There's also a couple cards in a green envelope in that drawer that might help..."

Yugi looked down. He picked up the envelope.

"And one more thing, Yugi," said Siegfried. "Saurius has no power to tap the Shadow Realm, and he won't do it if he could. You must start the Shadow Game yourself…"

_Me? _thought Yugi._ Call upon the forces of the Shadows? Do I dare attempt such black magic at this point?_

_I guess I'll have to…_

"That is all the advice I can give you Yugi, but there is one more thing that I… or rather my uncle wanted to relay to you, and something that has become more important now."

Yugi's ears perked up.

"Saurius has likely destroyed my deck," sighed Siegfried, "meaning that my precious Blue-Eyes White Dragons are gone… gone forever. My uncle thought this might happen, and he did not want his beloved Monster to become extinct…

"You remember that Blue-Eyes card that your great-grandfather had? The one that he tore in half? Well, I'm praying that your father kept the pieces. My uncle has long regretted his crime, and he will make it up to your family.

"In the drawer you'll find the address of a research lab owned by KaibaCorp. They have a device that can restore a torn or mutilated card, putting it back together molecule by molecule. I've instructed them to do this job for Yugi Mouto Jr. free of charge. They'll restore Solomon Mouto's Blue-Eyes card to mint condition!"

Yugi took the paper out of the drawer. A tear trickled down his face.

"So then Yugi, all I can say is goodbye… and good luck. You are the Chosen One now…

"Please, do not fail…"

He bowed his head, and the image on the screen slowly faded.

There was a long pause. Tears were slowly falling down the faces of the six Defenders.

Yugi opened the envelope.

Two cards were in it. Quick Attack...

And a Fusion Monster. A very powerful one.

His eyes narrowed. Was _this _what his uncle was telling him about in that dream?

He slowly got up. He spoke.

"People," he said. "We have work to do…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Benefit #234 to being a demon:

You have no need to breathe, and thus can function both in air and water.

Underneath the waves, two miles off the coast of Duelatopia, was Saurius's new lair. He was on a rocky throne, surrounded by viewing globes in which he monitored the events of Duelatopia.

A globe appeared in his hand.

"General Bezelbub, report," he said.

"All is going well," answered the General. "We… lost track of Yugi, but he'll show his face soon."

"Of course," chuckled Saurius, "he's wherever the Mandate is. That fool is probably wracking his brain deciding whether or not to give it to me or not! But he'll make the right decision – I'm sure of it!"

"And what should I do, master?" asked the General.

"Continue what you were doing," answered Saurius.

He chuckled.

"And stay away from sheep!" he laughed.

Bezelbub groaned.

"Perhaps this humiliating experience will teach you not get sidetracked when I tell you to do something!" sneered Saurius. "you weren't up there to duel the guests, you were there for a different reason!"

"Can't a guy have any fun?" whined Bezelbub.

"Let me ask you this," asked Saurius, "are you having fun now that Little Miss Sunshine defeated you?"

"No…" groaned Bezelbub.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can have her as a personal slave girl once the Mandate is mine," said Saurius, "but NOT before. Now continue with the plan!"

"Yes master," he moaned.

The orb vanished.

_Fifty-eight hours, forty-seven minutes... _thought Saurius.

He paused.

_Twenty-one seconds…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi was with Captain Descartes.

"Okay, Captain, first thing's first," he said. "How long before you can assemble every duelist in Duelatopia in one place?"

"That will take about two hours," he said.

"Fine," said Yugi. "Gather them, and tell them to bring every card they have with them. Then, find out if anyone has this card…"

He handed him a slip of paper.

"Archlord Zerato?" asked Descartes.

"Yes," stated Yugi. "It's a very rare card, but I need it. Ask to borrow it, try to trade for it, buy it, _beg_ for it if you have to, but everyone's life might depend on me getting it!"

"Yes sir!" proclaimed Descartes.

"Also," continued Yugi. "I'd like a word with whoever is in charge of running the holographic projection tower."

"Sergeant Summers!" yelled Descartes.

Another Centurion ran up.

"Take Mr. Mouto her to see Professor Chang," he ordered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sergeant Summers drove Yugi through the city, where Centurions were stationed everywhere, ready to shoot anyone – or anything – that made a false move. Yugi almost hit himself for not telling them how to set their weapons – that should have been the first thing he did – but he'd get around to it. He hoped Saurius would keep his "word" and not attack until the seventy-two hours were up.

Their trolley drove up to the massive holographic projecting tower, at the base of which was a large building.

Summers went up to the front door, and opened it with a keycard. Yugi guessed that security for this structure was one of the tightest on the island. After all, without it, there would be no dueling.

They entered a virtual paradise of science. Computers and hi-tech machinery was everywhere, but not many workers were present. Yugi guessed that most of this was self sufficient.

Sitting at the controls of a huge console was an oriental woman in a lab coat, with glasses and her hair tied back in a bun. A look of worry was in her green eyes.

"Mr. Mouto," announced Summers, "this Dr. Cassandra Chang, D Eng."

"D Eng?" asked Yugi.

"Doctor of Engineering," she smiled, offering her hand. "Captain Descartes told me that you were on the way… God, what is happening?"

"It's hard to explain," sighed Yugi, "but we're going to need your help to stop the cad behind this. How powerful is this tower?"

"It's incredible!" exclaimed Chang. "It not only projected the duels for this island, but the ones for Industrial Illusion's Duelist Camp in Colorado! And it can maintain eight hundred duels at once!"

"I was thinking of something different," pondered Yugi. "Can this thing be programmed to project holograms other than Duel Monsters?"

"Honey, there's _nothing_ that this tower can't project," she assured. "You want me to put a holographic Statue of Liberty in the middle of Duelatopia, I can arrange that in two hours."

"Okay…" said Yugi. "We're getting there… How about using a hologram to cover a solid object?"

"Like disguise something?" she asked. "Well, theoretically, that could be possible…"

"Good," said Yugi. "Here's what I want you to do…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Three hours later.

The six Defenders had met up.

"Okay," said Mary. "Clive, Peter, Amber, and I have studied that manual. Once you lure Saurius into the manor dining room, we can use the controls to keep him in there – and give him an unpleasant surprise in case he tries to kill you."

"I don't know if he can even do that, but good," answered Yugi. "Now all we need is…"

"Mr. Mouto?" said a voice from a communicator on his belt.

Yugi picked it up.

"Talk to me," he answered.

"I've got bad news sir," sighed Captain Descartes voice.

"Bad news?" growled Yugi. "I don't want bad news, Descartes, I only want _good_ news!"

"I'm sorry sir," responded Descartes, "but we've spoken to all the guests. Not one of them has an Archlord Zerato card. They all said they'd willingly give you one if they had one – but it's a rare card."

Yugi paused.

"Sir?" said Descartes.

"Then we have one option," sighed Yugi.

He paused again.

"Send someone to take us to the detention center, and meet us there."

"Uh, sure," said Descartes. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. "Pray."

"Yugi," asked Clive, "you aren't going to…"

"It's our only chance, Clive," sighed Yugi. "Persephone is the only one we know who has that card… And no matter what she demands, we have to get it from her…

"That slut will never give you anything!" yelled Peter.

"We have to try…" sighed Yugi. "I'll give her Joan if I have to… Even if I have to duel her and _let_ her win, that's what I'll do… What's a little pride when the world is at stake…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, at the detention center…

"WHAT?" shouted Captain Descartes.

His rage was so intense, that the heavily armed security guards looked ready to run.

"I'm… s-sorry sir, but Miss Amore has… escaped…" squeaked the head of security.

"How could you let something like that happen?" shouted Descartes. "Siegfried made this place escape proof! Certainly a teenage girl couldn't have slipped away!"

"We… think she had outside help…" stammered the security guard.

"Outside help," growled Descartes. "Why didn't you look for her?"

"Can you ask?" pleaded the guard. "The Master of Games had been kidnapped! We had more important things to do! We were on a skeleton staff as it was!"

Descartes shook his head and turned to Yugi.

"She couldn't have left the island," he noted.

"Then we'd best try her hotel," said Yugi. "I just hope Saurius hasn't recruited her as well…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Another half-hour later, Descartes parked in front of The Sanctuary in the Sky hotel.

"Captain Descartes," stated Yugi, "you wait out here. We don't want her to panic and think she's going to be arrested."

"Yes sir," said the Captain.

"So what's your plan?" asked Mary, as they entered the elevator.

"I don't know," sighed Yugi, as they rode up. "This is one of those situations where I'm going to have to think up a plan as I go along…"

The elevator stopped at the twelfth floor. They walked up to a door and rang a bell.

After a tense minute, a voice answered which was clearly Persephone.

"Who is it?" she said, nervously.

"It's Yugi, Persephone, and we have to see you," he said.

"Yugi?" she said in surprise.

A small tremor was in her voice.

The door unlocked and it slowly opened.

"I've been waiting for you," she stuttered.

"Persephone, we…" started Yugi.

They all drew back in surprise.

Persephone had changed her wardrobe considerably. Her gothic black costume was gone. She was now wearing a white blouse and skirt, and the gaudy jewelry was gone as well.

"C-come in…" she stammered.

"Uh, I like your new look…" said Peter, in wonder.

"Th-thanks," stuttered Persephone.

"Uh," she continued. "Look, before you tell them to lock me up again, I wanted to give you guys something…"

"Persephone…" started Yugi.

Before he could say anything else, she reached over to her bedside table and picked up four letters. She handed them to Yugi, Mary, Clive, and Peter.

They skimmed through them, dumbfounded.

"You…" stammered Yugi. "You wrote written apologies?"

Persephone nodded.

"What happened Persephone?" asked Mary.

"Something strange," she replied. "Something… wonderful. A burden has been lifted off of me… It's hard to explain. But for everything rotten I did to all four of you… I'm sorry. Forgive me…

She picked up her deck.

"Fairies are supposed to be the exemplars of Light and Goodness… I was everything but. I perverted their very existence with my acts… I wasn't worthy to use them."

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Anyway, I'm ready to go back to jail now…"

Yugi paused.

"No," he said. "I'm in command of Duelatopia now, and you can consider this a pardon."

Persephone looked up.

"Apology accepted," he smiled.

"But," he continued, "we need to borrow something from you. This island is being threatened, and we need to borrow one of your cards… Archlord Zerato."

"Is that all?" smiled Persephone.

She leafed through her deck and pulled out the handsome, splendidly dressed Fairy lord.

"Be careful with it," she urged. "It is a rare card…"

"I will," said Yugi.

"Oh, Mary," said Persephone. "I wanted to give you something extra…"

"What?" asked Mary.

"You know that awful tape that was played of you and Yugi kissing?" she said, meekly. "I was the one who made it…"

Mary paused. Her fists clenched…

"You can punch me if you want…" sighed Persephone.

"Go on…" growled Mary.

"Well, I know how much you like Beast-Warriors," said Persephone, "so take this…"

She handed her a card. Mary looked at it.

"Wow," said Mary. "This is super-rare!"

"I made some good trades while I was here," mentioned Persephone.

"Thank you," said Yugi. "Keep safe, and…"

"WAIT!" shouted Persephone. "I almost forgot!"

She took two cards out of her deck and handed them to Yugi.

"You'll need these too!"

Yugi looked at them.

The Sanctuary in the Sky, and Warrior of Zera.

"You can't summon Archlord Zerato just by Tributing two weaker Monsters," explained Persephone. "First, that Field Card has to be active, and then you have to have Warrior of Zera on the field. Then you Tribute him to summon… ta-da! Archlord Zerato! And then you can discard a Light Monster to destroy all opposing Monsters!

"But be careful – if Archlord Zerato is destroyed, Monster Reborn, Premature Burial, or another card like that won't bring him back, because there's only _one_ way to summon him, and that's the proper way."

"Yeah," mentioned Peter. "Just like Mazera DeVille."

"Exactly," smiled Persephone. "Archlord Zerato is the polar opposite of Mazera DeVille. Both are powerful… but Zerato is much handsomer…"

"Can't argue with that," agreed Peter.

"Thank you, Persephone," said Yugi. "Take care…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was five o'clock in the afternoon.

Eighty of the strongest Centurions of Duelatopia, with Captain Descartes at the forefront were standing in a large promenade. Yugi and Jade were in front of them on a platform.

Descartes spoke into his helmet.

"Perimeter secure?" he asked.

"Affirmative," came the reply. "None of Saurius's henchmen are within sight."

"Perimeter secure, Mr. Mouto," he said.

"Okay troops, listen up," he said. "All the Centurions who aren't here will be on night shift tonight, because I'll need you all for the operation we'll be putting into effect tomorrow morning at seven AM. Here's how it's going to go down…

"All of you will be concealed at locations surrounding Mr. Kaiba's manor. By then, I want all of your weapons set precisely at level three.

"Now, you may be wondering, why level three when your weapons couldn't scratch Saurius's army even at level ten. In his last message to me, Mr. Kaiba told me of a secret to your weapons. These guns contain a secret power source which is only accessible at level three, and this level, the beam is fatal to these creatures."

The Centurions looked at their guns with wonder.

"Back to the plan," said Yugi. "After I lure Saurius into the manor, you are to surround the manor in a tight ring."

He pointed to Jade.

"I'm putting Miss Valentine in command of this operation. We know from experience that she can handle these thugs.

"Your job will be to keep any of Saurius's men from entering the manor. Shoot to kill. Show no mercy to these demons, because you won't be given any!

"Any questions?"

The Centurions were quiet.

"Good," said Yugi. "Then report to your barracks and rest, because I expect you at your stations at seven AM tomorrow!"

"Sir, yes sir!" they approved.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Defenders walked into Siegfried's manor house. All of them were exhausted, having not slept in thirty-six hours.

Yugi slumped in a chair in the study, and Yami left him for the moment. Maybe Yami was feeling tired too.

"Yugi," said Mary, going up to him.

"Yes, Mary?" he asked.

"I'm not going to be dueling much on this island anymore, so why don't you borrow this for when you face him," she urged. "You'll need all the help you can get."

She handed him the card Persephone gave him.

"Maybe that is a good idea…" he agreed.

Then Peter went up to him.

"Here, take this too," he said, giving him a card. "It will make the job a lot easier."

Yugi looked at it.

_That's for sure,_ he thought.

"Look, all of you," he urged, "try to get some sleep. We need to be in good condition in the morning."

"Agreed," said Jade. "This madness must end."

The five of them left for the upstairs bedchambers, leaving Yugi alone in the study.

Thunder rumbled outside.

_I'm tired, _he thought._ No, I'm too hungry to be tired. No, I'm too upset to be hungry. Poor Siegfried… if only there was something, ANYTHING that I could have done to save you…_

He closed his eyes…

And then he fell asleep.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He dreamt he was in a starry void, standing atop a cloud. He felt peaceful.

He looked at the stars, and they twinkled in the soft light.

"So Yugi," said a voice. "You finally found out my secret. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner."

He turned and saw Seto Kaiba standing in front of him.

The two eyed each other for a minute or two.

"So, uhm," muttered Yugi. "Where's Siegfried?"

"Purgatory," sighed Kaiba. "Don't worry, even a Pope has to go there after death to cleanse himself. But I estimate he'll only be there a day or two. But anyway, I'm here to give you a final bit of important advice…

"Your plan is sound… but you're neglecting one important detail. Namely, strategy for the duel itself."

"But…" said Yugi. "I have Archlord Zerato…"

"Don't get me wrong," said Kaiba. "Zerato is a powerful Monster, but he's tricky to summon. Plus, you're forgetting something, you might not get a chance to activate his mighty effect.

"See, Zerato's effect is easy when he's used by someone like Persephone. Her deck is loaded with creatures of Light. But you – your deck only has three creatures of Light: Mystical Elf, Skilled White Magician, and Guardian Angel Joan. And personally, I wouldn't use Joan as a discard – she's far too powerful to waste.

"Besides, Siegfried was wrong on one account. Saurius didn't destroy his deck. He still has it, and he'd likely use it. You already tasted the power of Siegfried's deck – and you can't use your Huge Revolution combo this time…"

"No," muttered Yugi. "I gave those cards away…"

"Listen Yugi," said Kaiba, putting his arm around him, "remember what I told you the last time we spoke? About the secret your father and I shared? In the duel that is to come, you'll be able to call upon a creature who might well be able to topple the God Cards!"

Yugi thought for a minute.

"The Fusion Monster..." he said.

"It was your dad's originally..." said Kaiba. "I think he intended to use it against me at some point... Thing is, he only used it to help me.

"It might be the key to victory here..."

He turned and started to walk away.

"I'm depending on you Yugi," he muttered. "Siegfried is depending on you…"

He started to vanish.

"The world is depending on you…"

Yugi woke up with a start.

The clock on the wall read 4 AM.

Thunder rumbled louder than before.

His stomach rumbled as well.

_That's a good idea, _he thought._ Best not take on this guy on an empty stomach._

He got up, and headed towards the kitchen.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his undersea lair, Saurius watched the time too.

"Forty-three hours, fifty minutes…" he said.

He paused.

"Eleven seconds…"


	53. A Feint Plan

_**It's all come down to this… Me versus him.**_

_**I didn't have long to plan… I can only hope it goes the way I did plan it…**_

_**I won't have my friends on the sidelines – it's far too dangerous. I can now only assume they'll be watching and cheering me on as they always do.**_

_**I don't mind admitting I'm scared. Who wouldn't be scared if he were about to face a creature who was older than the human race?**_

_**Almost five thousand years ago, a warrior wearing the Millennium Ring made a prophecy, stating that once he was defeated by holders of all seven Millennium Items, his defeat would be final, and he would plague the world no more. **_

_**Only the Puzzle has not yet defeated him, so if I defeat him, he will be gone forever.**_

_**But the warrior who made that prophecy only gave the conditions for his absolute defeat. He didn't say it was a certainty. Not even his powers could tell if my abilities would be enough to stop this dark force…**_

_**Because in the five millennia since his first Shadow Game, Saurius has improved, gotten craftier… better. He learns from his mistakes. **_

_**And even worse… He KNOWS that if he loses this time, he loses everything. **_

_**He won't go down easily…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**A Feint Plan**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Seven AM.

The sky got darker, and even angrier. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped.

On a street near the center of Duelatopia, all seemed quiet…

Seemingly.

Yugi Mouto Junior walked out into the open street. He looked at the large building in front of him – a large office building with huge glass windows.

He turned around. He looked at the item under his arm and lifted it in front of his eyes. It was a small, ornate wooden chest, decorated with fancy designs.

_Now it ends,_ he thought.

He looked up to the sky.

_I promise you Siegfried, _he thought,_ you won't have died in vain…_

Chilling wind rushed through the streets. He shivered.

"SAURIUS!" he shouted.

His scream echoed throughout the streets. He held the chest aloft.

"All right, you monster!" he cursed. "You win! You want this thing? Come and get it!"

For a moment, there was more silence, as his screams echoed throughout the city.

Then the lightning flashed more than ever! A cackling laugh echoed over the streets, as the sky turned blood red!

_He's coming to get it…_ he thought.

A dark portal opened twenty feet away from Yugi…

Saurius stepped out of it, and he spread his wings to their full span!

He grinned an evil grin…

"I knew you'd see it my way," he smiled. "Now kindly put that on the ground and step away… I might show mercy and let you live to see tomorrow…"

"Yeah," snarled Yugi. "Right…"

He clutched the chest to his chest.

"You want the Mandate, Saurius?" he asked. "You can have it… If you can reach it!"

And then, Yugi turned and ran! He fled into the building behind him!

"What the?" yelled Saurius, angrily. "If this is a joke, Yugi, I'll tell you right now, I am NOT laughing!"

He walked up to the door and knocked it down, following Yugi inside. He saw his quarry making a dash up a set of stairs.

"Idiot," laughed Saurius. "Don't you realize that if you flee upstairs, you've cut off your escape route?"

He walked up the stairs.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside, a set of holo-imagers surrounding the building shut down.

The office building vanished, revealing Siegfried's manor in its place.

From her hiding place, Jade spoke into a device.

"They are inside," she said. "Everyone move into position."

Quickly, but quietly, Jade and eighty Centurions moved from surrounding buildings and surrounded the manor.

"Remember troops," warned Jade, "keep the weapons sets to level three at all times."

"Affirmative, commander," replied Captain Descartes.

_Geeze, _he thought, looking at his weapon._ I hope Siegfried knew what he was talking about!_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep in Siegfried's private sanctum, Mary, Clive, Peter, and Amber were watching Yugi and Saurius from monitors.

"Don't let him catch you, Yugi…" gasped Amber.

"That shouldn't be a problem," chuckled Mary. "Saurius is so sure he's got Yugi cornered, he isn't even _trying _to run!"

"I do hope this thing Siegfried put together works…" sighed Clive.

A thought came to him.

"Guys," he shuddered. "I just had a frightening thought – Siegfried had no way to ever test this thing!"

They all turned towards the screens.

"There's no time like the present," sighed Peter. "We'll just have to hope Sieg knew what he was doing…

"And we can't worry about it now, because we're gonna have to activate it in about two minutes…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"WHERE ARE YOU?" screamed Saurius.

He looked around on the top floor.

"What's the matter, old boy," chuckled Yugi's voice. "Don't you like hide and seek?"

Saurius turned, and saw a portrait of Seto Kaiba on the wall.

He pointed to it and shot forth a blast of fire, burning it to ashes!

"That's going to be your face if you don't stop hiding!" he raged.

"Behind you…" called Yugi's voice.

He turned and saw Yugi's face.

He formed a fireball in his hand and threw it!

A shattering of glass was heard…

He had hit his foe's reflection in a mirror.

"Aw, too bad," teased Yugi. "Seven years of bad luck!"

"You aren't going to live for seven more _minutes!"_ screamed Saurius. "Now show yourself!"

He walked down the hallway.

He saw a door open…

A hand reached out, and dangled the Millennium Puzzle in front of him…

Then the door slammed shut.

"AHA!" shouted Saurius.

He rushed at the door and smashed it down!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"They're in!" screamed Mary. "Full power guys!"

The four of them started working the controls. An energy bar shot up from 0% to 100%.

A hidden generator in Duelatopia's nuclear plant came online, and fed energy to a specific part of the manor. In the dining room, a crystal embedded in the wall glowed…

Four beams from it struck four other crystals. Each of them connected to three others. A chain reaction started, and a fraction of a second after the generator came online, a grid of magical energy blanketed the room…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

And the room itself? The table and chairs had been removed, as had the rest of the furniture, but the white carpet was still intact, as was the blue wallpaper, skylight, and cherubic statues.

Standing in the center was Yugi, and just inside the door was Saurius, now angrier than he had been in years.

"All right Yugi," he snarled. "If you think I am impressed by this, you are sorely mistaken. You have nowhere left to run, so be a good boy, and hand it over…"

"You want it?" sneered Yugi. "It's yours. Catch."

He threw the chest at the demon, striking him in the head.

Saurius growled for a minute, but then he grinned from ear to ear.

"Finally," he smiled, grasping the lid. "After all this time, it's…"

He opened it.

His eyes opened wide.

Inside was nothing but a small slip of paper.

He looked at the one word written on it:

"**GOTCHA!"**

"Is this some sort of joke?" he demanded.

"No joke," said Yugi, softly. "We got you. We got you GOOD."

Saurius was beside himself. Flames erupted from his body.

It didn't seem to occur to him that the fire didn't even singe the wall or the carpet. Yugi smiled.

"Yugi," he warned, "I should kill you right now for this act of foolishness. But I can't very well claim the real Mandate if you're dead. You have less than two days left."

He turned his back to Yugi.

"It isn't that simple, Saurius," smiled Yugi.

Saurius paused.

He tapped his foot.

"Come on, come on," he said to himself.

He paused again.

"WHAT?" he yelled.

He looked dumbfounded.

"I can't summon my portal!" he screamed.

"This wasn't just a practical joke, Saurius," smiled Yugi. "I lured you into this building, specifically into this room that Siegfried prepared long in advance! It's a trap specifically designed to keep YOU inside!

"The holy energy that surrounds this room is an impenetrable barrier that will prevent you from leaving – my friends in Siegfried's secret sanctum saw to that. Can you feel it now, Saurius – the powerful energy that surrounds these walls?"

Saurius paused. The look on his face was enough to assure Yugi that he COULD feel it.

"Why you…" he cursed.

He lunged at Yugi…

And then he screamed as a bolt of energy struck him!

"Oh, I forgot to mention," grinned Yugi. "My friends can also cause you a great deal of pain if you try to hurt me. Feeling pain isn't something you're used to, is it?

"Let me tell you something – get used to it!"

"You're deluding yourself!" screamed Saurius.

A globe appeared in his hand.

"My army will tear this building to pieces!"

"Well," smiled Yugi, sitting down. "We'll just have to wait for them, I guess…"

"Troops!" screamed Saurius into the globe. "I need aid!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside, a genuine thunderstorm was starting. More than a thunderstorm. A thunder _battle._ Lightning bolts the size of which none of the mortals had ever seen flashed across the blood-red sky, raging to a cacophony of earsplitting thunder!

The rage of a demon lord had been unleashed…

"Be brave people," said Jade. "They are coming…"

"No," muttered Captain Descartes, who was by her side, _"you think?"_

The Centurions raised their weapons…

From out of nowhere, a squad of the dark warriors leapt to face them! There were at least two-hundred of them, dressed in their dark overcoats and sunglasses, bearing nasty swords.

They paused. A tall one at the forefront pointed.

"ATTACK!" he shouted. "Tear them apart!"

"Open fire!" commanded Descartes.

_Please let this work!_ he thought.

As the first wave of demonic soldiers charged, the Centurions opened fire with their guns, sending an onslaught of laser fire at the creatures…

The first line of the demons was thrown back, and fell on the ground! They burst into flames and vanished.

"WHAT?" yelled their leader. "That wasn't supposed to happen…"

"It worked!" shouted Descartes. "Keep it up, men!"

The soldiers of Duelatopia continued to fire; the evil creatures tried to advance, but they couldn't get close to the Centurions! Slowly, their numbers were blasted apart!

"Now it is MY turn!" shouted Jade, drawing her katana.

She leapt into the midst of the creatures, and swung her blade at one of them, blasting him to atoms. She cut through another, and then another!

A group of them tried to gang rush her, but she deftly made a great swing, and they all fell backwards! They exploded in flames.

In just five minutes, the infernal army was decimated to half their number. General Bezelbub appeared on the forefront.

"Call in the Dark Ballista!" he shouted.

Descartes ran up to Jade.

"Dark Ballista?" he mused. "What is that?"

The army stepped back. The Centurions paused.

A dark portal opened in front of them…

And a terrifying shape appeared from out of it! It was an enormous creature on four legs, with huge bat-like wings, a long neck, and a head resembling a cross between a dragon and a ram! Its hide seemed to be made of pure darkness.

The Centurions fired at the beast, and it roared! It shot forth a wave of fire from its maw, and the soldiers scattered.

"Captain," yelled Jade, "you and your troops concentrate on the grunts… I'll take care of that monstrosity…"

"You heard her!" yelled Descartes.

As the Centurions continued to fire on the demonic soldiers, Jade ran towards the beast…

The creature noticed her, and breathed flames! Jade raised her sword, and blocked the blow.

This wasn't a Duel Monster. This thing was quite real. Any damage it did to her would be real. She kept telling herself that as she made her next move, and leapt, jumping atop the beast's shoulder.

It roared again, as she stabbed her blade into its clavicle! It howled in rage, and stumbled. She stabbed into its other shoulder blade, and it groaned, slumping to the ground.

Jade made a tumble, and fell off of the creature's neck. She got up, and with a swift stroke, beheaded the monster! It burst into black goo!

Jade was covered with the stuff, but this wasn't the first time she had gotten dirty. She picked up her blade and turned back to the foot soldiers.

Meanwhile, the dark warriors were being cut down by the dozen. Dismay fell upon them when they saw their powerful weapon slain.

"Don't give up!" screamed Bezelbub. "Flank their sides! Attack from..."

Then he was caught in the crossfire of three blasts, and screamed. He bust into a cloud of black ash.

"This is enough," cursed another soldier. "Saurius is on his own! We didn't sign up for this!"

A globe appeared in his hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Inside the manor dining room, Yugi was reclining against the wall, while Saurius was impatiently tapping his foot.

"They don't seem to be here yet, Saurius," smiled Yugi. "You think maybe they stopped for ice cream?"

"You can laugh at me all you like," sneered Saurius, "we'll see who's laughing when… eh?"

He gestured, and a globe appeared in his hand.

"Saurius!" yelled a voice. "We're being demolished! Seventy-five percent of us are dead!"

"WHAT?" shouted Saurius. "But how…"

"I don't know how!" yelled the voice. "The rest of us regret to inform you that we're all resigning from your army, effective immediately."

"NO!" screamed Saurius. "You have to get me out of here! The only place you can go is back to Hell!"

"Hell is better than oblivion…" said the voice.

The globe dimmed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside, the remainder of the infernal army vanished. The Centurions cheered.

"Sergeant, report!" ordered Descartes.

"A few injuries," said a Centurion, "but none serious. We can still take them if they come back."

"Good," he replied. "Now it's all up to Mouto…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My army…" groaned Saurius. "Defeated…"

He dropped the globe and it broke apart.

"Seems Siegfried prepared for that possibility too, old boy," explained Yugi. "The Centurions' weapons just needed a little adjusting…"

Saurius glared at him.

"This isn't over, Yugi!" he shouted. "You can't hold me here! Your technology won't last forever!"

"Want a bet?" smiled Yugi.

He grinned.

"The power generator of this island can run the place for ten-thousand years the way it is, Saurius," he explained. "And that's only _the way it is._

"As human technology advances, I'm certain improvements can be made that will eventually make the power supply nearly limitless.

"Of course, it will need maintenance and maintaining, but that shouldn't be a problem. We kept quiet about the situation in New York last year, but we won't keep quiet about YOU. Once word gets out about your plans and the threat you posed, work will be done to make sure you never escape.

"Quite possibly, a new sect will be formed, possibly among the Centurions, devoted to keeping you locked away. This island will become your prison, and will hold you until the end of time!"

For the first time since Yugi had first seen this fiend, an expression appeared on his face that could only be construed as fear.

"I'll only give you one chance to free yourself, Saurius…" said Yugi, bending down.

He lifted a blanket up off the carpet, and his Duel Disk was under it.

"If you can defeat me," he continued, placing it on his arm, "you're free to go. But lose, and you'll finally pay for all your crimes…"

Saurius paused.

"Well?" asked Yugi.

"I'm thinking about it!" snapped Saurius.

Inside his dark mind, he _was_ thinking about it.

_So, _he thought._ If I refuse, I'll be trapped here forever… If I accept and lose, I'm done for…_

He fingered a pouch on his belt.

_But I don't think the chances of me losing are that high… Yugi may not know it, but I not only have Kaiba's deck, I made a few… improvements to it…_

_And maybe I'll up the ante a little…_

"Before I agree," said Saurius, pointing to him. "I want more than my freedom if I win… I want YOU!"

Yugi paused.

"You heard me," smiled Saurius. "If I am victorious, your soul becomes my slave, forever…"

Yugi paused again. He went inside himself.

"Yami," he said. "You should be in on this too…"

"It must be done Yugi," replied the Spirit. "We must agree to his terms to end this once and for all – no matter what the danger."

Yugi spoke up.

"Very well Saurius," he replied. "I agree to your challenge. There's a Duel Disk in the box behind you."

Saurius grimaced as he picked it out of the box. "Pathetic toy," he snarled. "My own are so much better…"

"Well, I'm not about to let you leave and get one!" sneered Yugi.

"Now let's start this!"

The Puzzle around his neck flashed, and once more, the change undertook him.

He stared at Saurius.

"And by the way Saurius," he continued, "this time, we're playing for keeps…"

The Puzzle glowed with light…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the manor, Jade and the Centurions were remaining alert…

And then, a shadowy cloud started to form around the whole manor! Within seconds, the building was covered by a dome of inky blackness!

"What's going on?" exclaimed Descartes. "What has that maniac done?"

"Nothing," whispered Jade. "It is what Yugi has done.

"Good luck, Yugi."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Inside Siegfried's sanctum, the four other defenders still watched the room.

"It's starting," gulped Mary. "It's finally starting…"

"Good luck, Yugi," shuddered Clive.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the twilight of the Shadow Realm invaded the manor, Yugi shuffled his deck and plugged it into his Disk. Saurius did the same with his stolen deck.

And then, something unexpected happened…

The Puzzle glowed with brilliant light! A golden glow surrounded Yugi, and his clothes started to reshape!

The cloth around him turned to metal, brilliantly golden in color, decorated with strange symbols.

_Armor?_ thought Yugi.

He spoke inside himself.

"Yami, what…"

"I don't know, Yugi," was the response, "but I'm not complaining."

"Very pretty," sneered Saurius. "But it won't help you! Let's get this over with sometime in next century?"

"Fine, ugly," said Yugi, as his Disk snapped into position.

They made their draws. The Life Point counters set to 8,000 apiece.

"Ugly?" snarled Saurius, offended. "You're a fine one to talk, Yugi. I saw your father – whoever his hairstylist was must have been more evil than I am! At least he must have hated kids…"

"You want to insult my family?" frowned Yugi. "We'll see who's laughing at the end of this. But feel free to make the first move. And just remember something – when you duel in the Shadow Realm, everything you summon isn't a hologram – the Monsters are as real as you are!"

"Oh… I'm so scared!" laughed Saurius, making his draw.

"I'll start by playing Pot of Greed," he said, placing a card into a slot. "You know what they say, Greed is good!"

The jar depicting the Deadly Sin of Avarice appeared, and two cards flipped out of its lid. Saurius made two draws.

_Heh, heh, _he thought, looking at them._ Looks like I've already won!_

"I'll place a card facedown," he started.

He slid a card into a slot, and it appeared in front of him.

"And then I'll summon this in Attack Mode… Giant Germ!"

He put down the card, and a huge slurping sound came into being. A giant, slimy, purple sphere appeared in midair. (1,000/100)

_Heh, heh, _he thought._ Siegfried was a pain in the neck, but his cards were certainly powerful. Once Yugi attacks, the Crush Card Trap will destroy his deck! He'll never win!_

"Make your move," he dared.

_Saurius, do you really expect me to fall for that?_ thought Yugi.

He drew.

His eyes opened in surprise.

_The card Persephone gave Mary! _he thought._ This is just what I need right now._

"I summon a Monster courtesy of Miss Persephone Amore," he exclaimed, "Chiron the Mage!"

He put a card down, and a large Beast-Warrior appeared. It was a centaur, with a silver breastplate and helmet, holding a long staff topped with a red orb. (1,800/1,000)

"Impressive," chuckled Saurius. "Well why don't you attack?"

"I will," smiled Yugi, "but not before I activate Chiron's effect. By discarding one Spell Card from my hand…"

He discarded his Thousand Knives card.

"…he can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards!"

Chiron aimed his staff and fired a beam of red energy! The Crush Card lifted and was shattered.

Saurius snarled.

"What do you think of THAT?" asked Yugi.

"I was thinking," smiled Saurius, "of how they used to turn horses into glue!"

"Hilarious," frowned Yugi. "Chiron, destroy his Germ with mage blast!"

Chiron aimed his staff and fired! The Giant Germ burst into a cloud of purple smoke!

Saurius's Life Points fell to 7,200.

"Don't get to comfy yet, Yugi," smiled Saurius, as the purple smoke started to drift towards Yugi.

"Huh? asked Yugi. And then he started to choke!

His Life Points fell to 7,500.

"Since you destroyed my Germ, you lose Life Points," chuckled Saurius, reaching for his deck. "And I also get to summon two more Giant Germs from my deck!"

He placed two cards down, and two more of the filthy creatures appeared. (1,000/100 x2)

"It's your turn then," gasped Yugi.

Saurius drew.

He chuckled.

"I Tribute both my Giant Germs to summon a great beast known as Tri-Horned Dragon!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the two Germs shattered.

A huge form arose. It was a giant, ugly Dragon, with blue skin, a toothy mouth, three horns on its head, and wicked claws. It roared! (2,850/2,350)

In the room below, Yugi's friends were watching.

"Oh no guys!" squeaked Amber. "Yugi's in trouble!"

"Don't panic!" urged Peter. "If we panic, we'll just make it worse!"

"Tri-Horned Dragon," shouted Saurius, "destroy that equine with dark inferno!"

Tri-Horned Dragon let lose a volley of black flames, obliterating Chiron the Mage. Yugi shielded himself from the impact as his Life Points fell to 6,450.

"Ugh…" he gasped.

"Now," continued Saurius. "I'll play this Spell Card – Forceful Summons!"

He slipped a card into a slot.

"What the heck is that?" asked Yugi.

"Simple," explained Saurius. "I name one Monster, and if you have one in your hand or deck, you have to special summon it right now."

Yugi looked confused.

"And the Monster I'm naming," smiled Saurius, "is Buster Blader."

Yugi looked more confused.

"Uhm, are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive," affirmed Saurius.

Yugi reached for his deck.

"Well, if that's truly what you want," he frowned, finding the card.

_I've got a bad feeling about this,_ he thought.

He took the card and placed it on his Disk. Buster Blader appeared, swinging his mighty sword! (2,600/2,300)

"Excellent," smiled Saurius.

"Um, Saurius," frowned Yugi, "you do know that the presence of your Dragon makes Buster Blader stronger, don't you?"

(3,100/2,300)

"Humph, silly me…" shrugged Saurius. "I end my turn."

"Uh, guys?" asked Amber. "Why would Saurius do something so… dumb?"

"Even a ten-year old duelist wouldn't make a move that stupid," pondered Mary. "This is obviously part of a bigger plan…"

Yugi made his draw.

_Come on Yugi, _thought Saurius._ Destroy my Dragon if you dare!_

_What could he be planning? _thought Yugi._ He has no Trap Cards on the field to protect that Dragon…_

_I'm going to regret this, I just know it…_

"Buster Blader," he ordered, "attack his Dragon!"

Buster Blader charged forward, and with one mighty swipe, slashed Tri-Horned Dragon in twain! The creature burst in a fiery black explosion!

Saurius grinned, as his Life Points fell to 6,950.

"Your move," sneered Yugi.

"Heh, heh," laughed Saurius. "HA, HA, HA, HA! You fell deep into my trap, Yugi. Now observe, while I destroy your hopes of winning this duel!"

He drew.

"First," he smiled, "I'll play the Spell Card Soul Release!"

He slid the card into his slot.

"I'll use it to remove my Tri-Horned Dragon from play, which reduces your Buster Blader's power back to his original level!"

Buster Blader's Attack sank back to 2,600.

"Now then," continued Saurius, "I'll use this Equip Card on your Warrior – the powerful Megamorph!"

He threw it into a slot.

"No!" gasped Yugi. "Since your Life Points are greater than mine…"

"It will cut his Attack Score in half!" laughed Saurius.

Buster Blader's Attack fell to 1,300.

"And now," laughed Saurius, "I summon the dreaded D.D. Crazy Beast!"

He put the card down, and a glowing portal appeared in front of him. A hideous creature emerged partially from it, resembling a huge orange slug with a toothy mouth, and two huge, clawed arms.

"Attack Buster Blader!" shouted Saurius. "Attack with crazy blast!"

D.D. Crazy Beast opened its jaws and spit forth a stream of chaotic colors! Buster Blader was thrown back, and he exploded!

Yugi's Life Points fell to 6,350.

"Now you see my brilliant strategy, Yugi," laughed Saurius. "How I forced you to bring Buster Blader out and made you think it was a mistake? Anything destroyed by D.D. Crazy Beast is removed from play, so now I don't have to worry about him, or your Dark Paladin!"

Yugi paused. He knew Saurius had been up to something, but that was _really_ something.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Mary.

"People," muttered Peter. "Yugi is in for the fight of his life!"

"This is far from over, Saurius!" growled Yugi.

He drew.

_Yes!_ he thought.

"I summon Luster Dragon!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and the brilliant sapphire appeared. It changed shape into the brilliant blue dragon made of gemstones with small wings. (1,900/1,600)

"You may recall from my duel with your imp that Siegfried gave me this card," sneered Yugi. "He may be dead, you may be mocking him by using his deck against me, but I assure you, the cards I have that were once his will help me more than the whole deck of his cards will help you!

"Luster Dragon, attack with sapphire flash blast!"

Luster Dragon roared, and blasted forth a beam of blue energy from its jaws! D.D. Crazy Beast screamed, and then shattered, and then its portal smashed.

Saurius's Life Points fell to 6,450. He growled.

"You're even more annoying than Siegfried was!" he cursed.

"Maybe that's because I can actually fight back!" shouted Yugi.

"Go ahead, insult me," frowned Saurius. "You know what? To me, it doesn't matter. Soon you won't even be matter."

He drew. He looked at the card.

"I summon the mighty Slate Warrior in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card down, and an odd creature appeared. Its bald head was metallic blue, its upper torso seemed to be made of gold with a large collar and rounded shoulders, and it had ruffled green sleeves and pants, with large fists and feet. (1,900/400)

"Okay, I don't think I've seen _that_ one," stuttered Amber.

"I… think it's a Fiend of some kind," pondered Peter. "But I'm not sure what it can do…"

"Seems we have a standoff, Yugi," smiled Saurius. "It's your move."

Yugi drew.

"Not for long," he growled. "I Tribute my Dragon to summon Dark Magician Girl!"

He switched cards on his Disk, and Luster Dragon shattered…

Beautiful music started to play, and the shadows around them parted. The gorgeous Dark Magician Girl flew into view, and smiled. (2,000/1,700)

"Clever Yugi," grinned Saurius. "But your magical fairy is hardly a match for my Slate Warrior!"

"Oh, is she now?" sneered Yugi. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Slate Warrior with dark magic blast!"

Dark Magician Girl leapt up, did a spin, and fired a mighty shot! Slate Warrior was blown to pieces!

Saurius's Life Points inched down to 6,350.

"No match for your Slate Warrior, huh?" frowned Yugi. "Don't make me laugh…"

And then Dark Magician Girl doubled over in pain!

"What?" gasped Yugi. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him and let out a faint smile, as if to say, "Sorry…"

"Idiot," mocked Saurius. "Obviously you don't know about Slate Warrior's effect! Any Monster who fights it loses 500 Attack points. So now she's weakened!"

Dark Magician Girl strained and stood up to face him.

"You're just making one dumb mistake after another, Yugi," laughed Saurius. "The first mistake was challenging me – the next was thinking you could win."

He drew.

"Now I play Card of Sanctity!" he exclaimed, throwing it into a slot.

Yugi growled. That benefited Saurius far more than it did him.

They made their draws.

"Now I'll summon this creature," announced Saurius. "A Warrior named Blindly Loyal Goblin!"

He put a card down, and a squat Monster appeared. It had a flat face and a bald head. It had a muscular torso, and its only article of clothing was a pair of ragged trousers. It gripped a plain sword. (1,800/1,500)

"Ironic," sighed Saurius. "This Monster will prove far more loyal to me than my cowardly servants were…"

"The way you treated your servants, it's a wonder they stuck around for as long as they did," sneered Yugi.

"You think my superiors treated me any differently after I was taken in after being thrown out of Heaven?" snarled Saurius.

Yugi paused.

"That never occurred to you, did it?" hissed Saurius. "I wasn't born a demon, Yugi, I used to be an angel. I was something that demons despised. So in Hell, anyone who was stronger than me tortured me cruelly every chance they got!

"I had to become strong too, or my existence would have been one of misery. I learned from them and their underhanded tactics. I learned the politics of Hell, how betrayal and deceit got you ahead. I got stronger, and little by little, I climbed the ladder. I started to get revenge on the ones who had tortured me.

"But it's never enough! No matter how strong you get, there's always going to be someone stronger! That's why I decided I had to shatter the Mandate! By enslaving the entire world of mortals, I would be the second greatest force in Perdition! And the Prince of Darkness himself would even give me respect!

"It's all about power Yugi. Power and respect means everything for a guy like me. And I deserve power. I didn't get it when I should have, and I never really got it at all. But I will get, do you hear me?"

"You're a sad case, Saurius," sighed Yugi. "You never learned one thing before you fell – that the proper way to gain respect is to show it to others. If you had respected humanity instead of preying on them, you might have gone far, and you wouldn't have ended up in a place where the 'rules' are a twisted and broken mockery."

"_You're _going to be rather 'twisted and broken' when I get through with you!" shouted Saurius. "Blindly Loyal Goblin, attack Dark Magician Girl!"

The Goblin charged forward and stabbed Dark Magician Girl through the heart. She screamed, and burst into fragments.

_In one ear, and out the other,_ thought Yugi.

His Life Points fell to 5,850.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"No," sneered Saurius. "It's your move."

Yugi drew.

"I'll place one card facedown," he said, "and summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode."

He slid the card into a slot, and then placed the Monster Card down. The facedown card appeared, and then Mystical Elf appeared, kneeling and chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)

"Humph," grunted Saurius, drawing.

_Hmm, Ring of Destruction, _he thought, looking at the card._ This might come in handy…_

"My move will consist solely of placing this card facedown," he said, fitting it into a slot.

"And I'll destroy it!" exclaimed Yugi. "Go, Dust Tornado!"

His Trap Card lifted, and a gust blew across the field! Saurius's Trap Card shattered.

"Well, that was a bust…" growled Saurius.

Yugi drew.

"I Tribute my Mystical Elf…" he exclaimed, putting a card down.

Mystical Elf vanished.

"…to summon Beast of Gilfer!"

A flame erupted on the field, and the huge, draconic fiend appeared, spreading its wings wide! (2,200/2,500)

"Beast of Gilfer, attack!" shouted Yugi. "Destroy his Goblin with flame attack!"

Flames erupted around Beast of Gilfer! He shot them forward, and Blindly Loyal Goblin was burned to ashes!

Saurius's Life Points fell to 5,950.

"All right, Yug'!" shouted Clive.

"That narrowed the gap!" grinned Peter.

"Make your move," sneered Yugi.

Saurius frowned as he drew.

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he muttered, placing a card down.

A dark shadow appeared, and the goofy clown in colorful clothing emerged, kneeling in Defense. (500/1,200)

"Your move," said the demon.

_Nuts, _thought Yugi._ I remember how that guy works… well, I'm going to have to rip through his wall the hard way…_

He drew.

He gave the card a look.

_Warrior of Zera! _he thought._ One of the cards I need to give Saurius the shock of his life!_

He added it to his hand and chose another card.

"I summon Tengu Warrior, in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He put the card on his Disk, and the katana-wielding, gi-wearing Winged Beast appeared. (1,800/600)

"Beast of Gilfer," ordered Yugi, "incinerate Peten!"

Beast of Gilfer shot forth his mighty flame attack and Peten was obliterated.

"Impressive," smiled Saurius, reaching for his deck, "but I'm sure you know Peten's effect…"

He took out a card and placed it on the Disk. A second Peten appeared. (500/1,200)

"Yeah, I know," frowned Yugi. "Tengu Warrior, destroy the second one!"

The Tengu swooped down, and made a slash with his blade, cutting the second Peten in two!

Saurius reached for his deck again, and placed another card down. Peten the Third appeared. (500/1,200)

The third Peten blew a raspberry at Yugi.

"I end my turn," growled Yugi.

Saurius drew.

"Perfect!" he cackled. "I play the Spell Card… Shrink!"

He threw the card into a slot, and Beast of Gilfer shrunk down to half its size! Its Attack Score was reduced to 1,100.

"Now, I Tribute Peten to summon Judge Man!" he exclaimed.

He threw a card down, and the enormous ogre in regal garb bearing a hammer appeared. (2,200/1,500)

"Judge Man," grinned Saurius, "attack Beast of Gilfer with Ultimate Judgment!"

Judge Man lifted his hammer and flattened Beast of Gilfer in one swift stroke!

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,750.

"Your crow is next, Yugi!" warned Saurius.

"I don't think so," smiled Yugi. "Take a look at your Judge Man…"

"Huh?" said Saurius, looking at his Monster.

Judge Man didn't seem very happy. In fact, he looked sick! And his Attack Score fell to 1,700.

"Beast of Gilfer has an effect that's even better than your Slate Warrior's!" smiled Yugi. "When it's sent to the Card Graveyard in ANY way, one Monster on the field loses 500 Attack points. So now your Judge Man is hardly in a position to fight my Tengu!"

"Curse you, Yugi!" shouted Saurius.

"Now, it's MY draw!" exclaimed Yugi.

He drew.

He perked up when he saw the card.

_The Sanctuary in the Sky! _he thought._ I only need one more card…_

"Tengu Warrior, attack Judge Man!" he shouted.

Tengu Warrior flew forth, and struck Judge Man with his katana. The giant groaned and fell, and then vanished.

Saurius's Life Points fell to 5,850

"YAY!" cheered Amber. "Yugi just got him good!"

"And look!" exclaimed Clive, pointing to a monitor. "Yugi has two of the cards he needs in his hand! One more, and Saurius won't stand a chance!"

"Hope for a good draw, everybody…" urged Mary.

"My move now," said Saurius.

He drew.

"I play… Card of Demise!" he exclaimed, throwing it into a slot.

He reached for his deck.

"You know how this works, don't you Yugi? I draw five cards, but if I don't use them in five turns, I have to discard them."

He added them to his hand, and they glowed with blue fire.

Then he took two of them.

"I'll play Soul Exchange!" he exclaimed. "I'll Tribute your Tengu Warrior to summon my Swordstalker!"

He fit the card into the slot, and placed a card down. Tengu Warrior vanished, and a dark warrior in black armor carrying a wicked sword appeared on his side. (2,000/1,600)

"Now I'll just place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said, sliding another one of the flaming cards into a slot.

Yugi drew.

_Finally, _he thought._ Time to end this._

He flicked open his Field slot.

"I play… The Sanctuary in the Sky!" he shouted.

He threw the card in, and a bright light flashed…

For a minute, he couldn't see…

And when he could, he gazed in awe.

Yugi had never considered the repercussions of playing a Field Spell Card during a Shadow Game. Apparently, his father never did either. Both he and his father never used Field Cards – the Monsters in their decks were too diverse in Types and Attributes to make them worth it.

He had never considered one little possibility – if a Shadow Game made the Monsters real, did the same apply to locations?

Apparently, it did.

Because now, the room they were in seemed to have vanished. He wasn't sure whether the magic of the card had somehow altered the dimensions of the dining room, or actually transported them somewhere else. They were now standing in a vast, cloudy realm, larger and more realistic than any Sanctuary he had ever seen. The clouds seemed to go on for miles, and the ancient palaces of The Sanctuary towered overhead, imposing monoliths that drifted in the astral.

And it didn't seem to be as pleasant a place as The Sanctuary in the Sky should be. The clouds were graying, and thunder rumbled. If this was a heavenly realm, a battle was about to begin in Heaven.

Yugi shuddered, as he remembered the part of the _mizu-ken-kasai_ ritual just before the great battle started. This was similar to that scene.

He was so taken in by the awe, that he nearly forgot his opponent.

"I'm _waiting_!" scowled Saurius.

Yugi looked over at him and at Swordstalker in front of him.

"Are you going to finish your turn, or do I have time to go sightseeing in this place?" he sneered. "By the way, if you think this change of venue is going to help you, think again!"

"We'll soon see," smiled Yugi. "I summon… Warrior of Zera!"

He threw the card down, and the powerful Warrior appeared, brandishing his sword! (1,600/1,600)

"And now, another gift from Persephone!" continued Yugi. "I Tribute Warrior of Zera to summon the almighty **Archlord Zerato**!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and holy light engulfed Warrior of Zera. The light grew overpowering, and grew into a huge form…

Within seconds, the glorious, brilliant, armored, winged form of Archlord Zerato stepped out of the light, holding his shining blade! (2,800/2,300)

"Archlord Zerato," commanded Yugi, "obliterate Swordstalker with holy sword of Heaven!"

Archlord Zerato flew forward, and smote the Warrior with his blade! Swordstalker howled, and exploded into particles.

Saurius's Life Points fell to 5,050.

"Make your move," dared Yugi.

Saurius bowed his head…

"Heh, heh," he chuckled.

"Ha, ha," he laughed.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" he cackled.

Yugi drew back.

"What's so funny?" asked Yugi. "You want to let me in on the joke?"

Saurius grinned an evil grin as he drew.

"What's so funny?" laughed Saurius. "YOU are! You and that pathetic Kaiba!"

He chuckled again.

"I'm glad to see he got my message…"

"Message?" gasped Yugi.

"The message about my 'weakness' against Archlord Zerato, Yugi!" responded the demon. "I can't believe the two of you fell for it! _I'm_ the one who leaked that rumor to him! I wanted to build false hopes in you and then dash them to pieces!"

Yugi started to sweat.

"Archlord Zerato doesn't bother me in the least," snarled Saurius. "If anything, the sight of him inspires me. He reminds me of the fools who banished me, and fuels my desire to prove myself superior to them!

"And since I knew you'd try using that Monster, I prepared this deck in advance with a Spell Card, one that I've had in my hand since my first draw!"

He showed the card to Yugi.

"It's a little thing called Fall From Grace!"

"Fall From Grace?" gasped Yugi.

"You've heard of Exile of the Wicked?" laughed Saurius, sliding it into his Disk. "A card that destroys all Fiends on the field? Well _this _one does the opposite, and destroys all Fairies on the field!"

Archlord Zerato screamed and fell to his knees! He burst into globules of light!

"NO! Zerato!" screamed Yugi.

"Boy, that was therapeutic," sighed Saurius.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 4,050.

"And now that you have nothing to protect yourself," laughed Saurius, "I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode!"

He threw a card down, and the fierce Beast-Warrior holding his wicked blade appeared in front of him! (1,900/1,200)

"Go, my Vorse Raider!" shouted Saurius. "Attack his Life Points directly!"

Vorse Raider charged, and struck Yugi with his axe! Yugi screamed, and fell over.

The good news was, the surface he fell on was soft. The bad news was, his Life Points fell all the way to 2,150.

As Yugi got up, Saurius cackled.

"I hate to be the one to break this to you," he laughed, "but you plan has failed; your mission has failed; and the legacy of the Moutos is about to end in a most painful way. But take heart – where better to die than in a place like this?"

The cruel laughter of the demon echoed over The Sanctuary in the Sky…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FORCEFUL SUMMONS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A wizard in front of a portal through which he is using magic to drag out a surprised Dark Magician Girl.

**Card Description: **State the name of one Monster Card. If your opponent has the stated card in his hand or deck, he must Special Summon it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALL FROM GRACE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Marie the Fallen One plummeting out of a cloudy realm and into a fiery pit.

**Card Description: **Destroy all Fairy-Type Monsters on the field.


	54. Last Turn

_**Okay, let me explain it – the short version. I haven't got all day.**_

_**Siegfried knew about it the whole time. His uncle built Duelatopia in order to make sure I was here in order to challenge Saurius. They both planned in advance, making sure the Centurions' weapons could defeat Saurius's minions, and that a trap was constructed in which I could force Saurius into a duel. That was stage one.**_

_**Stage two was up to me. The duel itself.**_

_**Siegfried even heard a rumor that might help with that part. He heard that if Siegfried saw the powerful Fairy Archlord Zerato, he'd become scared and would become unable to duel properly. So I borrowed Zerato from Persephone, and led Saurius into my trap.**_

_**That's when I learned that Saurius played both Siegfried and I for suckers. Archlord Zerato means nothing to him. He started the phony rumor on his own, and he had a way to easily defeat the powerful Monster. **_

_**So now, he's way ahead of me… But he failed to take one thing into account…**_

…_**I was a good duelist long before I got that card. And I won't give up…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Last Turn**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yugi may not have known it…

But even though the magic of his Field Card had seemingly transported himself and his foe to a real Sanctuary in the Sky, his friends were still watching.

Somehow, the cameras in the dining room continued to show them the events as they unfolded – just _how,_ they didn't know.

"No…" cried Mary. "It's impossible…"

"All this time, we thought we were leading Saurius into a trap," moaned Clive, "when really, he was leading Yugi into his own trap…"

"And we all fell for it…" cried Peter, "like a bunch of sucker-bait…"

"Guys, we can't give up now!" pleaded Amber. "Yugi needs our support more than ever! He still can win!"

Everyone looked at her.

"She's right…" sighed Mary. "Yugi hasn't given up hope yet, and we shouldn't either!"

"C'mon Yugi!" shouted Clive. "Flatten this guy!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the vast expanses of The Sanctuary in the Sky, Yugi slowly got to his feet.

"Yugi," cautioned Yami. "Things have taken a dangerous turn…"

"Tell me about it," answered Yugi.

He paused.

"But we have to keep trying," he said. "Everything rides on this duel. Literally everything. We never gave up in the past, and we aren't about to now."

"I know," warned Yami, "but be careful."

He overlooked the situation. Saurius had 5,050 Life Points remaining and Vorse Raider on his side (1,900/1,200) and one card facedown. Yugi had only 2,150 Life Points remaining, and his side was clear.

Yugi glared at Saurius.

"So," he growled. "Is that your turn?"

"Actually no," smiled Saurius. "I'd like to do something else first…"

He threw a card into a slot.

"I activate… EXCHANGE!"

Yugi grimaced.

"Okay, fine," he frowned. "Come here…"

Saurius chuckled as he walked up to Yugi.

"Now be a good boy and kindly show me your hand," he laughed.

Yugi scowled and did so.

"Well!" laughed Saurius. "Your Morphing Jar! I'll take that one!"

He snatched it out of Yugi's hand.

"Yeah, well now I get to take one of _your_ cards, Saurius," sneered Yugi. "Or should I say, Siegfried's cards?"

"I know the rules," chuckled Saurius, showing him his hand.

Yugi's eyebrows lifted as he noticed a card in Saurius's hand.

"Monster Reincarnation will do," he said, grabbing it.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Saurius. "A fat lot of good _that_ will do you!"

He walked back to his side of the field.

"Now make your move," he dared.

Yugi drew.

"Oh Yugi?" smiled Saurius. "Boom."

"Boom?" asked Yugi.

Saurius's Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Cemetery Bomb!" he cackled.

An explosion threw Yugi backwards!

"As you remember from your duel with Kaiba," explained Saurius, "this inflicts 100 points of damage to your Life Points for every card in your Graveyard – and you have ten of them!"

Yugi got up gasping. His Life Points slipped to 1,150.

"No!" sobbed Mary.

"Don't let him win Yug'!" cried Clive.

They knew he couldn't hear him, but they had to try.

"I'll place these two cards facedown, and summon Celtic Swordgirl in Defense Mode!" Yugi announced.

He fit the two cards into slots, and they appeared. Then he placed the card down, and the small elven girl appeared, kneeling on her short sword. (1,000/800)

Saurius chuckled.

"You think I'm scared of _that?_" he asked.

He drew.

"Prepare for a surprise! Vorse Raider, slaughter his Swordgirl!"

Vorse Raider roared and raised his axe! He charged… Celtic Swordgirl cowered in fright…

"I activate my facedown cards!" shouted Yugi.

Both cards lifted.

"My Negate Attack _and_ Enchanted Javelin will not only save my Swordgirl, but they'll add 1,900 points to my Life Points!"

Vorse Raider's axe slammed against an invisible shield. Energy flowed into Yugi, and his Life Points went up to 3,050.

"You know what the say, Saurius," quipped Yugi, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings!"

"Make your move," growled Saurius, ignoring the wisecrack.

Yugi drew.

"I'll place this card facedown, and end my turn," he said, placing a card into a slot.

The card appeared behind Celtic Swordgirl.

Saurius growled as he drew.

"Well," he smiled, "here's a card that I believed Peter liked a lot…"

He placed it down.

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode!" he announced.

A small lamp appeared on then field, and the hulking form of La Jinn floated out of it, laughing a deep chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"La Jinn," shouted Saurius, "destroy his elf with mystical magic attack!"

La Jinn cast forth his powerful spell.

"You're getting sloppy, Saurius, and that will be your downfall," smiled Yugi.

He hit a button on his Disk…

"Activate Mirror Force!"

"NO!" screamed Saurius.

A shield formed around Celtic Swordgirl, and the blast was deflected, blowing both of Saurius's Monsters to atoms!

"YAY!" cheered Amber.

"He did it!" yelled Clive, hugging Mary.

"He's not out of the woods yet…" sighed Mary.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the manor, Jade and the Centurions remained alert, in case Saurius's remaining soldiers returned, but they couldn't help but look at the dark dome of shadow that had covered the manor…

"How do you think Yugi is doing?" asked Descartes.

"He is dueling in the Shadow Realm," answered Jade. "He is out of our reach. The winner of this duel will emerge – the loser will perish…

"But Yugi is still alive at this point, if that is what you want to know. I can feel it in my gut. And his spirit and will to conquer his foe is still strong.

"We cannot help him… All we can do is wait – and pray that he can defeat this evil…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Saurius's Life Points were now at 4,100.

"Now it's my move!" exclaimed Yugi.

He drew. He looked at his card.

"I'm shifting Celtic Swordgirl into Attack Mode!" he cried, turning the card.

Celtic Swordgirl moved up, ready to attack.

"And I'm also summoning Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!" he continued.

He put the card down, and the older elven warrior appeared. (1,400/1,200)

"You know what this combo does, don't you?" asked Yugi. "First, it raises Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's Attack to 1,800! Then, it makes Celtic Swordgirl immune to attacks!"

"I know!" shouted Saurius.

"Go!" shouted Yugi. "Attack his Life Points!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Celtic Swordgirl charged over the clouds and stabbed their blades into Saurius! He groaned and staggered back. His Life Points fell to 1,300.

"Curse you, Yugi…" he gasped.

"Make your move," snarled Yugi.

Saurius drew.

He smirked.

"I play the Spell Card Fissure!" he smiled, throwing it into a slot.

The card revealed itself, and the ground rumbled. Celtic Swordgirl screamed as the cloudy surface opened up and swallowed her!

"Good riddance," growled Saurius.

Yugi's Life Points slipped to 2,800, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's Attack fell back to 1,400.

"Now, I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense, and end my turn," he continued.

The facedown Monster appeared.

Yugi took a good look at the card.

He drew.

_That's obviously my Morphing Jar,_ he thought.

He looked at his hand.

_Nothing else to summon… better prepare…_

"I'll place one card facedown," he announced.

He set the card, and it appeared behind the Guardian.

"Then I'll attack with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" he yelled.

The elven warrior screamed and charged with his sword. The Morphing Jar appeared and laughed before he smashed it to bits.

"Heh, heh," smiled Saurius. "You know the rules."

They discarded their hands, and each drew five new cards.

_Heh, heh, _thought Saurius._ Now I have what I need to finish him!_

"I end my turn," growled Yugi.

Saurius drew.

"I summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He placed the card down, and the brilliant Sea Serpent warrior appeared, brandishing his glowing trident! (1,700/1,650)

"Kaiser Sea Horse," he exclaimed, "attack that lousy elf with shining trident!"

Kaiser Sea Horse charged, and jammed his weapon into the Guardian's belly! Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gasped, and fell.

Yugi's Life Points fell to 2,500.

"Heh, heh," smiled Saurius. "Your move…"

Yugi looked at his hand.

_I know what's coming next, _he thought,_ but there's nothing I can summon that can defeat Kaiser Sea Horse! This next draw had better be a good one!_

He drew.

His eyes opened wide.

"First, I activate my facedown card," he announced.

It lifted.

"Monster Reincarnation! I just discard one card…"

He discarded his Diffusion-Wave Motion.

"…and I get to retrieve one Monster from my Graveyard."

He retrieved a card from his discard slot.

"I'll give you one guess who it is!" he sneered, showing it to him.

It was Archlord Zerato.

"Humph," mocked Saurius. "I already told you, Yugi, I don't care! Besides, you need Warrior of Zera to summon him again, and you already used him. I suppose if you brought him back with Monster Reborn it might work, but even then…"

"Quiet! I place a card facedown," continued Yugi, fitting a card into a slot.

The card appeared.

"And I summon Flame Swordmistress in Defense Mode!"

He put a card down, and the armored female fighter appeared, kneeling against her saber. (1,600/1,500)

"That will do it for me…" frowned Yugi.

Saurius grinned as he drew.

"Time to demolish you Yugi…" he laughed. "And I'm going to do it with Kaiba's favorite card! I Tribute my Kaiser Sea Horse for Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Kaiser Sea Horse vanished in a flash of light, and mystical music started playing over The Sanctuary in the Sky! The enormous form of Blue-Eyes arose, and let out a bellowing roar!

(3,000/2,500)

Flame Swordmistress squeaked in fear. Saurius chuckled.

"Prepare to lose!" shouted Saurius. "Blue-Eyes, attack Flame Swordmistress with white lightning!"

Blue-Eyes shot forth his lethal breath weapon… It blasted towards Flame Swordmistress…

"I activate… The Shield of St. George!" screamed Yugi.

His Trap Card lifted, and the large, multicolored shield appeared on Flame Swordmistress's arm! The blast was deflected, and it shot back towards the huge Dragon! It roared, and exploded into bright pixels!

"NO!" screamed Saurius.

His Life Points plummeted to 550.

"He did it!" cheered Amber.

"Wow," gasped Peter. "That Shield card finally worked!"

"Yes!" exclaimed Mary. "Now all Yugi has to do is attack, and this will be over!"

Yugi stared at Saurius.

"It's looking pretty bleak for you, Saurius," he grinned.

Saurius's eyes widened.

He slowly slid a card into a slot, and it appeared in front of him.

"Make your move," he said softly.

_This is it! _thought Yugi, as he drew._ All I have to do is attack, and I'll have won! I'll have defeated Saurius!_

And then a little voice sounded in his head.

_No! _it shouted._ You can't do that!_

_Huh? _responded Yugi.

_He's leading you into a trap! _exclaimed the voice._ Flame Swordmistress won't defeat him!_

_You need your favorite Monster, Yugi! Use him! Only he can help you win!_

Yugi looked at his hand.

_My favorite Monster?_ he thought.

He looked at his Dark Magician, who was in his hand right now.

_To win this duel, I need to use Dark Magician?_

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

_I have the ability to summon him…_ he pondered.

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed. "To bring back Celtic Swordgirl!"

He fit the card into the slot, and the young elf girl reappeared. (1,000/800)

"Now," he continued, "I Tribute both her and Flame Swordmistress to summon my Dark Magician!"

The two females vanished into pixels, and the mighty Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)

"It's over Saurius!" yelled Yugi. "Dark Magician wipe out the rest of his Life Points! _**Dark magic attack!**_"

Dark Magician twirled his scepter and fired! Saurius screamed and was propelled backwards!

"YAY!" cheered Mary.

"He won, he won, he won!" shouted Amber.

The smoke cleared…

To the surprise of everyone in the room, and to Yugi, Saurius was grinning an evil grin…

His Life Points hadn't been depleted…

In fact, they had been _increased, _to 2,050.

"I guess he didn't win…" muttered Peter.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Saurius. "Close, but no banana, Yugi…"

"What?" gasped Yugi. "How?"

Saurius pointed to the Trap Card he had just activated.

"No!" gasped Yugi.

"A little thing that Kaiba kept in his deck for insurance," laughed Saurius. "It's called Nutrient Z! You may have been able to blast me with your Dark Magician, but since his attack was enough to do at least 2,000 points of damage, the Trap increased my Life Points by 4,000 the instant before it hit!

"I'm surprised at you, Yugi. I thought you were smart. Smart enough not to listen to little voices inside your head! When you start doing that, it's time to get on the water wagon!"

"What?" gasped Yugi. "That was you? Have you been reading my mind and looking at my cards this whole time?"

"No," smiled Saurius, shaking his head. "I lack the ability to do _that._ But let me tell you something Yugi – all duelists have a certain spiritual connection with a certain card in their deck. It's called a soul card, for lack of better terms. I can sense when that card is close to them – so I knew when your soul card, Dark Magician, was in your hand. So I sent a simple telepathic message to convince you to play it instead of attacking with your Flame Swordmistress."

"You big cheater!" shouted Yugi.

"It isn't against the rules to give your opponent advice!" shrugged Saurius. "Even though only an idiot – like you – would listen to it!"

Yugi snarled.

"And by the way, Yugi," smiled Saurius, "since you used your Monster Reborn, you gave up your chance to resummon Archlord Zerato. That card is now dead weight in your hand!"

"Make your move!" sneered Yugi.

Saurius grinned as he drew.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he announced.

He plugged the card into his Disk, and the graceful angel flew into his deck.

He drew three cards.

"HA!" he laughed. "I couldn't have asked for better!"

He discarded two cards.

"Those two cards I discarded were the other two Blue-Eyes. Why did I send them to Graveyard you ask?"

He played a Spell Card.

"Dragon's Mirror!" gasped Yugi.

"That's right!" laughed Saurius. "Now I can fuse all three of them by removing them from play..."

Thunder rolled over The Sanctuary in the Sky. The immense form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon arose! It roared with its three huge mouths!

(4,500/3,800)

"Heh, heh," smiled Saurius. "Frightening, isn't it. Since I have to wait a turn before I can attack, I'll just savor my next turn!"

Yugi shakily drew.

He looked at his cards: Black Luster Soldier, Polymerization, and Archlord Zerato. None of them could help him now…

"I'll shift my Dark Magician into Defense Mode and end my turn…" he moaned.

Dark Magician knelt.

"No…" moaned Mary. "He's gonna lose…"

She started to cry on Clive's shoulder.

"Calm down, Mary, calm down," he assured her.

But secretly, he wondered if even Yugi could recover from something like this.

Saurius drew.

He chuckled.

And then he laughed out loud!

He slowly put the card next to the other two cards in his hand.

"I have a riddle for you, Yugi," he asked. "What is twice as deadly as a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?"

"I have no time for riddles, Saurius!" shouted Yugi.

"Well, think about it for a minute," chuckled Saurius, "but first…"

He took the other card from his hand.

"…since you really have no way to stop me, there's no harm in showing you the card I'm going to put facedown…"

He flipped it towards Yugi.

"Ta-da!" he chortled. "A little thing called Rush Recklessly. This Quickplay Spell Card will increase the Attack of one of my Monsters by 700 during any battle phase."

He slid it into a slot, and it appeared facedown.

"Now," he smiled, "as you may know, I acquired a great deal of rare and powerful cards from Anastasia's vault after she… ah, passed away. Well, I have in my hand the most powerful!

"You see Yugi, when she was planning to destroy you, she created this card with the express purpose of doing just that! You might remember how she summoned her Magician of Black Chaos? She was planning on using this card with him as a combo. But sadly, she didn't draw this card in time…

"Well, I have it now, and it is fitting that the card that Anastasia designed to destroy you will finally do the job!"

He threw the card into a slot.

"I play… DNA Clone!" he shouted.

A rumbling was heard on his side, and a huge, iron chamber appeared next to the enormous Dragon…

Then a creepy-looking figure appeared. It looked sort of like Magical Scientist!

The scientist took a huge syringe, and jabbed it into Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, drawing blood. Then he picked up a tube connected to the chamber, plugged it into the syringe, and the weird machine hummed with an unearthly drone.

"What's the point?" asked Yugi.

"You'll see," smiled Saurius.

And then, the huge chamber exploded! Another huge form arose!

The Spell Card had created a clone of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

(4,500/3,800)

"Well," smiled Saurius. "Now you know the answer to my riddle. What's twice as deadly as a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon? _Two_ Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragons!"

_No! _thought Yugi, in horror._ I'm finished…_

"Unfortunately," sighed Saurius, "since I used that powerful card, I can't attack this turn.

"But, you clearly see my strategy in using Rush Recklessly. I realized you haven't used your Brain Control card yet, and a clever move on your part would be to brainwash one Dragon and suicide it against the other one… but due to my Spell Card, that strategy won't work! If you try, my Dragon will become stronger!

"And just to be extra safe..."

He played one of his last cards, and discarded the other.

"I'm playing Tribute to the Doomed to wipe out your Dark Magician."

Yugi stepped back as his Monster was blown to shards.

"Make your move…" he said.

He crossed his arms.

"Okay people," trembled Peter. "Let's not give up hope now…"

"No problem," stammered Mary. "Because I gave up hope a long time ago!"

Yugi drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he exclaimed.

He plugged the card in, and he made three draws.

"You must be desperate!" laughed Saurius. "Letting me make six draws in order to make three?"

_Got it!_ thought Yugi, ignoring him.

"Go, Brain Control!" he shouted, playing a card. "I'm taking Kaiba's best Monster away from you, Saurius!"

He threw the card into the slot, and the huge brain appeared over the field! Its fiendish arms reached out, and it grabbed one of the two Ultimate Dragons! The Dragon roared, and was yanked over to Yugi's side.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Saurius. "Weren't you listening just a minute ago? If you attack with that Dragon, my Spell Card will raise the Attack of mine to 5,200! That was a stupid move!"

"I'm still not done," smiled Yugi. "For now I play… Polymerization!"

He fit the card into a slot.

Ominous music started playing. A gigantic glowing portal opened, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Black Luster Soldier were drawn into it!

The portal vanished.

"What?" gasped Saurius. "How the… You can fuse those two? What have you summoned?"

"You'll see in a minute!" smiled Yugi.

Dramatic music started to play, and a form appeared far in the background behind Yugi…

"Combining the raw power of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with the great skill of Black Luster Soldier," explained Yugi, "Light meets Darkness… Order meets Chaos… and one of the greatest forces in the universe is brought forth!"

The clouds parted…

An enormous form flew out of the clouds of The Sanctuary in the Sky! It was Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, now more brilliant and "ultimate" than ever! Riding on its back was Black Luster Soldier, his armor glowing and holding his shining sword high!

"I give you… _**DRAGON MASTER KNIGHT!**_

(5,000/5,000)

Saurius looked in awe for one second.

And then his smile reappeared.

"Impressive," he laughed, "but a lot of good that will do you! With my Rush Recklessly card, my Dragon is still stronger!"

"Oh, is it?" smiled Yugi.

Then Dragon Master Knight's Attack Score started to go up…

"WHAT?" shouted Saurius.

"Dragon Master Knight gains 500 extra Attack points for every Dragon on the field except itself," said Yugi.

(5,500/5,000)

"Your Rush Recklessly isn't going to cut it."

"Uh, Pete," gulped Clive. "Have you ever heard of this Monster?"

"Uh, no…" gasped Clive. "What about you, Mary, you're the smart one!"

"No," exclaimed Mary, "but I am _not _complaining!"

"A powerful Fusion Monster yes," said Saurius, "but a Fusion it still is, and thus it cannot attack this round."

Yugi played another card. It was the Quick Attack that had come with the Fusion Monster. Saurius turned white.

"I'm not done yet, Saurius," smiled Yugi. "It seems your clever trap backfired on you… Since The Sanctuary in the Sky is still around us…"

He threw a Monster Card down.

"I summon Warrior of Zera in Attack Mode!"

The brave Warrior reappeared, holding his powerful sword aloft! (1,600/1,600)

"WHAT?" shouted Saurius. "You had _two_ of those cards?"

"Yes!" smiled Yugi. "One of them I got from Persephone, the one who gave me Zerato and The Sanctuary in the Sky. The other one I borrowed from Peter, who uses him to summon Mazera DeVille! I thought I'd have an advantage using this card, Saurius – I'd be a fool to only have one Warrior of Zera in my deck!

"So now, I Tribute him to summon Archlord Zerato again!"

Yugi threw the card down. The brilliant light once again engulfed Warrior of Zera, and from out of the aura, the divine radiance of Archlord Zerato emerged, looking more determined than ever, and perhaps a little angry…

"You challenged the will of the Archlords once before, Saurius, and you failed," proclaimed Yugi. "Now, you're about to fall before one of them again!"

He raised his hand to the heavens.

"Dragon Master Knight, obliterate his Dragon with Dragon Saber Blast!"

The three heads of the immense Dragon roared, and the rider thrust forth his sword! Four beams of pure light shot forth, and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon exploded in a blast that lit up The Sanctuary in the Sky with a shower of multicolored flames! Saurius was thrown backwards by the impact!

"Ugh…" he groaned, getting up.

"Archlord Zerato," shouted Yugi, "attack the beast directly with holy sword of Heaven!"

Archlord Zerato raised his wings, and the clouds of The Sanctuary thundered as he flew forward! He smote the demon with his blade, and Saurius screamed!

Saurius fell to his knees…

"No…" he moaned.

His Life Points fell to nothing…

Thunder flashed over The Sanctuary. It was like the wrath of God Himself had been unleashed!

The Eye appeared on Yugi's forehead, and the Puzzle burned brighter than it ever had before. Saurius cowered, a sniveling wreck, far begone from the intimidating force he once was…

"The cycle is complete!" yelled Yugi, "And now, for Seto, and Siegfried, and the countless other lives you've destroyed, I cast you into oblivion!"

Saurius screamed, as a beam of pure, holy light struck him…

And at that moment, all mortals at every corner of the globe were struck with a feeling…

It wasn't an intense feeling, nor was it a complicated feeling…

It was simply a feeling of relief…

And in the nights that would follow, all of humanity would sleep a little easier in their beds…

Because they knew, subconsciously, that one of the greatest threats to mankind's existence was gone…

…forever.

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Yugi paused.

He nearly fell down, but he caught himself.

He was back in the dining room. The Sanctuary was gone, as was the dark dome of the Shadow Realm. The Duel Disk that Saurius had used was in front of him, and Siegfried's cards were scattered. The ensuing explosion had vaporized Saurius, but Siegfried's precious deck of cards had been spared.

He carefully started to pick them up. In the process, he found the Fall From Grace card – he sneered, and tore it into pieces.

He looked at the three Blue-Eyes cards. The three Dragons seemed happier than usual…

_Ironic, _he thought._ That beast tried to destroy me with them, but in the end, they helped me prevail. Even from beyond the grave, Siegfried and I made a great team…_

"YUGI!" shouted Mary's voice.

She, Peter, Clive, and Amber ran into the room, and he was swarmed by hugs and kisses. After a minute, Jade and Captain Descartes walked in.

"What happened to him?" asked Jade.

"He's gone," answered Yugi. "Destroyed. Eradicated. He won't bother anyone again…"

He paused.

"Wait," he muttered. "Everyone give me some space."

They backed up, and he started to concentrate.

A glow enveloped his hands, and slowly, a shape started to form.

An ancient chest, made of plain wood and decorated with strange symbols appeared in his hands.

"You might as well all come look at this," he said, as he slowly opened it. "You deserve to see it…"

They all gathered around, as he slowly lifted the lid. There, resting on a cushion of purple satin, was a small disk made of platinum, etched with the same strange symbols. It glowed with its own light, and the mortal beings in the room felt an aura of love and joy emitting from it.

The Mandate of Heaven.

"So," sighed Yugi, "_you're _the one who caused all this trouble…"

The relic seemed to shimmer in approval. The mortals could tell just by looking at it – it had a great deal of respect for all of them.

Yugi led his group outside into the open air, where the Centurions waited.

The angry clouds had vanished, and the sun shone brightly on Duelatopia once more.

He remembered what Dane had instructed him to do:

"_Look to the sun, and think of your greatest desire, and when it is in the front of your mind, speak my name. I will hear, and when I see that you have it, I will come."_

He looked at Mary for a second…

Then he looked into the sun. He squinted.

"Dane…" he whispered.

The whole area became enshrouded with light. Beautiful music started to play, and the light congealed into a single form…

Clive, Peter, Amber, Jade, and the Centurions gathered looked in awe, as the glorious form of Dane appeared out of the light.

"It's done," sighed Yugi, handing the chest to him. "You told me that the current Archlords would be able to do something with this…"

"Indeed," said Dane's powerful voice, as he took the chest. "I can assure you, this will never happen again. Once it is transformed, not even Satan himself will be able to harm it."

"Before I go Yugi," he continued, "you'll be pleased to know that Anastasia's redemption is nearly complete. In less than a month, her restraints will be removed, and forgiveness will be granted. She'll finally ascend to where the blessed go…

"Siegfried is already there. It was a tragedy that he had to give his life to protect the Mandate… but I assure you, he will be eternally rewarded for all he did."

"Yeah," smiled Yugi. "And I have an idea of a reward myself…"

"Then Godspeed," said Dane. "And farewell."

He vanished back into the light.

Yugi turned to his friends.

"Defenders," he said. "Captain Descartes… there remains one thing to do… And it involves talking to whoever Siegfried bequeathed KaibaCorp to."

"No problem," replied Captain Descartes. "It's a woman whom I believe you already know…"

Yugi gave a strange look…


	55. Epilogue

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**Epilogue**

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It took a lot of convincing, but Yugi managed to convince the guests of Duelatopia to stay for two weeks more. He had the Disks reactivated, so they could engage in friendly duels while he prepared what he had in mind.

Two weeks after the duel with Saurius, he had the whole population of Duelatopia gather in the Coliseum, for a goodbye speech and an important announcement.

He stood on a podium, with Mary, Clive, Peter, Jade, and Amber behind him. Also present in the background was Persephone – her aid in the struggle would not go unrewarded.

Beside him was a large object covered with a sheet.

The Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook him. He picked up a microphone, and the large screens came on.

"Fellow duelists," he announced. "Despite the tragedies that have occurred, I trust everyone had a good time at the dueling paradise that the Kaiba family created. Duelatopia was built with a goal in mind, but now that the goal has been met, it has only one purpose – providing a haven of excitement for duelists.

"After today, Duelatopia will close until winter break. It will open again during spring break. And during the summer, the second tournament, which will be an annual event, will be held. Some of you might come to try your luck again, and new faces might show themselves as well. A new Master of Games has been selected, and new surprises are already in place.

"But one new feature of Duelatopia is one I can reveal now…

"Seto Kaiba and Siegfried Kaiba were two exceptional men. They were businessmen, hard workers, self-made men… and most importantly, they were duelists. The world of Duel Monsters was one of wonder for them.

"What few people knew is that these men harbored a great secret, one that if spilled would put mankind in jeopardy. They both guarded the secret – they both gave their lives in order to protect it.

"In the center of Duelatopia, work has begun on a structure that will be called the Kaiba Memorial Library, a museum dedicated to the lives and times of these great duelists. It will be open the next time Duelatopia opens its shores.

"And I am pleased to reveal what will be the centerpiece exhibit of this museum…"

He removed the sheet, and the cameras fell on the glass case…

In it were two photographs. One of them was of the teenaged Seto Kaiba, taken during Battle City, holding a Duel Disk in the midst of dueling an unseen foe. The other was a photo of Siegfried, holding one of the new Disks. Yugi had obtained this photo of him testing one from KaibaCorp.

And beneath the two photos, sealed in a special plastic cube, were the prize cards of the Kaiba family – the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards.

"Until the day comes when Duel Monsters is forgotten," continued Yugi, "these three cards will remain in the Library, a reminder of the legacy of two great duelists.

"And I swear, whenever a Monster is summoned, whenever a Spell Card is played, whenever a Trap is triggered on the grounds of Duelatopia, it will be a tribute to two heroes who helped save humanity from a horrid fate.

"They will not be forgotten."

The crowd cheered…

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In a higher realm, a beautiful, luxurious palace stood among endless fluffy clouds. Calm music filled the air, and lovely forms floated through the ether,

Siegfried Kaiba walked out to a balcony and gazed down upon the beautiful garden below.

He let out a sigh of content…

"Siegfried," said a voice behind him. "Is something the matter?"

He turned and saw his uncle standing there. Seto Kaiba was young again, and his arrogance had long been washed clean from his soul.

"No, uncle," replied Siegfried. "We did it… Yugi did it. Saurius is gone. And Yugi was kind enough to give us a little farewell gift."

Seto nodded. "He has a lot of his father in him," he replied.

Siegfried sighed.

"So," he said, leaning back. "Now what? You realize I left them all behind…"

"This is Heaven, nephew," smiled Seto, putting his arm around him. "There's no longer any need to compete. We've been given more than we ever had when we were alive. And besides, time means little when you have all of eternity…

"So you just have to wait, and eventually, everyone will see the bliss that we have…"

They hugged each other.

"…and your own legacy will do you proud."

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_Duelatopia was a great success. Winter break and spring break drew big crowds, and Siegfried's vacation spot became one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world. What duelists wouldn't love a place that was affordable where they could duel to their hearts' content?_

_KaibaCorp made Yugi an offer soon after the crisis with Saurius, inviting him to act as the Master of Games for the annual tournaments, at least for a while. Yugi had them add a new twist to the Master's role. He would henceforth have three partners entitled The Three Companions, two men and one woman dressed in similar armor. The role of the Companions was similar to the Eliminators, but the Companions roamed the streets freely. Anyone who met them was free to challenge them if they had the guts, and anyone was free to watch. Those who won would get a double-upgrade and a rare card, as usual; those who lost (and most did) vanished in a puff of smoke, while the Companion cruelly laughed. This little show put the contestants even more on edge than the Eliminators did, even though it was just as much a hoax. The Eliminators remained as well, and the rumors of their origins never stopped being speculated about – new and more creative identities were dreamed up to keep the façade fresh._

_Since the event took place in the summer, Yugi and his friends' educations weren't hindered, and it was actually quite fun for a few years…_

_And as for the future?_

_Yugi Mouto Jr. majored in archaeology in college, eventually obtaining a doctorate in the study. When he was done with Duelatopia, he divided his time between field work and teaching college classes on the subject. As one might expect, he delved a lot into Egyptology, and discovered much about the Shadow Games, which all in all, were still very much a mystery._

_Mary Wheeler eventually achieved a full scholarship to the greatest medical school in Japan, and after choosing the field of pediatrics, graduated second in her class. Even early in her career, she made some memorable advances in child medicine – nothing that would win a Nobel Prize, but a lot to be proud of._

_Three years into their MAs, Yugi and Mary were married, in a simple ceremony held in Domino. With money saved from the winnings in Duelatopia and the high paying job from KaibaCorp, they financed a house that was much better than the apartment above the old game store that his great grandfather used to run._

_Clive Marris graduated from college with an MA in accounting. He soon received an offer from KaibaCorp to fill a vacant spot on their board of directors, one which he eagerly accepted. Also, the request that KaibaCorp owed Yugi still stood, and he requested that Clive's and Peter's eventual weddings be paid for completely. Clive married Phoebe after finishing his BA, and they were able to have their dream wedding in New York's Church of St. John the Divine, with the best reception afterward. Though his job wasn't as hi-paying as a twenty-million dollar check would have given him, it was hi-paying enough for him and Phoebe to live comfortably for a long time._

_Peter Ramset didn't go as far in his education as his friends, but after graduating with a BA in literature, he drew the attention of Industrial Illusions, who offered him work as their chief art designer. He soon began thinking up new ideas for cards, and after awhile, duelists everywhere, know it or not, were using cards that were his brainchildren. Thanks to Yugi, he and Josephine were able to have the wedding she dreamed of in Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, in a lavish ceremony._

_Jade returned to her dojo, and her skill became even greater. Eventually, her sensei confessed that there was no more that he could teach her – she was even better than him. Soon, Jade began to attract students of her own, and a glimmer of hope was ignited that the honorable tradition of the Samurai would return to Japan in all its glory. Eventually, Jade married Terone, to the surprise of her friends. It seemed even the Samurai had found love after so many years of being hardened._

_Amber's first stay in Duelatopia was not her last. The year after the first tournament, she competed in the second, and actually made it to the finals. In fact, she made it to the final round, but was defeated by her opponent. Even so, the opponent was impressed by her dueling style, and the two started going out. Soon, the former Beverly Hills brat fell in love, and she wed as well. She also finished college, and even got into law school. Soon, the girl who was once no more that a spoiled rotten brat was a respected defense attorney, and even Jade was proud of her. _

_After all that happened, the Defenders (as they still liked to call themselves), never drifted apart, and remained friends. And often, the temptation became too great, and they strapped on their Disks and released their Monsters to spar with each other once again…_

_And eventually, they were blessed with children of their own…_

…_and the legacies continued…_

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**Finis**

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End file.
